Curated OER
Florida's Springs
Students illustrate how water is stored and the water cycle. They discover how underground water can become contaminated.
Curated OER
Look At A Landfill
Learners explore how landfills function. In this landfill lesson, students explore the use of landfills and the decomposition process by creating a model landfill. Learners discuss pros and cons to landfills and how potential problems...
Curated OER
Responsible Stewardship: The Saving of the Great Lakes
Students devise a plan to protect the Great Lakes. In this environmental activity, students conduct research to identify nonprofit groups that help protect the waterways. Students write letters to the Congressman or a nonprofit...
Curated OER
Mercury in the Environment
Students develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. They develop an understanding of chemical reactions, structures and properties of matter. They develop decision-making skills in natural and human-induced hazards.
Curated OER
Kids for Conservation: Water Conservation Winter
Students rotate through various hands on and critical thinking activites designed to show the amount of water actually used by various people, companies, etc..., and helpful ways of conseving water.
Curated OER
A Cleaner Today for a Greener Tomorrow
Middle schoolers examine recycling efforts. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students trace recycling efforts and script a skit regarding incandescent light bulbs' effect on the environment.
Curated OER
Floods
High schoolers investigate how hurricanes impact a stream flow. In this floods lesson students predict the impact of storms on animals and interpret data.
Curated OER
Riparian Buffers
In this riparian buffer learning exercise, students click on the links to learn about why we should maintain the riparian buffer and answer short answer questions about it. Students answer 7 questions.
Curated OER
Wetlands Project
Young scholars discover how wetlands filter out contaminants before they can reach other bodies of water. In groups, they design and build a model of a stormwater wetland. They test the water quality and inform their classmates about...
Curated OER
Microbial Contaminants in Drinking Water
When presented with three unopened bottles of water, students are asked to tell decide which one is contaminated with a microbe. Students work in small groups and role play being a Microbiologist, a patient, or a recorder. The patient is...
Curated OER
Beyond the Tap
Students explain the basic properties of a watershed including how water flows from higher to lower elevations and how watersheds are interconnected. They comprehend how the placement of buildings, roads, and parking lots can be...
Curated OER
Bell Live! The Great Lakes: A Superior Adventure
Students participate in a virtual field trip to Lake Superior. In groups, they perform experiments in which test the level of toxins and bacteria in the water. They also watch video segments life in the lake and discuss their observations.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Groundwater: Pollution and Depletion Study Guide
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Summarizes the key points about groundwater pollution and depletion. Includes a few questions to check for understanding.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Groundwater Pollution
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How groundwater can be polluted.
US Environmental Protection Agency
Epa: Polluted Groundwater Simulation
Directions for doing a simple simulation that shows how pollution spreads through groundwater sources.
Other
Uk Rivers Network: Finding Out About Water Pollution
Excellent site covers all types of water pollution. Hundreds of links including books, articles, organizations, specific topics.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Disasters to Nature: Sensitivity of Ground Water Systems to Pollution
Students visit three sites to investigate the areas where there is very high sensitivity for ground-water pollution. They also test the quality of water, measuring the dissolved oxygen, pH, total phosphate, nitrates, turbidity, and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Groundwater Detectives
Student teams locate a contaminant spill in a hypothetical site by measuring the pH of soil samples. Then they predict the direction of groundwater flow using mathematical modeling. They also use the engineering design process to come up...
Idaho State University
Idaho State University: Water Pollution
Explore water pollution in surface water and groundwater and investigate the treatments for both. Also, check out what happens when salt water infiltrates the fresh water sources.
John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons: Water Pollution & Treatment
Resource provides information on environmental issues of water pollution with an established learning objective. A case study about the Illinois River is provided explaining the environmental impact of water pollution. Environmental...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: How Does Water Get Polluted?
Given a water table model, learners will observe and record as pollution infiltrates the ground and surface water.
US Geological Survey
Usgs: Water Science for Schools Pesticides Ground Water
This US Geological Survey site briefly discusses the basics of why pesticides are increasingly found in our ground water. Click Home to access the site in Spanish.
Government of Alberta
Alberta Environment: Focus on Groundwater: Groundwater Basics [Pdf]
This article explains in detail what groundwater is, why it is important, human activities that affect its quality and quantity, and things we can do to protect it.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Cleaning Up Groundwater
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How polluted groundwater is cleaned up.