Teaching Resources

Gwinnett Water Resources continually strives to be a world leader in the water industry. Partnering with local schools and students is just one way we are working to meet this goal. Below there are a number of educational resources for teachers, parents, and students. If you are interested in scheduling a speaker for your students or booking one of our in-school lessons, please email DWRSchools@GwinnettCounty.com or call 678.376.6722.

Crafts and Activities

Dragonfly Craft: Learn about pollution and the effect on dragonflies and then use materials at home to make your own dragonfly!
Grease Can Creation: Grease is one of the biggest causes of sewer backups and overflows. Learn about grease and then make a grease can to help prevent these sewer backups!
Water Cycle Mobile: The water cycle is the natural movement of water around the Earth. Learn about this process and then make a model to hang in your house.
Paper Watershed Demonstration: We all live in a watershed and this activity is a great way to understand how pollutants can move through our watershed.
Would you like to take a peek into one of our award-winning water treatment facilities? Take our virtual tour, it's easy! Visit our Yellow River Water Water Reclamation Facility page. Follow the directions listed, and have fun!

High Schools

Project Based Learning Virtual Habitat Survey

The Virtual Habitat Survey Project Based Learning Lesson Guide is a unique and free teaching resource. Through the Virtual Habitat Survey Activity, students will understand how human activities impact habitat for wildlife. Using the Adopt-a-Stream Habitat Survey, students will virtually tour two local streams, collect data, and analyze data to determine the health of each stream. Additionally, students will complete inquiry-based research to increase their knowledge of the impacts of urbanization on streambank stability and habitats before coming up with possible solutions for stream degradation. While it is always best to go outside and explore nature, this activity can be completed within the classroom or extended to a stream near your school! For additional information about this PBL, please contact DWRSchools@GwinnettCounty.com.

Science Fair and the Scarbrough Water Prize

The Scarbrough Water Prize honors projects that address water quality, water resource management, water protection, water and wastewater treatment, or the societal aspects of healthy water. Winning projects display creativity, use precise methodology, and convey an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter. The Scarbrough Water Prize taps into the unlimited potential of today's high school students as they seek to address current and future water challenges. Gwinnett Water Resources is pleased to be able to recognize and encourage Gwinnett’s best and brightest through this award. Gwinnett Water Resources is proud to partner with the GCPS Science Fair to award the prize annually. Students with questions about their water based projects should contact DWRSchools@GwinnettCounty.com to be connected with water professionals.

Adopt-a-Stream

Adopt-a-Stream is a citizen science based program begun by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. Gwinnett Water Resources partners with Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful to provide certification and training for this program in Gwinnett County. Adopt-a-Stream is a longterm monitoring program of the physical, chemical, and biological health of streams. This program provides a great opportunity to monitor local streams in your community. In addition to the data students collect, data sets from monitoring sites around the state of Georgia are available on the Adopt-a-Stream website. For more information on getting certified to monitor a site in your area, please visit Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful.

Take a Video Tour of the F. Wayne Hill Water Reclamation Facility

The F. Wayne Hill Water Reclamation Facility is one of three Water Reclamation Facilities in Gwinnett County. Essential to sustainably treating the waste water from Gwinnett County residents and businesses, this premier water reclamation facility is globally noted for it's high level of water treatment. Take a tour of the process used to treat the waste water, along with the sustainable methane capture and reuse, along with the fertilizer creation employed at this plant.

Elementary Schools

Water on Wheels

Water on Wheels is a free, classroom-based program available to visit schools throughout Gwinnett County. Students participate in engaging, hands-on lessons that teach the importance of water conservation and environmental protection while fostering attitudes that will inspire lifelong water-efficient behaviors.

All Water on Wheels lessons support Gwinnett County Schools Academic Knowledge and Skills standards for science. Programs can also be made available to Gwinnett County scout troops, libraries, private schools, and recreation centers.

For more information about our standard programs, view our school program flyer for elementary schools and the elementary requirements. If you would like to schedule a program for your school or have questions about what we can offer, please contact our team at DWRSchools@GwinnettCounty.com or call 678.376.6722.

Water Science with Wade

Water Science with Wade is a professionally produced video series created by Gwinnett County Water Resources for third- through sixth-graders in Gwinnett County. The videos use humor, animated graphics, and live action to engage students and teach the importance of protecting and conserving our water resources. Each episode is aligned with Gwinnett's Academic Knowledge and Skills science standards.

Download each video by clicking the links below.

To view the Gwinnett County AKS standards covered in each video, please download our flyer.
Water Science with Wade (PDF)

Protecting Our Watersheds
Third grade students will identify sources of water pollution, learn how it impacts the environment, and find out what they can do to help keep our waters clean. They will also explore the characteristics of watersheds and discover how water flows through Gwinnett County.
View or download the Protecting Our Watersheds video.

Waters Amazing Adventures
Fourth grade students will explore the water cycle, weather, and the effects of drought. By following the journey that our water takes from Lake Lanier, they will see the different ways that we use water in our daily lives. Students will also learn how they can do their part to conserve water and prevent waste.
View or download the Waters Amazing Adventures video.

Planet H2O
Fifth- and sixth-grade students take a closer look at all the ways we depend on water and realize that the amount water available for our use is extremely limited. Wade also demonstrates the processes of erosion, infiltration, and the water cycle to help students understand how water affects our planet.
View or download the Planet H2O video.