The River Alive! Curriculum Guide is an educational companion to the River Alive! exhibition at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia. This permanent fixture’s 17 unique exhibits explore the ins and outs of the Delaware River watershed. Through the curriculum guide’s creative and engaging activities, students dive deeper into scientific themes as well as the human impact on the watershed. The 150+ page curriculum guide is designed to enhance the student’s experience at the River Alive! exhibition and give educators a tool continue learning about the Delaware River watershed.
CLIENT: Habithèque Inc. and The Independence Seaport Museum | YEAR: 2018 | DURATION: 8 months | ROLE: Research, Curriculum Design and Development, Guide Layout
The curriculum guide contains 6 units. Starting with an introductory unit, the guide looks at the water cycle, the anatomy of the watershed, and the important role water plays in our lives. The rest of the units follow the path of water through each of the habitats along the watershed, starting at the top of the mountain and ending at the coast. At each stop, the unit explores concepts related to the habitat while emphasizing the interconnectivity of the entire watershed.
The guide contains a robust selection of materials to support each lesson, including key vocabulary, discussion questions, plus extensions and variations for each lesson. Educators can decide which elements to include for their students. This flexibility allows educators to tailor the student experiences at the exhibit and in the classroom. The additional resources cover a variety of related topics, giving students a starting point to explore even more about their watershed.
Three common themes are embedded in each unit: cycles of the ecosystem, diversity of living things, and conservation. These themes are driven home through the lessons, incorporating both individual and collaborative activities. The lessons use a mix of handouts, videos, interactive digital media to create engaging activities and foster critical thinking. In addition, the lessons are designed to connect to specific exhibits at River Alive! Leveraging this crossover gives educators additional means to strengthen understanding of the relationship between the watershed and human activity.
After extensive evaluation and testing with teacher focus groups, the final curriculum guide is a 150+ page resource to deeply explore the Delaware River watershed in tandem with a field trip to the River Alive! exhibition. The exhibition graphics are integrated into the guide’s design, creating visual connections. Available digitally with a potential future print edition, the curriculum guide offers a wealth of information and creative activities to fuel student interest and curiosity about their regional water source.
In addition to the curriculum content, the scope of the project involved designing several other print assets, including an exhibit scavenger hunt, classroom poster, and handouts / worksheets to support the lesson plans.