On this page, you will find resources to support learning at all age levels across our state about the hazards of lead in water and how we can work together to prevent exposure to lead.
Why teach about lead in water in the classroom?
Exposure to lead can have lifelong health impacts, and children are particularly susceptible to these harmful effects.
Schools across the state are checking for lead hazards through the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program, which presents a timely opportunity to also educate children and families about lead in water, how it gets there, what we can do about it, through multiple disciplines.
These curricular activities support state standards across disciplines, in social studies, ELA, math, and science, including the active classroom science standards.
The goal of the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program is to identify and eliminate lead and asbestos hazards where North Carolina children learn and play. Children spend much of their early lives in child care and educational buildings, so it is especially important to identify health hazards in these settings. If lead hazards are identified in a building, actions can be taken to reduce or eliminate the hazard. Learn how our program helps fulfill North Carolina rule requirements related to lead in water.
Join other leaders in this work!
Teachers are invited to join a pilot program to use curricular activities in spring 2024 and provide feedback on relevance, alignment, and ease of use.
Teachers participating in the pilot may be eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from their school system, for professional development activities supporting cross curricular connections and active science classrooms.
Steps to participate in the pilot:
- Explore the resources and decide which you will use in your classroom this spring
- Sign up to participate in the pilot
- Implement the lessons with at least one class
- Provide feedback through our online form and optional focus group
- Receive CEU support letter upon completion
See more information here: Instructional Support Guide - Pilot Description
Curriculum Support Materials
These curriculum support materials are designed to engage students, teachers, parents, and the school community in the lead exposure prevention work that has been ongoing in North Carolina schools through the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids program.
Each link below goes to a preview template for teachers. Once you are in the file, click on “USE TEMPLATE” in the top right corner to create a copy for use from your Google Drive.
Take-home Materials for Families
- Lead in Water 101
- Coastal Plains - Water Sources Info and Contaminant Simulation
- Mountains - Water Sources Info and Contaminant Simulation
- Piedmont - Water Sources Info and Contaminant Simulation
Elementary School Resources
Middle School Resources
- Lesson Plan - Protecting Water Quality of North Carolina
- Slide Deck - Protecting Water Quality of North Carolina
- HyperDoc - Protecting Water Quality of North Carolina
High School Resources