Students will present their findings to a school audience, requesting student pledges toward change. Learners will write letters to individuals in government, business and industry, and nonprofits to encourage supporting clean ways actions.

Anticipatory Set:
Assign students to teams of two. Hand out Attachment One: "Quick Quiz on Water Facts." Read the introduction to the students. Then, have them use what they already know to guess which statements are true or false in the quiz. Review the answers, using the quiz as a teaching tool about scarcity and opportunity cost.

Day One:

• On the board, project a picture of the water basin in which you live. Tell students that each team will receive a symbol that represents a problem our rivers face. Students should try to identify the symbol, and then look on the back for its name, as well as a question they must answer about the symbol. Then, hand out a symbol to each student and read the directions on the back. Teacher instructions for the cutouts are found on Attachment Three: Problems Facing Our Rivers. Allow 25 minutes for partner discussion/research, during which teams will need access to "The Muskegon River: Unnatural Wonder" (see Bibliographical References) and the Internet. If you are not in the Muskegon River area, guide learners to research a river watershed closest to them. Ask each team to come forward and place their symbol on the river's edge. Before presenting, remind students that they will be asked to recall one of these presentations in front of the class tomorrow. Student One will explain what the symbol represents and one impact this symbol has on waterways; Student Two will explain a second impact on our waterways. Five minutes before the end of the class session, have the learners reflect in writing or drawing with caption what they learned and what they felt this day. This activity will complete Day One.

Day Two

• To review, teams are assigned a symbol other than their own to reflect on and report back to the class. Allow the original team to critique their review. Teams who recall well receive appropriately-themed Lifesaver© candies or another such award of your choice. Then, hand out Attachment Four: A Common Natural Resource—Improving Our Water Quality. Discuss the four sectors of society and generate examples of each. Assign each team a category; tell them they have 15 minutes to scan, "The Muskegon River: Unnatural Wonder" (see Bibliographical References) and find any examples of how each sector of society has or might influence waterway quality. When 15 minutes are up, allow five more minutes for students to prepare to explain their findings to the class. Post four charts on which each presenter will write. Instruct students to have one student present while the other writes notes that the class will copy. Allow five minutes of reflection for this session. Add it to Day One reflection.

Days Three and Four

• Give each student a 5" x 8" paper as they enter class. Tell them to draw one thing that a sector from yesterday (government, business & farms, nonprofits and families) can do to improve waterway quality. Have them then post their picture next to one sector name and explain to begin class. Afterward, hand out "The Muskegon River: Unnatural Wonder" and tell students to turn to pages 18 & 19. Read and discuss any possible actions missed in your initial activity. List those on the appropriate charts.
  
  
• Form peer groups of three to four learners. Explain that each peer group will now be designing a computer-generated presentation, which will convince peers to pledge to do one or more of these positive actions toward improved water quality. They must identify one public interest nonprofit or grassroots organization that works to preserve the environment. Encourage them to emphasize water quality. Explain criteria for the slides. Have students save their presentations to the network.

Day Five

• Explain criteria for evaluating student presentations. Present the criteria for assessing their presentation. Have teams practice delivering a three-minute presentation of their findings. Then, allow each team to present their findings. Evaluate them and select the best one for class presentation to their peers.

Day Six

• Select a nonprofit environmental foundation or grassroots organization based on visiting the site: www.guidestar.org . Write a formal letter praising them for their efforts and encourage further actions. Mail them after peer editing.
  
  
• Post letters along with the pledge cards and when responses from the nonprofit groups arrive, post them. This will be a growing and on-going activity.

Additional Scheduled Activity:

Assembly: Schedule a grade level assembly. Have your learners make their presentation. When the presenters complete the last slide explaining the pledge, thank your presenters. Then, explain to the students that they will receive a pledge card. Ask them to fill it out honestly. Collect copies, and then post one copy in the hallway. Send the second home with a challenge to parents to join in their commitment to water quality.

Interactive Parent / Student Homework: Students will bring the "River Keeper's Pledge Card" home to inform parents of the commitment students have made.