Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Natural and Urban "Stormwater" Water Cycle Models

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students apply their understanding of the natural water cycle and the urban stormwater water cycle, as well as the processes involved in both cycles to hypothesize how the flow of water is affected by altering precipitation.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Natural and Urban Stormwater Water Cycles

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Through an overview of the components of the hydrologic cycle and the important roles they play in the design of engineered systems, students' awareness of the world's limited fresh water resources is heightened. The lesson lays the...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Moving Without Wheels

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
In a class demonstration, students observe a simple water cycle model to better understand its role in pollutant transport. This activity shows one way in which pollution is affected by the water cycle; it simulates a point source of...
Unit Plan
Other

Digital Library for Earth System Education: Teaching Box: Essentials of Weather

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A suite of lessons focusing on the basic elements of climate and weather. Inquiry-based exploration of extreme weather events and the factors of weather including clouds, wind, air pressure, temperature, and the water cycle.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Witnessing Evaporation

For Teachers 5th - 7th
The engineers at Splash Engineering (the students) have been commissioned by Thirsty County to conduct a study of evaporation and transpiration in their region. During one week, students observe and measure (by weight) the ongoing...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Water and Dams in Today's World

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students learn about the importance of dams by watching a video that presents historical and current information on dams, as well as descriptions of global water resources and the hydrologic cycle. Students also learn about different...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Raging Rivers

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
The lesson introduces students to the steps of the water cycle and rivers. They think about the effects of communities, sidewalks and roads on the natural flow of rainwater. Students also learn about the role of engineering in community...
Primary
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Science Education Center: Make It Rain

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
How do you show students that the water cycle is more than just the traditional model of the ocean, clouds, and mountains and actually a part of their daily lives? This video will show multiple models of different part of the water cycle...
Graphic
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Earth's Water Movements

For Students 9th - 10th
The paths that water can take through Earth's systems are many and complex. Examine the following diagram from NASA depicting the water cycle. Studying the water cycle is important because changes in the water cycle affect all parts of...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Watershed Balance

For Teachers 10th - 12th
This lesson teaches the concept of a watershed and why it is important in the context of engineering hydrology. Students learn about runoff and how we visualize runoff in the form of hydrographs.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: One Year in the Life of Earth

For Students 3rd - 5th
Watch the earth from one million miles away! NASA's camera captured these images showing the majority of the earth's surface is water. View a narrated or unnarrated video of these images. Background information, teaching tips, and a...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Dams

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Through eight lessons, students are introduced to many facets of dams, including their basic components, the common types (all designed to resist strong forces), their primary benefits (electricity generation, water supply, flood...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Ocean Water Desalination

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students learn about the techniques engineers have developed for changing ocean water into drinking water, including thermal and membrane desalination. They begin by reviewing the components of the natural water cycle. They see how...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Urban Stormwater Management

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Through the two lessons in this unit, students are introduced to green infrastructure and low-impact development technologies. Student teams take on the role of stormwater engineers through five associated activities.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Introduction to Water Chemistry

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students are presented with examples of the types of problems that environmental engineers solve, specifically focusing on water quality issues. Topics include the importance of clean water, the scarcity of fresh water, tap water...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Floodplain Modeling

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore the impact of changing river volumes and different floodplain terrain in experimental trials with table top-sized riverbed models. The models are made using modeling clay in aluminum baking pans placed on a slight...
Interactive
ABCya

Ab Cya: Hydro Logic

For Students 4th - 6th
Hydro Logic is a splashy puzzle game that teaches the Water Cycle, also known as the Hydrologic Cycle! Navigate our wet little friend Enki to the goal in each level. Enki is liquid at room temperature, but can transform into gas and...
Website
NOAA

Noaa: Freshwater

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is designed to assist the educator in teaching concepts and processes related to freshwater environments and to increase stewardship of these important resources. There are links to resources regarding the Great Lakes...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Swim to and From the Sea!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are introduced to the basic biology behind Pacific salmon migration and the many engineered Columbia River dam structures that aid in their passage through the river's hydroelectric dams. Students apply what they learn about the...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Biodomes

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore the biosphere's environments and ecosystems, learning along the way about the plants, animals, resources and natural cycles of our planet. Over the course of lessons 2-6, students use their growing understanding of...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Solar System!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
An introduction to our solar system: the planets, our Sun and our Moon. Students begin by learning the history and engineering of space travel. They make simple rockets to acquire a basic understanding Newton's third law of motion. They...
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Air Pollution

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students are introduced to the concept of air quality by investigating the composition, properties, atmospheric layers and everyday importance of air. They explore the sources and effects of visible and invisible air pollution. By...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Designing a Winning Guest Village in the Saguaro National Park

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The Challenge Question of the Legacy Cycle draws the student into considering the engineering ingenuity of nature. It will force him to analyze, appreciate and understand the wisdom of these designs as the student team focuses on meeting...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Moebius Strips

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this activity, students make Moebius strips and use them to demonstrate the interconnectedness of an environment. They will explore the natural cycles (water, oxygen/carbon dioxide, carbon, nitrogen) within the environment.