CFWEP | Clark Fork Education Portal
CFWEP | Clark Fork Watershed Education Program
What is the Clark Fork Watershed?
The Clark Fork River and its tributaries drain most of western Montana. The upper river and headwaters were heavily impacted by wastes from over a century of mining. Today, the area is the largest Superfund environmental clean-up site in the nation.

CFWEP Site Updates
Teacher Professional Development (SMSP):

-Human Impacts Module: Nov. 13, 8am-5pm; click here for more.

-Snow Module: Dec. 4, 8am-5pm; click here for more.


CFWEP Site Updates
Fall 2010
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Clark Fork Education Portal > Lessons & Activities > Grades 5-8 Core Milltown Curriculum
The CFWEP Core Milltown Curriculum materials for grades 5-8 are listed below. Montana Standards & Benchmarks addressed by each lesson are included in lesson plans. Click on a lesson plan to view or download a copy. Please note that CFWEP Core Milltown Curriculum materials require a username and password for access. If you are interested in a restricted-access lesson, please email the CFWEP Webmaster (jringsak@mtech.edu).

Grades 5-8: Core Milltown Curriculum
Milltown Education Program Lesson 1: History of the Clark Fork Watershed
Developed by CFWEP with support from the University of Montana and the Watershed Education Network, this lesson covers:
  • Clark Fork River watershed history from the American Indian period to 1908
  • Western Montana industrial development from the 1830s to 1908
  • Mining impacts (positive and negative) to the area's social and ecological environments
  • The chemical process of acid rock drainage
  • Milltown dam history
  • The 1908 Clark Fork River flood and its environmental effects
Lesson Plan (doc)
Lesson Plan (pdf)
Powerpoint Presentation
Student Worksheet (doc)
Student Worksheet (pdf)
Student Worksheet Answer Key (doc)
Student Worksheet Answer Key (pdf)
Download All Lesson Materials as a .zip file
Milltown Education Program Lesson 2: The Superfund Story
Developed by CFWEP with support from the University of Montana and the Watershed Education Network, this lesson covers:
  • The 1908 Clark Fork River flood and its environmental effects
  • The Clean Water Act, Superfund Law and how these relate to the Clark Fork/Milltown
  • Milltown Dam Superfund history
  • Bull trout and the habitat
  • Remediation and restoration
  • Opportunity Ponds/British Petroleum-Atlantic Richfield Corporation (BP-ARCO) waste repository
 Lesson Plan (doc)
Lesson Plan (pdf)
Powerpoint Presentation
Download All Lesson Materials as a .zip file
Milltown Education Program Lesson 3: Field Trip and Follow-Up
Developed by CFWEP with support from the University of Montana and the Watershed Education Network, this lesson covers:
  • Vegetation population diversity and density
  • Macroinvertebrate population diversity and density
  • Chemical and physical water quality parameters
  • Site specific field parameters that may vary from season to season
 Field Trip Lesson Plan (doc)
Field Trip Lesson Plan (pdf)
Water and Macroinvertebrate Date Form (doc)
Water and Macroinvertebrate Date Form (pdf)
Riparian Data Form (doc)
Riparian Data Form (pdf)
Follow-Up Lesson Plan (doc)
Follow-Up Lesson Plan (pdf)
Follow-Up Powerpoint Presentation
Download All Lesson Materials as a .zip file
Milltown Education Program Supporting Files
Supporting Milltown files include:
  • Listing on online resources related to the Milltown Dam
  • Milltown Timeline Activity materials and answer key
  • Chemical and physical water quality parameters
 Milltown Online Resource List (doc)
Milltown Online Resource List (pdf)
Milltown Timeline Activity Answer Key (doc)
Milltown Timeline Activity Answer Key (pdf)
Milltown Timeline Images (.zip) (large file - 20MB - contains pdf and jpg formats)
Milltown Timeline Text (.zip) (large file - 24MB - contains pdf and jpg formats)

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