A very well-done resource includes an informational reading passage describing the controversy and impact of China's Three Gorges Dam. It also includes eight guided reading questions, a pros/cons arguments chart, and a creative writing...

Young scholars experience and participate in "Riding the Water Cycle" with this instructional activity. They explore, analyze and study the role of reservoirs in maintaining a reliable supply of drinking water. Each student constructs a...

Written for Washington state students in life science, this lesson provides an opportunity to examine the residents of local freshwater habitats. You or the class collects a water sample, and learners try to examine what organisms live...

Third in a set of lessons regarding reservoirs, dams, and hydropower, this involves a two-day hydropower plant simulation. Collaborative groups build, maintain, and finance the plant. The transparency of the reservoir setup can be...

How did San Francisco supply enough water for its residents over the last two centuries? Learn about droughts and water conservation in California, as well as specific historical events that led to the water system today. Kids read...

Young scholars drop water from different heights to demonstrate the conversion of water's potential energy to kinetic energy. They see how varying the height from which water is dropped affects the splash size. In seeing how falling...

Second in a pair of activities, young ecologists continue to examine the food pyramid of a freshwater ecosystem. They take a look at the food pyramid drawn in Activity A and consider what would happen if a reservoir was created on the...

Students examine data about the rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in the state of Nebraska. An understanding of the political implications of boundaries is developed.

Fourth graders explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power. They trace the transformation of the California economy in its political and cultural development since the 1850's.

How did the Temple of Isis change throughout history? The resource discusses how architecture changed purposes over the time periods of the Pharaonic Era and the Greco-Roman Era. It gives a glimpse into what life was like and provides...

Students study the controversy over building the Hetch Hetchy Dam and determine their points of view regarding the use of public lands.

Role play community members who are both for and against the construction of a dam. Research the pros and cons and then hold a classroom debate. This activity ideally follows a series of stream studies, links to which are included. Use...

Students construct a working model of a turbine and explain how water generates power. By the end of the lesson, they list the effects of Kingsley Dam on people, plans, and animals -- both positive and negative.

Students consider water conservation and chemical pollution of water. In this water use instructional activity, students discover how water towers and dams are used to take water to desired locations. Students also discuss the effects of...

Students role-play as San Francisco residents in 1908 who support or oppose the building of a dam in Yosemite National Park. They create posters and write letters to representatives defending their positions.

Students explore the need for water conservation. In this water conservation instructional activity, students use videos for discussion about water conservation and the benefits and drawbacks of different water management techniques....

Students examine the importance of dam projects in the Kansas-Lower Republican River Basin. Students create and experiment with a model of an earthern dam.

Students create two-dimensional maps showing the affects of a dam on those living both above and below the dam. Students discover the importance of educating the public before the construction of a dam.

Students explore aerial photographs and maps of Round Butte Dam. They examine the land modifications necessary to create a dam. After reading a book about building a dam, students compare the environmental impact of Lake Billy Chinook to...

Students investigate the Stella Smolts Migration Model and its use in previous simulation models to help managers deal with the many factors contributing smolts decline. They participate in an interactive exercise in the role of fishery...

Students explore the concepts and engineering principles used in a canal lock system and apply those concepts to navigate a boat through a working model of a canal lock waterway.

Students get a personal sense for another culture's way of doing things. Develop a list of sources for water. Practice using the scientific method. Examine means for conserving, or for generating, reliable sources of water.

Students research the history of the Lalakea stream diversion and restoration. They examine the restoration project from multiple viewpoints and consider how it affects the stream-related environments.

Sixth graders make a model of a watershed. In this geography lesson, 6th graders view a shaded relief map of California and locate landmarks. Students examine the San Francisco Bay Watershed by following the journey of water through...