<p> Expedition Chesapeake: Educating a watershed one backyard at a time</p><p>Description of the Project Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg, PA is the driving force behind Expedition Chesapeake. The project has four main components:  a series of project-based watershed education modules: educational experiences designed for middle school and high school students, with materials available digitally through an online portal;  a large-format (IMAX®) film;  a made-for-television documentary program;  a 5,000 ft2 traveling science exhibit to be hosted by museums and science centers with a 4-D experience.</p><p>Watershed Education Materials These materials are appropriate for upper middle school through high school classrooms as well as non-formal science education venues. They include:  project-based, inquiry-centered learning; students working in teams to solve real-world challenges then correlate their learning experiences to their own backyards;  stand-alone lessons with learning experiences that are case-based, with focus on real places, problems and research throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed;  at least one hands-on science experience in each scenario;  lessons aligned to the National Science Standards as well as the Common Core Standards and science standards of the six watershed states and the District of Columbia; NGSS alignment to be added this spring;  a collection of rich teacher-friendly lesson plans which contain essential questions, assessment suggestions and rubrics, objectives, skills and vocabulary lists;  scientific and historic background information for the teacher;  suggestions for cross-curricular applications;  the use of science journaling to promote student reflection and understanding of new concepts.</p><p>Structure of the watershed education materials Expedition Chesapeake education materials are posted on the project’s website and are updated and enriched on a regular basis. Presently they include:  five modules, each addressing a major concept in watershed education  two stand-alone scenarios in each module developed around a real problem or situation in one of the six Chesapeake Bay watershed states  a separate water quality testing unit referenced in several of the scenarios  in development: a unit dealing with watersheds and their significance  at least one inquiry-centered hands on lesson in each scenario, allowing for exploration of a concept important to the question or problem presented in the scenario  practice in the skills and habits of mind of a scientist.</p><p>Features of the Expedition Chesapeake online portal The website currently includes features such as:  intuitive navigation panes.  access to all educator and student materials as downloadable pdf documents.  the ability to print individual documents or entire learning experiences.</p><p>It is our intention that students will come to understand that how they live their everyday lives affects their home environment as well as this national treasure, the Chesapeake Bay. </p>