New Funding for the 2021 - 2022 School Year
For the 2021-2022 school year, Inside the Outdoors will only be offering virtual programs during the fall semester (September 2021 - December 2021) with additional options to provide in-person programs beginning Spring 2022. Our calendars are now open for the entire school year if you would like to schedule in-person programs for 2022.
Please read the guidelines carefully as some of the requirements may have changed. New opportunities are added as grants are awarded to Inside the Outdoors. Check this page often for new grant opportunities.
We suggest that you do not register for a program until you hear from us about the status of your grant application. When your program is approved, our contract process with your district begins. Once your district contract is signed, then your school is bound to the terms and conditions.
For questions, contact us at insidetheoutdoors@ocde.us or (714)708-3885.
Traveling Scientist Grants - Elementary Schools in Orange County
Drip Drop - Grade Level Assembly
**Priority scheduling given to schools that register for 3rd, 4th, 5th grades on the same day.**
Third Grade
NGSS Standards Supported: 3-ESS2-1Students will explore a virtual detective room to work together to find clues and uncover patterns to solve the mystery of water challenges in their community. Students will compare and describe diverse weather and climate data from different regions in California and explore personal choices to protect our local water resources.
Fourth Grade
History-Social Science Standards Supported: HSS 4.4.4 and HSS 4.4.7
Students will learn about the key role water plays in California’s history including the growth and expansion of towns and cities. Students will collaborate with one another as they engage in activities using maps and historical artifacts to move through the timeline of California's water resources and infrastructure.
Fifth Grade
NGSS Standards Supported: 5-ESS2-1
Students will conduct experiments to determine how urban surfaces can affect their local water resources. Students will examine existing water management solutions such as aquifer recharge, run-off collection, and stormwater recycling, as well as determine choices that can be made to conserve and protect local water resources.
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Scientists of the Sewers
Fifth Grade
NGSS Standards Supported: 5-ESS3-1 & 3-5-ETS1-1
Fatbergs, massive clogs in the sewers, are a menace to public health, the community and the local environment. Students will investigate to discover the causes of these colossal clogs. Then using criteria and constraints, students will work together to design a solution to prevent fatbergs from clogging the sewers, all while developing an understanding of Orange County's sanitation process and how they can help safeguard community and environmental health.
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Traveling Scientist Grants - Middle School & High Schools in Orange CountyWonders of H2O
Middle School
Standards Supported: NGSS MS-ESS3-3 Health: 7–8.6.2.P, 7–8.1.10.P
Students will think critically about connections between human land uses and water quality through exploration of a fictional watershed. Students analyze water samples to identify sources of potential pollution and brainstorm strategies to monitor or minimize pollution.
Wonders of H2O
High School
Standards Supported: NGSS HS-ETS1-3, HS-ESS3-1
Students will learn about the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its connections to our local water resources. Students will engage in projects to collect and analyze data and explore this real-world complex intersection of human and natural systems.
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Next Generation Water Leaders
Middle School/High School Standards Supported: NGSS MS-ESS2-4, MS-ESS3-4, HS-ESS3-3
Do you know what it takes to get the water you depend on from its source to your tap? Through experimentation with a groundwater model, students will learn about Orange County's water sources and how our water is managed for sustainability.
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Scientists of the Sewers
Middle School/High School
Standards Supported: NGSS MS-ESS3-3 or MS-LS2-4
Students will learn about the fragile ecosystem of the microorganisms which play a critical role in Orange County's sanitation system. Students will collaborate and investigate a mock problem which will take them up stream from OC SAN as they test the sewer line to discover where the contaminant is originating. Students will then design a method to safeguard the system or create an argument explaining how changing factors can affect populations within an ecosystem.
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Field Trip Grants - Elementary Schools in Orange CountyPrado Constructed Wetlands: Radical Riparian Restoration
Third Grade
NGSS Standards Supported: 3-LS4-4
What are some ways that human activities can change an environment? Students will virtually explore Prado Wetlands and learn about the different restoration and conservation projects being conducted at this Orange County Water District site. Students will use evidence from the virtual field trip to discuss the merits of these solutions in providing new habitats for many plant and animal species.
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Curriculum Resource for Fifth Grade Teachers in Orange CountyEco Challenge Fifth Grade Curriculum
NGSS Standards Supported: 5-ESS3-1, 5-LS2-1
The Eco Challenge fifth grade curriculum was created to increase countywide consciousness and awareness of landfill processes, organic waste diversion, and resource recovery through academic standards-aligned classroom lessons, student activities, and family engagement materials.
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