Stormwater Education for Kids
Stormwater Activity Sheets
The activity sheets below can be downloaded and used with the Stormwater Sleuth comic book or on their own. They are designed for students from 4th - 6th grades, but may be appropriate for other ages as well. These activity sheets are currently in pilot testing. Please send comments on any of the activity sheets to kfeehan2@unl.edu.
Build Your Own Rain Barrel Learn why and how to use a rain barrel and then build your own. (PDF, 418 KB)
Crumpled Watershed Model Make your own 'watershed' and then make it 'rain' to learn how watersheds work. (PDF, 253 KB)
How Much Water Runs Off Use a rain gauge and choose a building or parking lot to estimate the amount of water than runs off during a rainstorm. (PDF, 274 KB)
Instructor Information and Terminology Background information for all the activity sheets, including learning objectives and terminology with definitions. (PDF, 208 KB)
Public Service Announcement Share your knowledge about stormwater and runoff pollution. (PDF, 223 KB)
Stormwater Walk Take a walk around a home or school and tally things that affect stormwater, such as trees, downspouts, and storm drains to give the home/school a stormwater score. (PDF, 264 KB)
To Drink or Not to Drink Learn about water treatment by making a filter to help clean dirty water. (PDF, 301 KB)
4-H Filmmaking: Upstream (Part 1)
Follow Suzy and P.D. as they learn where their water comes from.
4-H Filmmaking: Downstream (Part 2)
Continue the journey with Suzy and P.D. as they learn when their water goes.
Educating Young People About Water
From the University of Wisconsin, this site provides information and resources about developing a community-based youth water education program.
EPA Nonpoint Source Kids Page
This website from the Environmental Protection Agency teaches kids about nonpoint source pollution through a variety of fun online games and activities.
Give Water a Hand
This site provides information about a program where youth interested in water issues can join educators and community members and take action to improve their local water quality.
Project Wet
Project Wet offers instructors a variety of hands-on activities for youth to educate about the importance of water.
Stormwater Education Toolkit: Vol 3: Youth
This site includes various guidance and education materials for use in youth stormwater education.
Stormwater Sleuth Comic Book
The Stormwater Sleuth comic book, Stormwater Sleuth and Running Rain: Keeping It Clean! Slowing It Down!, is part of a youth education kit being developed by the university of Nebraska–Lincoln Stormwater Management Team. The purpose is to teach youth across Nebraska about water resources with a focus on watersheds, urban runoff isues, and rainwater harvesting/green infrastructure.
Stormwater Sleuth Coloring Pages
These pages provide information about stormwater sleuth and running rain in a coloring book format.