Teaching Resources - Water

Visit water links on our other EE sites:

EPA links

Acid Rain Educational Resources
epa.gov/acidrain/education
Experiments and activities, basic acid rain concepts, and things you can do about acid rain.

America's Wetlands Grades 9-12
epa.gov/owow/wetlands/vital/toc.html
This site will give you a better understanding of the rich variety of wetlands, their importance, how they are threatened, and what can be done to conserve them for future generations.

Beach Kids
Whether you live near a beach or not, visit this site to learn neat things about beaches and play games.

Clean Water Act Grades 9-12, Teachers
www.epa.gov/regulations/laws/index.html#cwa
A historical overview of the Clean Water Act, the primary Federal law that protects our nation's waters, including lakes, rivers, aquifers, and coastal areas.

Cleaner Water through Conservation Grades 9-12, Teachers
EPA Publication 841B95002, 70pp, 1995
An explanation about the relationship between the quantity of water and its quality and discussion of how developing water-use efficiency programs can help States and local communities achieve cleaner water through conserving water.

Coral Reef Protection Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
epa.gov/owow/oceans/coral/
This site explores why coral reefs are important and what is being done to protect them.

Darby Duck and the Aquatic Crusaders Grades K-5
epa.gov/owow/NPS/kids/DARBY.HTM

Down the Drain Grades K-5
www.ciese.org/curriculum/drainproj/
How much water do you use every day in your home? Introduces students to the topic of water use, and to data gathering and analysis. From the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE).

Effects of Acid Rain Grades 6-8,Grades 9-12
epa.gov/acidrain/effects
Fact sheets answering what is acid rain, what are its causes, and what are its effects on our planet.

Estuaries Grades 9-12
epa.gov/owow/estuaries/about1.htm
What is an estuary? Why are estuaries important? Why protect estuaries? Find out this and more at this site.

Exploring Estuaries Grades 6-8,Grades 9-12
epa.gov/owow/estuaries/kids
What are estuaries? Why are they important? This site provides introductory information for students of various ages and background information for teachers. Includes links and a glossary.

Ground Water Primer Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
www.purdue.edu/dp/envirosoft/groundwater/src/ground.htm
This computer program presents the basic concepts of ground water, the contaminants that can affect water quality along with the risks they pose, activities that an individual or community can do to help protect and conserve ground water, and programs that are now in place to help protect ground water.

Linking Girls to the Land Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
epa.gov/linkinggirls/
This partnership between the Girl Scouts of America, US EPA and other federal agencies promotes outdoor education, volunteering and conservation education. It provides opportunities for 2.8 million girls nationwide.

Locate Your Watershed Grades 9-12, Teachers
cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm
Locate your watershed by entering your ZIP code or the name of a stream, city, tribe, lake, school, airport, and more.

Magnificent Ground Water Connection K-12
epa.gov/region01/students/teacher/gndwater.html
This ground-water activity guide is applicable to a wide range of subject matter and the topics include basic concepts on the water cycle, water distribution, treatment, and stewardship. This page includes five sample lesson activity plans.

Pollution Prevention Toolbox Grades 6-8
epa.gov/reg5rcra/wptdiv/p2pages/toolbox.htm

Stream Corridor Project
epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/stream
Provides an explanation of the structure of streams and their role in the environment. Also discusses stream restoration.

Water on Tap: What You Need to Know Grades 9-12
epa.gov/safewater/wot/
Where does your drinking water come from? How is it treated? How do you protect it? This is the place to get the answers to these and other drinking-water questions.

Water Sourcebooks K-12
epa.gov/safewater/kids/wsb/
The Water Sourcebooks explain the water management cycle showing how it affects all aspects of the environment. 324 activities for grades K-12 are divided into four sections: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

Water Where You Live Grades 9-12
epa.gov/OW/states.html
Just click on your State you're interested in, and find all about the streams, rivers, and lakes. You can even find out about the beaches.

Wetlands Education K-12
epa.gov/owow/wetlands/education/
Everything you need to help your student understand wetlands and how they fit into the water cycle and the environment. A portal site of links to activities, curriculum, education programs, resources and teaching tools to assist you in wetlands and habitat education.

What's Up with Our Nation's Waters Grades 9-12
epa.gov/owow/monitoring/nationswaters/

What's Wrong with this Picture? Grades K-5
epa.gov/owow/NPS/kids/whatwrng.htm

World in Our Backyard Grades 9-12
epa.gov/region01/students/teacher/wetlands.html
This guide is a resource of information and activities about wetlands, including ways to study wetland characteristics, why wetlands are important, and how students and teachers can help protect a local wetland. Grades 6-8.

World of Fresh Water Grades K-5
epa.gov/ord/WebPubs/fresh/
Use these activities to help your students understand the effects of pollutants on lakes, rivers, and streams. Grades 4-6.

