Project Flowing Waters is a National Science Foundation and Texas Pioneer Foundation supported collaboration between Texas State University and San Marcos CISD.  It is founded on the interdisciplinary theme of water and emphasizes inquiry-based teaching of sciences related to water. The San Marcos River system is a unique natural laboratory that permits the integration of aquatic biology, aquatic ecology, geology, fluvial geomorphology, conservation biology, limnology, and river restoration. The river’s source is Spring Lake within the Texas State campus.  Water is discharged into the lake from a number of springs from the Edwards Aquifer, a major geologic feature of central Texas.  From Spring Lake, the river flows through the Texas State campus and the city of San Marcos and is a treasure for the people of the local community.

Project Flowing Waters will incorporate interdisciplinary research methods and established- and cutting-edge technologies in water-related science research into the classroom. Project Flowing Waters has six main goals: (1) improve communication, collaboration, teaching and team-building skills of Texas State graduate students in science (fellows), (2) increase the interest of secondary school students in the STEM disciplines and in higher education, (3) provide professional development for 6-12th grade science teachers, (4) bring excitement to the scientific process for 6-12th grade students through engagement in the fellows’ research in STEM areas (5) strengthen partnership between Texas State University and SMCISD, and (6) infuse a deeper understanding of inquiry-based science teaching into Texas State graduate programs and provide opportunities to practice these approaches.  The project faculty will prepare fellows and teachers to teach inquiry-based water related lessons and to share their research experiences in a series of four meetings throughout the year beginning with the May Headwaters meeting.  Fellows will be prepared for teaching and mentoring in SMCISD schools by completion of the Summer I course for NSF Fellows- Professional Development - Inquiry Science Teaching taught by PI Dr. Julie Westerlund.  Project faculty and teacher/fellow teams will also meet weekly throughout the academic year to help ensure the successful implementation of newly created lessons that are based upon the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in science.  The SMCISD science teachers, Fellows, and Texas State faculty will work in teams to design, develop, and implement standards-based, hands-on activities and technology-driven inquiry-based activities.  Activities include: 1) lesson plans that focus on a single, specific topic in one or two classes; 2) units that focus on a coherent theme with activities lasting one to two weeks; and 3) research projects that are long term research experiences.

Project Flowing Waters Group - Headwaters Meeting - May 2008

Program funded by the National Science Foundation and the Texas Pioneer Foundation,

in partnership with

Texas State University - San Marcos and the

San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District.