Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds

Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds is a classroom and community activity guide for teachers that addresses issues such as endangered species, marine debris, coastal geology, water use, and much more. It is carefully aligned to the California State Science Content Standards for grades 3 through 8, and includes “Community Action” lessons adaptable for all ages up to and beyond 12th grade. The guide is available to California educators for free from the California Coastal Commission, or it can be downloaded as a PDF.

Order a free copy of Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds.

 
After using Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds with students, please let us know what you think! Please submit an online evaluation, or download a PDF to print and mail back to us.

Download Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds
Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds is available in a printable PDF format. You may download the entire document, or download it by chapter.
Please note: Due to copyright agreements, three activities are not available in PDF format. Download Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds as a PDF.

Standards
Within Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds, the applicable State Content Standards are clearly stated next to each activity in the 3rd through 8th grade chapters. A matrix of the standards addressed in each activity is available as a downloadable PDF document, or by request.
•  Standards for all chapters
•  3rd Grade Standards only
•  4th Grade Standards only
•  5th Grade Standards only
•  6th Grade Standards only
•  7th Grade Standards only
•  8th Grade Standards only
•  Community Action Chapter Standards (all grades)

Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds has been correlated to the Common Core Standards. Download a PDF of the Common Core Standards (all grades).

The State of California's Education and the Environment Initiative has developed a set of Environmental Principles and Concepts (EP&Cs) for elementary and secondary schools. A PDF is available showing how Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds addresses the EP&C Learning Objectives.

Spanish Supplement
A supplement containing Spanish translations of the student handouts in Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds is now available in PDF format.
•   Spanish Language Student Handouts (1.7MB)

Upcoming Workshops for Educators

As workshops are scheduled, they will be posted here. If you would like to participate in an orientation workshop for Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds, please send an e-mail to Annie.Frankel@coastal.ca.gov which includes your contact information, as well as the name of your school or program and the grade level that you teach. Workshops are open to both formal and informal educators. If you would like to volunteer your location (e.g. school, museum, visitor center) for a workshop, please use the same contact.

Since 2003, a total of 85 workshops have been held in Alameda, Alhambra, Auburn, Berkeley, Cambria, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Carlsbad, Castroville, Chula Vista, Eureka, Folsom, Fontana, Fort Bragg, Fremont, Guadalupe, Imperial Beach, Huntington Beach, Loleta, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Marina, Newport Beach, Novato, Oakland, Oxnard, Palm Springs, Pasadena, Pescadero, Redding, Riverside, Roseville, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San José, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, San Pedro, San Rafael, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Sausalito, Seaside, Stockton, Suisun City, Tustin, Van Nuys, Ventura, and Walnut Creek.

Extensions and Resources

• Download Winged Ambassadors, Ocean Literacy Through the Eyes of Albatross focusing on albatross life history, satellite tracking, and impacts of plastic pollution. Lessons are aligned to standards for grades 5 - 8 with extensions for grades 9 - 12. Created by Oikonos-Ecosystem Knowledge in collaboration with NOAA's Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.
• Download a four-page primer on coastal bluff erosion, containing informative diagrams and vocabulary for further investigation into coastal processes, prepared by Mark J. Johnsson, Staff Geologist, California Coastal Commission.
• Download a factsheet from the California Water and Land Use Partnership to learn how urbanization affects the water cycle.
• Take part in Coastal Cleanup Day or Adopt-A-Beach.
• Take the Coastal Stewardship Pledge and download the Coastal Steward Class Pledge.
• Browse the Marine, Coastal & Watershed Resource Directory for educational resources and for volunteer and internship opportunities.
• Visit our "How Can I Help?" web page for additional resources.
• Check out our "For Youth" page for web-based activities.
• Share your comments about Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds.

Updates to the Text

• Chapter 7 Update - October 2012 (PDF)