Interactive
Other

Project Wet: Discover Water

For Students 3rd - 5th
Interactive opportunities which emphasize the impact water has on our lives. Explore watersheds, ocean water, fresh water sources, and ways to use water responsibly by engaging in activities, coloring pages, and short quizzes.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Mn Step: Sinking and Floating Water

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
An experiment in density where colored water, both hot and cold, are poured into containers of water at room temperature. Young scholars will observe that the warm water rises and the cold water sinks due to their different densities.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Dna Forensics and Color Pigments

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students perform DNA forensics using food coloring to enhance their understanding of DNA fingerprinting, restriction enzymes, genotyping and DNA gel electrophoresis. They place small drops of different food coloring ("water-based paint")...
Activity
American Chemical Society

Inquiry in Action: Using Color to See How Liquids Combine

For Teachers 9th - 10th
An activity where students use the characteristics of liquids when they combine with water to tell the differences between them. Activity includes both student and teacher instructions.
Website
Other

Grace Communications Foundation: Water Program

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Tools and information focusing on water conservation and actions people can take to reduce their "water footprint" in daily life. Proves a "water footprint" calculator, tips for saving water around the house, and a collection of...
Activity
Museum of Science

Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Color Changing Carnations

For Students Pre-K - 1st
A popular plant experiment where food coloring is added to the water that flowers sit in, to see how this affects the color of the flowers. It demonstrates how water travels through the xylem of a flower stem.
Activity
Center of Science and Industry

Cosi Columbus: Coffee Filter Rainbows

For Students 3rd - 8th
Science experiment that demonstrates chromotography. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of what happens with different colors when they are soaked with water.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Chromatography Lab

For Teachers 7th - 9th
To increase students' awareness of possible invisible pollutants in drinking water sources, students perform an exciting lab requiring them to think about how solutions and mixtures exist even in unsuspecting places such as ink. They use...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Chromatography: Separating Pigments

For Teachers K - 1st
In this chromatography experiment, learners will investigate pigments used to create a black, water soluble marker. An extension can be done using primary and secondary colored water soluble markers as well as spinach leaves.
Activity
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Paper Towel Chromatography Experiment

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Observe the separation of colors derived from black marker ink by wicking water through a marker line on a paper towel.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Engineering for the Earth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young students are introduced to the complex systems of the Earth through numerous lessons on its natural resources, processes, weather, climate and landforms. Key earth science topics include rocks, soils and minerals, water and natural...
Article
Other

Top End Sports: Hydration for Athletes

For Students 9th - 10th
Find brief articles that will teach you about the importance of hydration and how to stay hydrated during sports and physical activity. Learn about choosing drinks, drinking enough water, and checking yourself for hydration and...
Website
Other

K 3 Learning pages.com: Earth Day Links

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
How can you celebrate Earth Day in your classroom? This collection features several downloadable Earth Day worksheets including word searches and coloring pages. Students and teachers can plan the perfect way to recognize the environment.
Activity
Other

60 Second Science: Rolling Down Ramps Experiment

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Explore the characteristics of inclined planes while observing how drops of colored water flow down a ramp and on different surfaces.
Activity
Optical Society

Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Release the Rainbow

For Students 3rd - 5th
A simple activity to demonstrate how light separates into colors when it passes through water acting as a prism.
Activity
Optical Society

Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Black Is Black or Is It?

For Students Pre-K - 1st
An experiment with a coffee filter and a marker to see what happens when water touches a black dot, or any other color. With links to several scientific, academic articles that explain what is happening.
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Layering Liquids

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A lab activity to show students how different densities of liquid layer on top of each other by using four different colored liquids that contain different levels of salinity. This activity can also be used in an ocean unit where...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Glowing Flowers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Student teams learn about engineering design of green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) and their use in medical research, including stem cell research. They simulate the use of GFPs by adding fluorescent dye to water and letting a flower or...
eBook
The Franklin Institute

The Franklin Institute: Treasures at Sea

For Students 2nd - 6th
Learn about ocean systems and habitats. Lots of reading, writing, games, and interactive activities. Colorful and fun.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Measuring Liquid Volume

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this lab, young scholars will measure and combine colored liquids to receive the expected results. The intended outcome would be to take primary colored liquids, measure them and combine them to create a "rainbow" colored set of water...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Exploring Molecular Movement: Does Temperature Matter?

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
In this interactive demonstration, students observe what happens to food coloring when dropped into beakers containing different temperatures of water.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Exploring Molecular Movement: Does Temperature Matter?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this interactive demonstration, students observe what happens to food coloring when dropped into beakers containing different temperatures of water.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Mn Step: What Makes Thunderstorms? See Convection

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Using water, food coloring, and an ice cube, students observe the movement of convection currents in a container, and illustrate what they see happening. This activity develops their understanding of how thunderstorms form.
Activity
Smithsonian Institution

Lemelson Center: Spark!lab: Inspired by Nanotechnology [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Introducing students to nanoscale in nature and in technology, a simple activity through which students create a colorful nanofilm using construction paper, nail polish, and a pan of water.