Understanding Estuaries

Students participate in a webquest about the plants and animals that inhabit an estuary. They role play as environmentalists researching this habitat and present the results of their research in a creative way.

Students study waste and how to eliminate the use of fertilizers.  In this estuary instructional activity students play a pictionary game that helps them to develop a better understanding of an estuary and its issues.

Middle schoolers analyze water quality data from real data. In this environmental science lesson, students examine how salinity and dissolved oxygen affect the living organisms in the estuary. They interpret graphs to support or disprove...

Students build a model of an estuary. In this wetland lesson, students build a model estuary with a paint tray and modeling clay. They use the model to illustrate the impact of non-point pollution on the watershed.

Linear perspective, estuaries, and water ways converge in a science-inspired art project. The class uses what they've learned about eco-systems, estuaries, and the food chain to create scale models of a local marsh. While the lesson is...

Bald eagles are opportunistic predators and eat fish as well as raccoons and other mammals. Pupils learn about bald eagle diets through a simple simulation and videos. They collect and analyze data to understand the adaptability of this...

Students study estuaries and are able to define one, and describe its features.  In this investigative lesson students participate in an activity that shows them the importance of estuaries. 

Even rivers have tides. Older elementary schoolers will discuss the Hudson River and how weather, water craft, and the ocean cause tidal fluctuation. They will examine a series of line graphs that depict tidal fluctuation, then analyze...

Sixth graders study the important habitats, flora, fauna, and physical factors of coastal habitats. They compare the aquatic habitats to terrestrial habitats by researching and completing tables with the information.

Students research estuaries. In this estuaries lesson, students discuss the differences in a bay and an ocean. Students watch a PowerPoint of the properties of the estuaries and geography of Barnegat Bay. Students complete a worksheet...