Teachers

Orange County Utilities provides programs and educational materials to help teachers prepare lessons on water conservation. Many of these programs meet Florida Sunshine Standards curriculum requirements.

 Mimi Mouse Water Conservation Program
(Grades K through 2)

Elementary school teachers in K through 2nd grade can participate in the Mimi Mouse Water Conservation Program. Teachers will receive an educational resource package that includes a water conservation DVD, musical CD, and conservation activity book. The program is easy to implement and reinforces Florida Sunshine Standards curriculum requirements for Nature of Matter, Processes of Life, and Processes that Shape the Earth.

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Blue Thumb Junior Detective Program
(Grades 3 through 5)

This exciting program has become the main focus of the elementary school education effort within Orange County Utilities. The program correlates with Florida Sunshine Standards benchmarks for listening skills, critical thinking, mathematical skills, and cooperative learning. A program coordinator will visit your class and provide a lesson on water conservation that includes a video and hands-on activities. At the end of the program, each student is presented with a certificate encouraging them to protect and conserve water. The program shows students how water touches every part of our lives and why water conservation is necessary for the future. Our goal is to understand why it is important to conserve water and the consequences of overuse.  Along with this program, Orange County Utilities hosts a water conservation art contest where students in grades K through 12 have the opportunity to create a water conservation slogan and artwork. Winners are selected based on originality, slogan, and artistic abilities and are awarded a t-shirt featuring their design. Some of the winning entries advance to the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association’s statewide contest.  Statewide poster winners are announced during National Drinking Water Week.

Touring the Water Facts Festival
(For 8th Grade Only)

Orange County Utilities and the Orlando Science Center have partnered to create this fun, hands-on field trip for students and teachers. Students spend the day at the Orlando Science Center taking a visual and factual tour of water. They learn about our source of water — the aquifer, water production, water quality, and finally how water reaches our homes and businesses.

For more information, please contact the Orange County Utilities Water Division at 407−254−9850.

The Wonder of Water
(High School Students)

This is a field trip that exposes high school students to professionals in the drinking water industry. Students tour the laboratory facilities and the water plant, and learn about water production, distribution, water quality, conservation, and  water-related careers. They participate in hands-on water quality activities such as pH testing and salt water intrusion. Presenters give students a greater understanding of the complex and varied people and issues behind drinking water. At the end of the day, students are tested on their knowledge of the water industry.

This program is limited to 100 students.

For more information, please contact the Orange County Utilities Water Division at 407−254−9850.

The Water Color Project

This program is in partnership with the Orlando Utilities Commission and has two facets: a calendar art contest for elementary students and a rain barrel painting contest for middle and high school students. Students are taught a lesson on water conservation and then participate in the art contests.

Calendar Art Contest
(4th and 5th Grades)

Students are taught a lesson on water conservation and then participate in the art contest to share their message about saving water. Thirteen winners are selected, and their works of art are used to create an annual water conservation calendar.

Click here to download the Water Conservation Lesson Plan (PDF-90 KB)

Click here to download information on the 2010–2011 Calendar Design Project (PDF-4796 KB)

Rain Barrel Painting Contest
(Middle and High School Students)

Students are taught a lesson on water conservation and then participate in the art contest. Schools select teams of five students to compete in this contest. Each team is given a 55-gallon, pre-assembled rain barrel to paint based upon different themes. A winning rain barrel is selected from each of five categories and displayed at various locations around Orange County during Water Conservation Month.

Click here to download the Water Conservation Lesson Plan (PDF-90 KB)

Click here to download information on the 2010–2011 Rain Barrel Painting Project (PDF-2951 KB)

For more information, please contact the Orange County Utilities Water Division at 407−254−9850.