Educational Aspects of Family Lake Days

There are three types of Lake Days:

1) School Lake Day
2) Lake Association Event
3) Community Event

During the Family Lake Day, some students present the research they have conducted in the watershed while other students teach the public with hands-on learning stations.Three Dimensional Benthic Lake Model was created by a class and is being explained by the student to the right.

At a school or lake association event children can attending educational workshops like Hooked On Fishing sponsored by Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildife.

DEP works with the teachers or lake association members to choose and set up hands on activities. For some of the activities there are more detailed lesson Plans.

Yes, I want to host a Family Lake Day

1) School Lake Day

This is an event for school children usually targeted for grades 4-8. It can be located at school but is much more fun at a park or waterfront site. The activities last for about 30 minutes and students rotate around the activity stations. DEP encourages a closing activity like a town meeting where students incorporate the information they have learned at the various activity stations. DEP also works with teachers by introducing curriculum like Adopt-A-Watershed and providing classroom support for pre and post activities and assessment.

2) Lake Association Event

At a lake association event, there are activity booths and group games for the children. Often the adults enjoy visiting the activity booths to make T-shirts or learn about polluted runoff. Many lake associations historically have games for the children. DEP encourages adding a lake theme to the foot races or sand castle contests. For example if there is a sand castle contest the winners would be the ones whose castle is still standing after a simulated rain storm using a watering can. This teaches the children and hopefully the parents about the importance of vegetation in reducing erosion. Adults and older children can work on a demonstration project to improve water quality in the lake, such as planting native vegetation along the shore. The families reunite for lunch, group activities and a closing event or entertainment by a local performing group.

3) Community Event

Children who have learned about the principles of watershed protection by participating in a Lake Day or participating a Watershed Protection Grant, run an activity booth at a lake day for a lake association, school or other community event. This would be a good project for high school service learning team. Community members more often to listen to a student's message about lake protection than an adult environmental advocate.