Educational Materials

The Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (RSWCD) has educational materials for Richland County educators to borrow for classroom use. Equipment may be borrowed for a one-week period, and the borrower is responsible for the pick up and return of items. Learn more about our educational materials below.

Adopt-a-Stream Freshwater Monitoring Kit

Richland County residents are invited to borrow an Adopt-a-Stream kit to monitor water quality in local waterways. The kit may be borrowed for a one-week period, and the borrower is responsible for picking up and returning the kit. Borrowers must have already participated in SC Adopt-a-Stream training.

The Adopt-a-Stream kit includes materials and supplies needed to conduct chemical, bacterial, and macroinvertebrate monitoring. The kit can be used to teach about water quality and freshwater ecosystems. Taking part in this lesson involves going outside, exploring a local waterway, and measuring several water quality parameters.

Enviroscape Model

Richland County educators are invited to borrow the Enviroscape model for classroom and youth group presentations. The model may be borrowed for a one-week period, and the borrower is responsible for picking up and returning the model.

The Enviroscape is a 3D watershed model that helps students visualize stormwater runoff, water pollution, and the environmental impact of human activity. The Enviroscape comes in a portable suitcase with the landscape model, drink powders to serve as pollutants, spray bottles, figures, and more. A user guide and laminated cards describing sources of water pollution are also included.

Envirothon Training Trunk

An SC Envirothon Training Trunk is available to Richland County teams competing in the SC Envirothon to help them prepare for the competition. The trunk is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Rain Gauge

Richland County educators are invited to borrow a CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network) Rain Gauge for classroom and youth group presentations. The gauge may be borrowed for a one-week period, and the borrower is responsible for the rain gauge’s pick up and return. Schools participating in the Green Step Schools program may borrow the rain gauge annually to support student-led environmental projects.

CoCoRaHS helps students accurately measure and track precipitation, including rain, snow, hail, and sleet. The CoCoRaHS rain gauge includes:

  • An outer cylinder for collecting snow, hail, and sleet
  • An inner measuring tube graduated in .01" intervals for precision measurements of rain or melted frozen precipitation
  • An overflow slot allowing measurements up to 11 inches of rain
  • A mounting bracket for easy installation
  • A data recording sheet for the classroom and instructions for submitting data online to the national CoCoRaHS network

CoCoRaHS is ideal for teaching:

  • The water cycle and types of precipitation
  • Weather observation and climate science
  • Stormwater runoff and watershed awareness
  • Graphing, data collection, and weather analysis
  • Citizen science and environmental responsibility

Rainfall Simulator

Richland County educators are invited to borrow a Rainfall Simulator for classroom and youth group use. The model may be borrowed for a one-week period, and the borrower is responsible for the model's pick up and return.

The rainfall simulator can be used to teach soil health, erosion, stormwater runoff, infiltration, water pollution, and the importance of soil organic matter and groundcover.

The simulator includes a stainless steel soil cutter and containment screen, stand and water reservoir, infiltration and runoff catchment basin, and prepared soil samples.

Vermicomposting Kit

Richland County educators are invited to borrow our vermicomposting kit to set up small, indoor, earthworm-powered compost bins for classrooms and youth groups. The supplies may be borrowed for a one-week period, and the borrower is responsible for the pick up and return of the kit.

The worm bin activity can be used to teach about soil health, decomposition, earthworm habitat and life cycles, waste reduction, and the benefits of composting. Taking part in this lesson means you will be adopting and caring for new class pets! The materials provided will be enough for up to 4 classes of 25 students each.

The vermicomposting kit includes:

  • A large worm bin demonstration box containing worms, worm eggs, and soil (property of RSWCD)
  • A large stack of newspaper
  • Two containers of sandy soil (half a container per class)
  • Two empty containers for water
  • A spade
  • A sample bag of compost
  • Models of worms in various stages of the reproduction cycle
  • Up to four empty bins (one for each class)

You will keep one bin to house your worms per class. You are permitted to take 1 scoop of soil, worms, and worm eggs from RSWCD’s bin per class to place in your classroom bin.

A selection of children’s books about vermicomposting will also be provided.

Care for Your New Class Pets

Click on the tabs below to learn how to care for your new classroom pets!

General Tips and Safety

  • Worms do not like light and can become paralyzed if exposed for too long. Please protect them by minimizing light, keeping the lid on, and quickly covering them with newspaper or soil after viewing.
  • Do not leave too much water behind on the newspaper pieces. Be sure to squeeze water out thoroughly to not drown the worms.
  • Wash your hands after touching anything in the worm bin, including worms and soil (which is actually worm poop, called castings). Keep hands away from your face until they have been washed.

Food and Bedding Prep

Before Students Arrive

  1. Unfold and stack the newspaper. You can place two sheets on each student’s seat or hand out as students arrive.
  2. Place two white bins at each group of students.
  3. Fill two empty containers with water.
  4. Set up a sample bag of compost, worm reproduction models, and the demonstration bin where everyone can see. Remember to keep the lid on the demonstration bin as much as possible. Students can be brought up in small groups to peek under the newspaper to find some worms, but be sure to cover them back up quickly.

When Students Arrive

  1. After a short reading and/or discussion on soil health, decomposition, and/or composting, begin the hands-on activity.
  2. First, students will rip up the newspaper into small thin strips. Strips can be long but not thick.
  3. Next, instruct students to place all their strips into one of the white bins. This will be the WET BIN. The second empty bin will be their DRY BIN.
  4. Pour half to full container of water into each group’s WET BIN.
  5. Instruct students to completely soak and wring out the newspaper. The newspaper should feel like a damp washcloth (no dripping). Too much water in the newspaper will cause the worms to drown.
  6. After students wring out the newspaper, instruct them to place their newspaper into their DRY BIN.
  7. Instruct students to pull the pieces of newspaper apart and fluff the pieces up.
  8. Pour containers of sandy soil - use half a container per class - into each group’s dry bin.
  9. Instruct students to mix sandy soil in with the newspaper. Worms do not have teeth and need the roughness of the soil to aid in their digestion.
  10. Pour each group’s dry bin into the large classroom bin. This will be your worm’s new home!
  11. Use the shovel to take one scoop of soil (the soil includes worms and worm eggs) and place the soil into the classroom bin.
  12. Quickly cover up the worms with newspaper and put the lid on.

Future Care

  • These worms will act as your new class pets and we hope you will care for them well!
  • Give worms 1-2 scraps of compostable food. Food can come from your lunch which feeds your worms and reduces waste!
  • Replenish the newspaper by following the activity above as often as necessary.
  • Use the healthy soil your worms produce to grow plants.

Contact Us

To learn more about the resources we offer or to rent any of our educational materials, contact Jessica Thompson at thompon.jessica@richlandcountysc.gov or 803-576-5464.

Back to top