The Texas Water Development Board has a mission to provide leadership, planning, financial assistance, information, and education for the conservation and responsible development of water for Texas. Conservation is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to increase the amount of water available in the future. The resources available from the TWDB for education and public awareness have been developed to serve school-aged children, as well as adults."

Raising Your Water IQ

Raising Your Water IQ is an inquiry based approach to teaching middle school students about Texas water resources and how to conserve water resources for today and the future.  Four messages are central to this study:

• Where Does Our Water Come From?
• Who Uses Water and How Do We Use It?
• Why and How Do We Conserve Water?
• How Can We Plan Our Water Future?

Activities and lesson plans in this curriculum offer structured opportunities to practice the concepts in a classroom.  Watersheds and surface water systems are related to groundwater systems.  Point and non-point source pollution is explored in hands-on and minds-on activities.  Students gather and graph data for their own water usage at home and go further to investigate water use in Texas.  A “Water in Texas” web quest and accompanying web resources encourage students to ask questions and gain understanding about their own local environment.

Water Conservation Literature:

Click on the link above to view electronic copies of brochures about indoor and outdoor water conservation at home, and agricultural water conservation. These brochures are available for free in limited quantities and for a nominal price per additional copy. Email Patsy Waters or call at (512) 463-7955 to order a sample packet of Conservation Literature.

Water IQ - Know Your Water:

The Water IQ - Know your water brand is a result of research conducted in 2004 as a result of the Water Conservation Implementation Task Force recommendation that the state create and fund a State-wide Public Awareness Program for Water Conservation. It stresses the need of making individual Texans aware of the importance of water conservation, including water reuse, to their future as residents of the state.

The Task Force was able to secure financial assistance from public and private sources in the amount of $150,000 to complete this initial market research. This research, consisting of quantitative statewide surveys and analysis of information gleaned from select focus groups, will be of great value to those wanting to look at the attitudes and awareness of Texans regarding water conservation, water resources and water planning.

Click here or on the link above to learn more about the Water IQ research study.

Major Rivers:

Click on the link above for more information about the Major Rivers Water Education Curriculum for 4th and 5th graders and how to order a teaching package, which includes a comprehensive teacher's guide, CD-rom, and a classroom set of full color student workbooks and home leaflets. Major Rivers order form.

TWDB Kids:

TWDB has recently created a page for kids.  We have a new coloring book, and some brand new games to teach kids about surface water, groundwater, water conservation, water planning and more!  There is also a brand new 6th grade curriculum called Raising Your Water IQ.

Water Conservation Lesson Plans:

Click on the links below for a summary of each lesson plan. If you are interested in electronic copies of these lesson plans, please click on the links below and fill out the lesson plan request form at the bottom of the page (except for the first link which is a pdf, so click on any other link to find the request form).  Once you fill out the form, you will have access to the electronic files.  If you have any questions, email Linda Ruiz McCall or call at (512) 463-5836.

Raising Your Water IQ (4 page summary PDF)

Elementary Lesson Plans (5)
Middle School Lesson Plans (5)
High School Lesson Plans (5)

For more information, please contact:
Linda Ruiz McCall, TWDB
Telephone: (512) 463-5836
email:linda.mccall@twdb.state.tx.us