Santa Cruz River Lessons and Activities

Lessons and activities are grouped by broad themes: water, biodiversity, and data inquiry. Materials have been created by teachers in the BIORETS Santa Cruz River Program. 

Water Biodiversity Data collection & inquiry All Lessons & Activities

Water

Student's drawing of water cycle featuring Tucson, Arizona landscape
Water Lessons for Tucson
Image of foil wrapped structure with hands pointing
Watershed Motion Lesson
Water treatment pond at facility in Tucson AZ
Water Treatment Plant Virtual Field Trip
Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly
Dragonfly Slow Reveal Graph Activity
Diagram of aquaponic riparian ecosystem setup
Artificial Riparian Ecosystem Unit
Science With Scientific Doodles
Introduction to Science Unit
human impacts on the desert
Human Impacts Lesson
Riparian habitat tanks on a high school campus in Tucson
Schoolyard riparian tanks and ponds

Biodiversity: plants, birds, mammals, insects

Food web in pictures of raptor snake frog insect plant and sun with arrows
Desert Dwellers Food Web Activity
Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly
Dragonfly Slow Reveal Graph Activity
Large Palo verde tree in bloom with yellow flowers by a road with a man standing in front of it
How Are Trees Important Research Project
Image of pressed botanic specimen with labels made by a student
Pressed Botanic Specimen Project
Image of saguaro cactus and other desert plants and animals to show energy flow
Cycles of Matter Lesson
Image of Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) standing on a rock
Can You Name The Birds Around Us Activity
Cocklebur plant leaves
How Plants Use Their Resources Lesson
Image of sunset with cactus in foreground and mountains in background
Science Storytelling Lesson
Rainbow colored taxonomic ranking chart
Taxonomy Lesson
human impacts on the desert
Human Impacts Lesson
Binoculars observing red cardinal bird
Human Impacts on Birds Project
Javelina looking at the camera
Animal Encounter Lesson
Close up of flower of Pink fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Can You Name the Plants Around Us Activity
Riparian habitat tanks on a high school campus in Tucson
Schoolyard riparian tanks and ponds

Data collection and inquiry

Student artwork with flowers
Get to Know You Data Visualization
Image of student created petroglyph of house with stars
Petroglyphs: Snippets of Data Lesson
Wavy lines in different colors
Data Detectives Inquiry and Visualization Activity
Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly
Dragonfly Slow Reveal Graph Activity
City Map with sun and urban heat island effect wave
Urban Heat Island Activity
Diagram of aquaponic riparian ecosystem setup
Artificial Riparian Ecosystem Unit
Image of sunset with cactus in foreground and mountains in background
Science Storytelling Lesson
human impacts on the desert
Human Impacts Lesson
Image of pressed botanic specimen with labels made by a student
Pressed Botanic Specimen Project

All lessons and activities

Student artwork with flowers
Get to Know You Data Visualization
Image of foil wrapped structure with hands pointing
Watershed Motion Lesson
Water treatment pond at facility in Tucson AZ
Water Treatment Plant Virtual Field Trip
Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly
Dragonfly Slow Reveal Graph Activity
Image of sunset with cactus in foreground and mountains in background
Science Storytelling Lesson
Image of student created petroglyph of house with stars
Petroglyphs: Snippets of Data Lesson
Diagram of aquaponic riparian ecosystem setup
Artificial Riparian Ecosystem Unit
Large Palo verde tree in bloom with yellow flowers by a road with a man standing in front of it
How Are Trees Important Research Project
Science With Scientific Doodles
Introduction to Science Unit
Food web in pictures of raptor snake frog insect plant and sun with arrows
Desert Dwellers Food Web Activity
Image of pressed botanic specimen with labels made by a student
Pressed Botanic Specimen Project
Image of saguaro cactus and other desert plants and animals to show energy flow
Cycles of Matter Lesson
City Map with sun and urban heat island effect wave
Urban Heat Island Activity
Image of Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) standing on a rock
Can You Name The Birds Around Us Activity
Cocklebur plant leaves
How Plants Use Their Resources Lesson
Wavy lines in different colors
Data Detectives Inquiry and Visualization Activity
Rainbow colored taxonomic ranking chart
Taxonomy Lesson
Student's drawing of water cycle featuring Tucson, Arizona landscape
Water Lessons for Tucson
human impacts on the desert
Human Impacts Lesson
Binoculars observing red cardinal bird
Human Impacts on Birds Project
Javelina looking at the camera
Animal Encounter Lesson
Close up of flower of Pink fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Can You Name the Plants Around Us Activity
Riparian habitat tanks on a high school campus in Tucson
Schoolyard riparian tanks and ponds
Loteria card with sun, wind, corn, plant and words The Renewable Resources
SBAR Loteria Cards and Game Boards