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Santa Cruz River Lessons and Activities

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

Water Biodiversity Data Collection & Inquiry Field & Nature Journaling All Lessons & Activities

Water

Diagram of aquaponic riparian ecosystem setup
Artificial Riparian Ecosystem Unit
Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly
Dragonfly Slow Reveal Graph Activity
human impacts on the desert
Human Impacts Lesson
Science With Scientific Doodles
Introduction to Science Unit
Santa Cruz river image with a magnifying glass to signify a mystery
Mystery of the Santa Cruz: Where did the water go?
Riparian habitat tanks on a high school campus in Tucson
Schoolyard Riparian Tanks and Ponds
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

Biodiversity: plants, birds, mammals, insects

Javelina looking at the camera
Animal Encounter Lesson
Image of Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) standing on a rock
Can You Name The Birds Around Us Activity
Close up of flower of Pink fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Can You Name the Plants Around Us Activity
Image of saguaro cactus and other desert plants and animals to show energy flow
Cycles of Matter Lesson
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
Cocklebur plant leaves
How Plants Use Their Resources Lesson
human impacts on the desert
Human Impacts Lesson
Binoculars observing red cardinal bird
Human Impacts on Birds Project
School garden with vegetables , including carrots
Human Impact on Campus Activity
Image of pressed botanic specimen with labels made by a student
Pressed Botanic Specimen Project
Riparian habitat tanks on a high school campus in Tucson
Schoolyard Riparian Tanks and Ponds
Image of sunset with cactus in foreground and mountains in background
Science Storytelling Lesson
Rainbow colored taxonomic ranking chart
Taxonomy Lesson

Data Collection and Inquiry

Image of Santa Cruz River with some trash inside
Archaeology of Trash Activity
Diagram of aquaponic riparian ecosystem setup
Artificial Riparian Ecosystem Unit
Wavy lines in different colors
Data Detectives Inquiry and Visualization Activity
What my camera sees data visualization in boxes with key
Data Literacy Resources
Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly
Dragonfly Slow Reveal Graph Activity
Small colored circled to represent data
Exploring Data Through Art Lesson
Student artwork with flowers
Get to Know You Data Visualization
human impacts on the desert
Human Impacts Lesson
People standing on edge of river collecting data
Learning to See: Data Observation & Visualization
Image of student created petroglyph of house with stars
Petroglyphs: Snippets of Data Lesson
Image of pressed botanic specimen with labels made by a student
Pressed Botanic Specimen Project
Group of people standing near trash collected in the Santa Cruz River
River Trash Slow Reveal Graph Activity
Image of sunset with cactus in foreground and mountains in background
Science Storytelling Lesson
City Map with sun and urban heat island effect wave
Urban Heat Island Activity
Camera trap images of coyote and road runner
Wildlife Camera Traps

Field and Nature Journaling

Journal drawing of Anna's hummingbird with detailed drawing and written words
Field and Nature Journaling
Student nature journaling worksheet with scaffolds
Field and Nature Journaling Scaffolds
Small child tracing the shadow of a plant on a white piece of paper
Shadow Art Activity

All Lessons and Activities

Javelina looking at the camera
Animal Encounter Lesson
Image of Santa Cruz River with some trash inside
Archaeology of Trash Activity
Diagram of aquaponic riparian ecosystem setup
Artificial Riparian Ecosystem Unit
Image of Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) standing on a rock
Can You Name The Birds Around Us Activity
Close up of flower of Pink fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Can You Name the Plants Around Us Activity
Image of saguaro cactus and other desert plants and animals to show energy flow
Cycles of Matter Lesson
Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly
Dragonfly Slow Reveal Graph Activity
Wavy lines in different colors
Data Detectives Inquiry and Visualization Activity
What my camera sees data visualization in boxes with key
Data Literacy Resources
Food web in pictures of raptor snake frog insect plant and sun with arrows
Desert Dwellers Food Web Activity
Small colored circled to represent data
Exploring Data Through Art Lesson
Journal drawing of Anna's hummingbird with detailed drawing and written words
Field and Nature Journaling
Student nature journaling worksheet with scaffolds
Field and Nature Journaling Scaffolds
Student artwork with flowers
Get to Know You Data Visualization
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
Cocklebur plant leaves
How Plants Use Their Resources Lesson
human impacts on the desert
Human Impacts Lesson
Binoculars observing red cardinal bird
Human Impacts on Birds Project
School garden with vegetables , including carrots
Human Impact on Campus Activity
Science With Scientific Doodles
Introduction to Science Unit
People standing on edge of river collecting data
Learning to See: Data Observation & Visualization
Santa Cruz river image with a magnifying glass to signify a mystery
Mystery of the Santa Cruz River: Where Did All The Water Go? Lesson
Image of student created petroglyph of house with stars
Petroglyphs: Snippets of Data Lesson
Image of pressed botanic specimen with labels made by a student
Pressed Botanic Specimen Project
Group of people standing near trash collected in the Santa Cruz River
River Trash Slow Reveal Graph Activity
Loteria card with sun, wind, corn, plant and words The Renewable Resources
SBAR Loteria Cards and Game Boards
Riparian habitat tanks on a high school campus in Tucson
Schoolyard Riparian Tanks and Ponds
Image of sunset with cactus in foreground and mountains in background
Science Storytelling Lesson
Small child tracing the shadow of a plant on a white piece of paper
Shadow Art Activity
Rainbow colored taxonomic ranking chart
Taxonomy Lesson
City Map with sun and urban heat island effect wave
Urban Heat Island Activity
Student's drawing of water cycle featuring Tucson, Arizona landscape
Water Lessons for Tucson
Water treatment pond at facility in Tucson AZ
Water Treatment Plant Virtual Field Trip
Image of foil wrapped structure with hands pointing
Watershed Motion Lesson
Camera trap images of coyote and road runner
Wildlife Camera Traps