This educational outreach program is designed to inform 6th to 8th grade students about public works in an engaging, interactive, and entertaining way! The straightforward, contemporary curriculum integrates school subjects like social studies, language arts, science, math, and art into the study of important public works topics. This program teaches middle school students about the many fields that comprise public works, shows how public works improves every community's quality of life, and explores various public works careers.

The program has three key goals: to educate students about the role of public works in their everyday lives, pique interest in public works as a potential career path, and provide teachers and public works professionals alike with well-developed lesson plans. It aims to give students a deeper knowledge of five public works areas�construction, parks and recreation, traffic and transportation, water and wastewater, and solid waste, so that they will appreciate the work that goes into running a community.

Training Package consists of:

One Instructor's Guide and CD-ROM Resource; 25 copies of the Student Almanac and 25 copies of Mystery of the Night Vandals

Instructor's Guide and Resource CD-ROM

Whether you're a public works professional called to make a career day presentation or a middle school teacher seeking fresh, fully-prepared curriculum, this guide meets your needs. Accessible and all-inclusive, it contains flexible lesson plans filled with inventive activities, brief lecture outlines and discussion lead-ins, and background information on each topic, cutting time and making outside research and preparation virtually unnecessary for every presenter! Best of all, these accommodating plans will fit 30-, 45-, and 60-minute class periods, and for expanded lessons, each chapter contains ideas for "Extension & Enrichment!" The Resource CD-ROM contains all the worksheets, handouts, and charts for each lesson, as well as materials mentioned in the "Extension & Enrichment" portions. From bingo cards to word puzzles and public works statistics to letter templates to supplementary photographs, this CD-ROM supplies all the entertaining and informative extras you need to round out your presentation!

Can only be purchased as a component of the training package.

Student Almanac

Each of the seven chapters in this colorful, comprehensive almanac concentrate on a different aspect of public works, ranging from a general overview of the field to a focused discussion of traffic and transportation to an exploration of public works careers. Timelines, job descriptions, and introductory information on public works help orient students. The photos, illustrations, and factual "Did You Know?" featurettes will engage students from the start! Perfect for use in conjunction with the Instructor's Guide, this book can also be used for a stand-alone lesson or as a resource for individual students.

Mystery of the Night Vandals

This suspenseful story will keep students guessing as 7th graders Joshua and Ernesto race to find out who's behind the vandalism in Lakeside, Illinois before their Academic Decathlon! As the boys juggle their investigation with study sessions for the community section of the competition, they learn the impact of vandalism and the ways in which public works strengthen and maintain a community. Students collect clues about the Night Vandals and knowledge about public works along with the characters, learning in a fun, creative way. The novel concludes with a 10-question "Mystery Vandal Quiz" which encourages students to demonstrate what they learn.