Students examine how mining and other industry operations can lead to acid runoff.  In this mining lesson students study weathering and complete a lab on it. 

Written as field trip preparation to Gateway National Recreation Area, this resource is also appropriate for any class that is studying the impact of human activity on the environment. During the first activity, learners identify...

Collaborative earth science groups create a working model of a watershed. Once it has been developed, you come along and introduce a change in land use, impacting the quality of water throughout their watershed. Model making is an...

Learners evaluate the relationship between rainfall and runoff of a small island for one year. In this rainfall vs. runoff lesson plan, students analyze the relationship between the rainfall and the runoff on Barro Colorado Island over a...

Students examine how a sanitary landfill is constructed, how it functions, and how waste and leachate affects the areas around the landfill. After a discussion about landfills and leachates, students construct a Sanitary Landfill Model...

Students conduct an experiment to show how water gets contaminated through neighborhood runoffs.

Students are able to describe the importance of wetland vegetation. They describe the impacts human activities have on water systems. Students compare and contrast the effect of different soil types on water filtration.

Pupils examine urban runoff and identify peak flows. They examine causes for different flow rates, and complete worksheets and a graph.

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.

Learners define surface water, drainage basin or watershed. They investigate what affects runoff in a drainage basin. They complete lab sheets and worksheets.

Students begin the experiment by mapping and calculating their school parking lot. They calculate the volume of water falling on the lot and map the route the water runoff takes. They discuss the roles that humans play in affecting water...

Students develop an awareness of what happens to water contaminated through neighborhood runoffs. Students perform an experiment that shows what happens to runoff when it's diverted to different places.

Groundwater is an essential natural resource, not to mention a fascinating topic to study. Here is a series of twelve amazing lessons on the water source and how we use it in our daily lives. Concepts require higher math and physics...

Fifth graders describe a wetland habitat and its components. They provide, in writing, at least one example of a wetland food chain, relate wetlands to ecological functions, and relate the importance of wetland functions to their own...

Explore the practice of oyster gardening. Because oysters play a vital role in marine ecosystems and their populations have declined, biologists are transplanting oyster seed to repopulate reefs. After learning about this practice,...

Students study the water cycle including condensation, evaporation, and precipitation. In this water cycle instructional activity, students watch a video and access assigned web sites to investigate the water cycle. They complete an...

Young learners explore erosion, deposition, weather and climate in this science activity. They discuss the cause of erosion, collect data and analyze it suing the TI Explorer. They can also use the TI CBL or Vernier LabPro for this...

High schoolers build simple stream tables and vary the angle of the stream tables in order to simulate different flow rates and compare the results. They observe various features formed in a stream table by flowing water and compare...

Observe two different water samples and write down observations. Write a paragraph which predicts the relative amounts of nutrients, nitrates, and phosphates in the water samples. Compare water samples under a microscope.

Fifth graders explore the parts of a river system and understand the importance of each part.  In this river system lesson, 5th graders diagram a river system and write a paragraph explaining its parts.

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...

Students study the benefits of estuaries. They construct a saltwater food web, and complete worksheets and a quiz.

Students visit a local creek or stream. They collect water samples from the creek and observe and sort the "water critters" they find in the sample, observing smaller organisms under a microscope if necessary. They identify each organism...

Students examine the effects of nitrates and phosphates on the dissolved oxygen levels in different water sources. In this series of 3 lessons, they consider the reasons for nitrate and phosphate level increases and their effects on...