Zip Code Search Grades 9-12
epa.gov/epahome/comm.htm
Get specific environmental information about your neighborhood by entering your zipcode on this site.

External links

Action Bioscience Grades 9-12
www.actionbioscience.org
Learn about current topics in bioscience through this wide range of articles by scientists, science educators, and science students. Site also provides original lessons and resources to enhance bioscience teaching.

Agriculture and Water Quality Flash Movies Grades 6-8
www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/flash
Seven different animated clips explaining water quality issues that affect agriculture. Be sure to check out RoboCow, the animated environmental advocate who uses her radar vision to detect on-farm perils! You'll need the Flash plug-in to view the clips.

The Bridge: Ocean Sciences Education Teacher Resource Center K-12
www.vims.edu/bridge/
This resource from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science provides teachers with a selection of the best online resources for marine science education.

Center for Global Environmental Education Watershed Action Plan K-12
cgee.hamline.edu/watershed/action/projects/
The Watershed Action Site offers one stop help in planning and organizing service-learning projects to prevent water pollution in your watershed. Within this site you can access everything from scientific background information or curricula to local experts or stencils for painting storm drain signs.

Chesapeake Academic Resources for Teachers Grades 9-12, Teachers
chart.chesapeakebay.net/
This regional partnership directs and conducts the restoration of Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. Helps educators provide meaningful watershed educational experiences to their students. ChART offers lesson plans and activities, field studies and professional development opportunities.

Chesapeake Bay GameGrades K-5
kids.earth.nasa.gov/games/ches/

Dive and Discover Expedition to the Seafloor Grades 9-12
http://divediscover.whoi.edu
Immerse yourself in the excitement of discovery and exploration of the deep seafloor. Dive and Discover brings you right on board a series of research cruises around the globe, and gives you access to the latest oceanographic and deep submergence research as it happens!

Ducks Unlimited for Educators Teachers
www.greenwing.org/dueducator/noncssdu_educator.html
Teacher guide and curriculum for teaching about wetlands. A wide variety of activities geared to particular age groups.

Educating Young People About Water Grades 6-8
www.uwex.edu/erc/eypaw/
Want to educate kids about water? These free materials from University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Environmental Resources Center can provide you with the information you need to get started.

The Fragile Fringe (Coastal Wetlands Teaching Guide) Grades K-5, Grades 6-8
www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/ff_index.html
A guide for teaching about coastal wetlands.

Give Water a Hand Grades 9-12, Teachers
www.uwex.edu/erc/gwah/
A national watershed education program designed to involve young people in local environmental service projects. Also available in Spanish.

The Global Water Sampling Project Grades 9-12
www.k12science.org/curriculum/waterproj/
Collaborative project that allows the participant to compare water quality of local water streams, lakes, etc. with other fresh water sources around the world.

Interactive Green Swamp Grades 9-12
www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/greenswamp/
Learn all about wetlands in this wonderful virtual tour of Florida's Green Swamp!

Journey North Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
www.learner.org/jnorth/
A global study of wildlife migration. Students in North America track the journeys of a dozen migratory species and share their own field observations with classrooms across the Hemisphere.

Land and People: Finding a Balance Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/landpeople.htm
An environmental study for high school students on earth science resource issues which focuses on the interaction between people and the environment in three regions of the United States: Cape Cod, Los Angeles, and the Everglades.

Lessons on the Lake Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12
www3.selu.edu/turtlecove/lessonsonthelake
Lessons on the Lake is a free interactive tool to learn more about watersheds, in particular the Lake Ponchatrain Basin. The Lake Ponchatrain Basin, in Louisiana, is part of the much larger Mississippi River watershed which covers more than half of the United States.

Nab the Aquatic Invader Grades 6-8
www.sgnis.org/kids/
This interactive cartoon uses detective characharters to learn about invasive species -- different kinds, why they are harmful, how they affect economy and ecosystem.

National Environmental Education Week K-12
www.eeweek.org/resources/curricula_library.htm
Whether you are a teacher in a public, private, or homeschool classroom, or an educator at a nature center, zoo, or aquarium, Environmental Education Week can help you to actively engage your students in environmental education. The Environmental Education Curricula Library provides environmentally-themed lessons and activities for K-12.

National Estuarine Research Reserve System K-12 Educator Resources Grades 9-12
Estuaries, where rivers met the sea, are facinating ecosystems. Find out about what makes estuaries special, the threats to estuarine ecosystems and explore estuaries around the U.S.

National Ocean Service Students & Teachers site Teachers
response.restoration.noaa.gov/kids/kids.html
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) designed this site to teach you about oil spills and other hazardous chemical accidents. You will find information about how oil spills can occur and how NOAA works to help clean them up. You'll also find experiments you can do to demonstrate to others the hazards of oil spills.

