RiverXchange® helps teachers meet Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) all while teaching students about watershed health and environmental stewardship through hands-on activities, guest speaker presentations, and service learning. The RiverXchange® learning objectives are the specific, measurable outcomes we hope students are proficient in by program completion. These outcomes are what correlate to the Common Core and NGSS.
RiverXchange® Learning Objectives
- Students identify their watershed and describe interdependent abiotic and biotic elements of their watershed ecosystem.
- Students summarize the many important roles and inter-connections for water in their watershed (e.g. municipal, industrial, agricultural, recreational, ecological, aesthetic).
- Students name specific pollution sources in their watershed, define the difference between permeable vs. impermeable surface and their roles in the movement of pollution.
- Students explain aspects of watershed stewardship and describe specific ways they can reduce pollution sources within their watershed.
- Students share their watershed knowledge and advocacy with peers and parents.
Next Generation Science Standards
Earth Systems
5-ESS2-1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
5-ESS2-2. Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of salt water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.
5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems
5-LS1-1. Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.
5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
Space Systems: Stars and the Solar System
5-PS2-1. Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.
A full description of correlation to the NGSS performance expectations as well as support for the Science and Engineering Practices and Cross-Cutting Concepts is below:
RiverXchange® NGSS Standards Correlation (PDF)
Common Core Standards
RiverXchange® supports many 5th grade common core standards in reading, writing, language, speaking and listening across the program.
A full description of correlation to the Common Core Standards is below:
RiverXchange® Common Core Standards Correlation (PDF)



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