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Working With Environmental Issues
Students consider the source of disease and parasites in West Africa. In this environmental issues lesson, students read "Working with Environmental Issues," by Fred Koehler. Students participate in an activity that requires students to...
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Our Keystone FFA Spring
High schoolers identify where their water sources and explore a watershed on a map. In this watershed lesson students walk a wetland, and identify sources of pollution.
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The Water in Our Lives: Kit Practice
Students examine a local water source using testing kits to determine water qualitiy. They identify the pollutants and contaminants in each sample. They determine if samples fall within an acceptable range for drinking water.
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Sediment Sleuths
Are you looking for a good, solid lesson on sedimentary rocks? This one, produced by the Illinois State Museum, is just such a lesson. Middle schoolers identify common rocks and minerals by analyzing sediments from local water sources....
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Lentic Ecosystem or Lotic Ecosystem
Young scholars explore the differences between lentic and lotic ecosystems. In this ecology lesson students study the water systems in Pennsylvania.
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Erosion Lab
Eighth graders explore variables that influence the rate of erosion due to the 4 major agents. They work as a group and practice conducting experiments according to the scientific method. Students comprehend that communicating ideas...
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What Is a Watershed?
Students explore the concept of water pollution. In this environmental stewardship instructional activity, students discover what watersheds are and consider how to protect them.
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"Tri-County" Project--Water Cycle
Students analyze the parts of the water cycle through research and experimentation. Particular attention is paid to the processes of evaporation and condensation.
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Water Is Cool!
Students explore the importance of water. In this water lesson, students view a table to determine the amount of water found in the oceans, lakes, atmosphere, and streams. Students discuss ways to be a good steward of water.
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To Protect Your Streams, Protect Your Mountains
Students build and experiment with a watershed to understand the effects of pollution. In this movement of water lesson, students work in groups creating rock formations and change the viscosity of the liquids falling down the mountain....
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Water, Water, Everywhere!
Get kids excited about environmental studies with these exciting lesson plans about water!
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Water filtration with Plants
Sixth graders explain how soil and plants effect contaminated water in nature. In this filtration activity, 6th graders work in groups to test biofiltration units. Students determine which biofiltration units work best and how they...
NOAA
It All Runs Downhill
Examine how pollution makes its way into an ocean with help from a model watershed. Scholars use household items to recreate a mini-watershed, equipped with pollutants, that when mixed with rain drain into a model's body of...
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The Chesapeake Bay in Captain John Smith's Time
When Captain John Smith visited the Chesapeake Bay in the summer of 1608, what types of animals and habitats did he encounter? Your young historians will analyze primary source documents to answer this question, as well as compare...
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Surface Water Model
Students examine, through demonstration and experimentation, how water moves through watershed, identify pollutants that can enter water system from different land use activities, and discuss ways people can help prevent water pollution.
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River Study
Students explore a stream in their area and show the class the topographic map of the stream. They locate the topographic map and name the streams, lakes and ponds in their watershed. They write a paragraph about their stream and...
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Fred the Fish -- A River Ran Wild
Students apply cause and effect relationships to water pollution in a stream. In this pollution lesson students recognize the importance of clean water in their daily lives. Students accompany "Fred the Fish" as he travels down stream....
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Identifying Your Watershed
Students identify the watershed where they live and how it is related to their own water consumption. In this watershed lesson students locate their watershed on their town map. The students find the source of their water that they use...
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Watershed Landscape
Middle schoolers demonstrate how water flows by building a human watershed using themselves. In this ecology instructional activity, students compare and contrast point-source and non-point source pollution. They write what they have...
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Teaching About the Hydrosphere
Eighth graders are introduced to the Earth's hydrologic system including the cycling of water in the atmosphere and the movement of water on the surface of the planet using the Great Lakes watershed as an example.
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Is Your Water Clean?
Students conduct tests of water samples from different sources, such as a local river, tap water, and an irrigation ditch. After determining which pollutants are present in each sample, students hypothesize the possible sources of the...
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Water Quality Monitoring
Students comprehend the four parameters of water quality. They perform tests for salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and clarity or turbidity. Students comprehend why scientists and environmental managers monitor water uality and aquatic...
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Do Human Practices Affect Water Quality?
Students determine if human practices have any noticeable effects on the quality of stream life as measured by the presence of certain macroinvertebrates. They collect, preserve and identify macroinvertibrate samples and quantify the data.
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Testing the Waters
Students study the quality of water by running chemical tests on the water. First, they measure pH, temperature, phospates, and nitrates in tap (drinking) water and an outdoor water sample. Then they post and evaluate the results of...