National Wetlands Research Center Grades 9-12
www.nwrc.usgs.gov
This site from the U.S. Geolocic Survey explores the many factors that affect wetland health, and provides resources for teachers on preserving our wetlands.

Nature Net Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
www.nature.nps.gov/
Detailed materials about natural resources that the National Park Service maintains, including biology, geology, air, and water. Check Links to Learning for environmental education resources from different Parks.

NOAA Education: Oceans and Coasts Grades K-5
www.education.noaa.gov/socean.html
Ocean and marine environment activity books you can print out and color or solve puzzles.
for kids

Coastal North Carolina Activity Book (PDF) (26 pp, 847K)
Salish Sea Activity Book (PDF) (25 pp, 1MB)
Chesapeake Bay Activity Book (PDF) (26pp, 1.7 MB)
Mobile Bay Activity Book (PDF) (26 pp, 875K)
Why is Hawaii's Ocean Important? - A Keiki Activity Book (PDF) (28 pp, 2.8 MB)
Arctic & Antarctic Activity Book (PDF) (28 pp, 2.2 MB)
Coastal Louisiana Activity Book (PDF) (27 pp, 2.8 MB)

NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources Grades 6-8
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/education/
Learn what this office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is doing to protect marine mammals and endangered species.

Ocean Science Education Teacher Resource Center Grades 9-12
www.vims.edu/bridge/
This site links by topic to a large collection of environmental web sites which contain lesson plans and class activities.

Science with NOAA Research: Teacher Information Grades 9-12
www.oar.noaa.gov/k12/html/teacherinfo.html
Online science lessons for students and teachers. Covers earth systems that have to do with the oceans and lakes: storms, El Nino, the atmosphere, fisheries.

Sewage in your face Grades K-5 Grades 6-8
www.sandiego.gov/mwwd/kids
Get to the bottom of sewage in an interactive and fun way.

Southwest Florida Water Management District Education Resources
www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/
Great virtual, interactive field trips that will help you to teach about wetlands and watersheds. Explore Florida's Green Swamp, Hillsborough River and Springs Coast Watershed. Includes lots of other neat resources too such as educational tabloids, teacher's guides, and comprehensive educational kits.

Southwest Florida Watershed Excursions
www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/watersheds/
Learn all about watersheds in this awesome on-line excursion through the Springs Coast coastal watershed of southwest Florida.

Square of Life: Studies in Local and Global Environments
www.k12science.org/curriculum/squareproj/
Elementary school curriculum that allows classes to compare their inventory of a 1 meter outdoor square in their school yard with another class across the country or the globe. Registration to participate is twice a year in spring and fall. Site contains lesson plans, activity instructions, reference materials, discussion area, standards comparison and a help contact.

Take a Dip Grades 6-8
www.k12science.org/curriculum/dipproj/
Once a year, students will team up around the globe to test fresh water. Join this collaborative project, comparing the water quality of your local river, stream, lake or pond with other fresh water sources around the world.

TEACH: Environment K-12
www.great-lakes.net/teach/envt/
Why do water levels change in the Great Lakes? What fish do people catch there, and what's threatening one of the world's largest freshwater fisheries? Learn about the environment of the Great Lakes region and the environmental issues there, including water quality, airborne toxics, invasive species and sustainable development.

Virtual Watershed Tour Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
ohiowatersheds.osu.edu/cbwm/virtualwatershed/
Learn about watersheds on this informative virtual tour.

Water Science for Schools Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
water.usgs.gov/droplet
This site provides extensive background information on a wide variety of water topics. It also includes on-line activities, data tables, maps, and a glossary of terms.

Watershed TV Grades 9-12
www.greenworks.tv/watershedstv/
Introduces you to an innovative program that brings the watershed community right to your home.

What on Earth? (water, soil, land quiz) Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12
gaia.hq.nasa.gov/quiz/quiz_start-template.cfm

What's Up with the Environment Grades 9-12
www.thirteen.org/edonline/wue/
If you need a single lesson or a longer term project, visit this site for extensive and multimedia background information and plans for projects about water, land, air and energy. Students can explore environmental issues, formulate and find answers to questions about the environment, and explore "Cool Careers" for ideas about an environment-related job.

World Water Monitoring Day Grades 9-12
www.worldwatermonitoringday.org
World Water Monitoring Day helps watershed leaders, educators and trained volunteers to educate students and citizens how the actions of individuals in a watershed can impact environmental quality and human health.

Wyland Ocean Challenge Grades K-5
www.wylandoceanchallenge.org
Learn all about marine ecosystems through free activities that support National Science and Art Standards.

Year of the Ocean Kids Page Grades K-5
www.yoto98.noaa.gov/kids.htm
More goodies from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, learn about endangered whales, seals, and sea lions; fascinating facts about fish; how to Adopt a Buoy; and much more.

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Teaching Resources - Water

Visit water links on our other EE sites:

EPA links

External links

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