Ft Collins Museum Exhibits Applic

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Water Education Exhibits at the Discovery Center Science Museum 1. PROJECT SUMMARY Description The City of Fort Collins Water Utilities has teamed up with a local science museum to develop hands-on exhibits that teach about water. We believe it is important for people of all ages to understand water issues and the role that water plays in the life of a community. The exhibits will help educate people about the importance of water to all living things and how water interrelates with other life and earth sciences. The Discovery Center Science Museum in Fort Collins is an ideal place to house such exhibits. The museum has provided children and families with hands-on science learning since it was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1989. In seven years, the Discovery Center has grown to become a regional facility with more than 22,000 visitors per year. The 85 large-scale, interactive exhibits cover a broad range of science and technology topics; including communications, light and optics, energy and motion, and electricity. The Discovery Center also hosts an extensive list of programs and classes, including State Scien~e Standards-based field trips. They have developed ten field trip packets that target individual Science Standards. Each packet contains pre- and post-visit activities, activities involving the exhibits and a student assessment tool. The water education exhibits are planned to be integrated into two adjoining rooms teaching life and earth sciences. In addition to the interactive exhibits, the walls will have displays incorporating information complementing the themes. To tie into the theme of water conservation, an outside area may be developed into a xeriscape garden with plants labeled. Water education concepts to be addressed in the exhibits include: . the physical and chemical properties of water and how they work together in the hydrological cycle. . the importance of water to all living things. . where and in what conditions water is stored on the earth, including the characteristics of our local watersheds. . the path that water travels from the mountains to our faucets in Fort Collins and back to the river, including water and wastewater treatment. . the sources of water pollution, how it affects living things and ways to prevent it. . the many uses of water, including personal water use habits and the importance of conservation.