NWIOA 

 June 2008, Vol. 45, No. 4 • www.wef.org/highlights

In this month’s Highlights, read how classroom lesson plans incorporate hands-on water-related educational activities in Reading, Writing, and … Water? Also in this issue, learn about research on microconstituents by Jordyn Wolfand, Stockholm Junior Water Prize finalist. Find inspiration to get involved in a message from Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) president, Adam Zabinski. Learn how Lavene Brenden, this month’s “Pro to Know,” has devoted his career to improving water quality in the Midwest.

Top Stories:
Reading, Writing … and Water?
Look, look! See Dick paint a picture of a water molecule. See Jane purify a gallon of dirty water. See school children all over America learn about the global water crisis and what they can do about it.

We’ve come a long way since the days when first graders spent reading class learning the latest adventures of Dick and Jane. Today’s students are more likely to participate in water conservation “SWAT teams” that check for leaks in water fountains, or write poems about water shortages and carbon footprints. They are more ecologically aware than perhaps any previous generation, thanks in large part to the integration of environmental education into virtually every facet of their studies. Read more

Stockholm Junior Water Prize Finalist Studies Hormone’s Effect on Minnows
Despite the tone of recent Associated Press news articles and congressional hearings, the presence of low levels of chemicals associated with pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and other consumer products in the nation’s waters is not new. For many years researchers have tested for the presence of these compounds as well as their environmental effects.

In fact, Jordyn Wolfand, one of the four finalists in the 2007 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) competition, earned that distinction for her research on the effects that residual concentrations of the active ingredient in birth control pills have on minnows. Read more