Water for Schools
Menu

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Cary Institute — Hudson River Ecology Teaching Materials

The Cary Institute's Eco-Inquiry program turns scientists' research on the Hudson River into classroom-ready modules on water quality, eutrophication, PCB pollution mapping, invasive species, and watershed comparisons. It also runs the Hudson Data Jam, a student competition that pairs authentic regional datasets with a data-storytelling format, backed by teacher professional development.

Visit Cary Institute — Hudson River Ecology Teaching Materials ↗

What you will find there

  • Inquiry-based modules on Hudson River water quality, eutrophication, and PCB pollution mapping built on real research datasets
  • The Small Watershed Ecology Assessment Project (SWEAP), for comparing small watersheds using land-use and water-quality data
  • The Hudson Data Jam student competition, which pairs real regional datasets with a data-storytelling format
  • Teacher professional development tied to the curriculum
  • Lesson plans labeled by grade band from upper elementary through high school

Our take

The lessons have students work with the same kinds of datasets that scientists collected, rather than simplified stand-ins. The lessons anchor to Hudson River and New York place names and standards references, so teachers outside New York will need to adapt the geography even though the science transfers well.

Pairs well with our materials