The Major Rivers curriculum is designed to help fourth- and fifth-grade students learn about Texas' major water resources, how water is treated and delivered to their homes and schools, and how to care for their water resources and use them wisely.

The program's host, Major Rivers (named for the major rivers of Texas), and his horse Aquifer cover these topics in eight lessons that include a variety of activities in science, math, language arts, social studies and other subjects. The teaching package includes student workbooks, pretest and post-test sheets, home information leaflets, overhead transparencies and an introductory video. The teacher's guide shows how to use these materials and contains additional learning activities.

The history of Major Rivers
LCRA began developing Major Rivers in 1984 as part of its water conservation activities in the lower Colorado River basin. Formally launched statewide in 1989, Major Rivers was an instant success. By the end of the 1990s, the program had reached more than 1 million students throughout Texas.

In 2001 LCRA began work on a second revision, working with a curriculum consultant, LCRA staff and a Teacher Advisory Committee to produce a new edition specifically for the Colorado River basin.

What's new in Major Rivers
The new edition of Major Rivers has the look and feel of the old program, while containing these additions and improvements.

• Correlation with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) standards.
• More hands-on learning opportunities for students, in keeping with TEKS.
• Additional activities that expand such topics as water quality and provide additional interdisciplinary activities in math, language arts, history and other subject areas.
• Links to Internet resources, including LCRA's Web site, and information on how to incorporate these resources into your students' learning experiences.
• A new visual look that is cleaner and more appealing to a diverse audience while retaining the spirit and appeal of the original Major Rivers character.

Before receiving the Major Rivers curriculum, teachers are encouraged to attend a workshop. You also may order the materials by filling out and returning the order form with your payment. For more information, send an e-mail to Environmental Learning or call 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 8002.