Kenan Fellows
Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – The Importance of Water
Water is essential for life—and understanding the importance of clean drinking water is essential in understanding sustainability! Show your environmental science class the basics of water testing and treatment through a week-long...
Michigan Sea Grant
Water Quality
Learners observe water samples and measure the samples' water quality. Students develop their own criteria for measuring water quality and test for temperature, acidity, oxygen levels, turbidity, conductance, sediment and hardness.
Curated OER
Water Quality Survey
Students identify the differences in the water quality of a stream and complete water testing. In this water quality lesson students collect aquatic insects and identify them.
Curated OER
Point- vs. Non-point Pollution
Students differentiate between point and non-point pollution and determine how the different types of pollution are harmful to aquatic ecosystems. They complete a series of tests on a sample of "polluted" water and a sample of "pure" water.
Curated OER
Water, Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink
Students identify the different stages in the water cycle. In this environmental science lesson, students research about different water pollutants in watershed. They describe ways to purify water.
Marine Institute
Water Pollution
Sixth graders investigate the various types of pollutants found in water and ways to help prevent water pollution. Through a hands-on experiment, students create samples of polluted water by mixing water with vegetable oil, dirt, and...
Curated OER
Water Quality and Watersheds: A GIS Investigation
Requiring more than one class period, this resource takes earth science learners on a journey through a watershed. Using ArcGIS Explorer, an online geographic information system, they view maps of watersheds and surrounding landscapes....
National Wildlife Federation
Quantifying Land Changes Over Time in Areas of Deforestation and Urbanization
Is qualitative or quantitative research more convincing when it comes to climate change? In the eighth lesson during this 21-part series, scholars begin by performing a quantitative analysis of deforestation and urbanization. Then, they...
Curated OER
Water Pollution Hot-Spots
Middle schoolers complete internet research in small groups to identify types of water pollution, spotlight water pollution hot-spots, and design a plan for water prevention.
Curated OER
Urban Ecosystems 5: In Defense Of Cities
Students explain that while cities have unattractive features, the density of human life enables energy efficiency, mass transit, recycling, and other benefits which are difficult or impossible in rural areas. This is the fifth in an...
Curated OER
The Journey of New Haven Water
Young scholars become familiar with the water cycle and water issues. In this water lesson students examine what they can do to protect their water.
Curated OER
Water Walk
Students conduct a visual survey to discover information about local land use and water quality; document their findings by mapping and profiling the water body; and use this initial investigation to raise questions about local land use.
Curated OER
Teaching Modeling Water Quality
Students explore the basics of interpreting RUSS temperature and oxygen profile data. They are introduced to the Geographic Information Systems (GIS), particularly with respect to interpreting maps.
Curated OER
Impervious Surfaces
Middle schoolers comprehend impervious surfaces. They recognize the problems caused by impervous surfaces. Students observe how land use can influence impervious surfaces. They chose four of the seven basic land surface, middle schoolers...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students observe what happens to water as it goes from a solid to a liquid. In this exploratory lesson students gain an understanding for the water cycle while working in groups observing what happens to water as it changes state.
Curated OER
Wild Waters Downtown
Fourth graders investigate how wild animals living in urba settings also need sources of clean water. They discuss the open water issues of West Nile Virus and what happens to urba animals as these poolings area are cleaned up. ...
Curated OER
Controlling Nonpoint Source Pollution
Students examine factors affecting water quality. They test water in a local body of water to determine its quality. They collect data and continue monitoring the water monthly. They assess water quality in the home and on the farm.
Curated OER
Got Water?
Students determine that delivering clean, fresh water to citizens around the world involves and affects politics, economics, international relations, and technology. They brainstorm a list of factors that might affect their town's...
Curated OER
Ecology
Learners make connections between their daily lives and the usage of natural resources as they relate to the importance of environmental quality. In this ecology lesson, students listen to the story The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and then...
Curated OER
Water Management
Young scholars investigate the plan of a community water management plan. They are given the roles of community members who are involved in a meeting to discuss the development of a plan to conserve water and preserve resources of water.
Curated OER
Water: The Liquid of Life
Sixth graders complete a lesson on the properties, types and amounts of water on Earth. In groups, they travel between stations to identify water resources in Illinois and pollution sources. They complete the lesson with a field trip...
Curated OER
Where Does it Come From?...Where Does it Go?
Students summarize and illustrate how a water treatment plant and wastewater treatment plant work. Students describe the source of water for their community and the adequacy of groundwater to meet the community's needs. Students also...
Curated OER
Nutrients In Chesapeake Bay
Students perform pH and turbidity test to determine water quality. In this environmental science lesson, students analyze NASA database on chlorophyll-a in the bay. They explain how a small river area affects Chesapeake Bay.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Section Two: Why is Biodiversity Important?
Explore soil, genetic traits, natural resources, and pollution in a series of lessons that focus on biodiversity. Kids complete experiments to learn more about the importance of varied genes and organisms in an ecosystem.