2.  Equipment: Elementary/Middle School Student Microscope- Field Microscope
Creek Connections owns many of them to use by the stream.  Reasonably priced ($159.00 from the Scope Shoppe Inc.), these very durable scopes can be lugged outside and even mistreated and they survive.   The best aspect is an exclusive special light gathering "non electric fiber optic illuminator" which can even gather enough light in shady areas to see the creature.  No mirrors, no electric cords, and easy to focus.      $159.00

3.  Equipment: BioQuip Featherweight Forceps 
If you are going to do any type of bug work, you need these forceps.   They are specially designed entomology forceps that will not crush your specimens when you pick them up.   Very kind to critters.     $4.40

4.  Book: Watersheds: A Practical Handbook for Healthy Water by Clive Dobson and Gregor Beck
Published in 1999, this book is great as a general watershed textbook - especially for middle school students.  The book would still be useful in high schools, but its illustrations make it seem more for younger students.  The text content and subjects covered are well written, thorough, and diverse.   This book touches upon many of the things that affect our watersheds - nutrient cycles, natural changes in watersheds, air pollution, water pollution, exotic species, habitat loss and degradation, and ecological restoration efforts.  $19.95

5.  Equipment: Leaf Pack Experiment Bags
A very unique way to collect macroinvertebrates, these "onion sack bags" get filled with leaves, placed securely in streams to mimic natural leaf packs (wedged clumps of leaves and debris).   Leaf packs are habitat and food for stream insects which will inhabit the leaf pack experiment bags after a few weeks.  Pull them out and see what you caught.  Using these bags can create numerous opportunities for student designed experiments and open up many ecological discussions. $16.95 per 30 bags if you can't get onion sacks from the store  

6.  Book: Pennsylvania Fishes by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Published in 2000, this book covers only the fish that we may find in our waterways, provides good background information, color illustrations, an identification key, general background information on fish, and range maps.   $9.43

7.  Book: Pennsylvania Amphibians and Reptiles by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (Larry L. Shaffer)
Just like the above mentioned fish book, this resource covers only the amphibians and reptiles in our area.  It provides good background information, color illustrations, some color photographs, an identification key, general background information, and range maps.  $10.00

8.  Book: Pond and Brook: A Guide to Nature in Freshwater Environments by Michael J. Caduto
A fun, non-technical book to read, with a ecological / biology focus on flowing water, lakes, ponds, and wetlands.  General ecological concepts are covered and all major aquatic life are discussed.  Illustrations are good and there are some very informative illustrations of natural processes/ cycles.  $23.95

9. Equipment: Groundwater Simulator
This simulator shows a side profile of a hillside and allows students see how groundwater flows through various aquifers and earth materials.   Wells or the ground can be contaminated and the impacts on the groundwater supply are easily witnessed.   Numerous activities and discussions await you using this simulator.   It is expensive, but that is why Creek Connections offers it as a loaner item to teachers.  $600.00  

10. Equipment: Plankton Net
Even if you are completely unfamilar with plankton, it might still be a good idea to use a plankton net on your waterway (if it is a larger waterway) and check out the microscopic life that you find.   Just having students witness and not even identify some of the amazing small zooplankton and phytoplankton can be the lesson itself.  $79.00