In this environmental science fair project, students will build models of fields prepared by plow-based and no-till methods, and see which ones are best at retaining soil moisture and preventing surface runoff.

This lesson helps learners discover the relationship between precipitation, evaporation, and surface runoff data. Using FieldScope, an online GIS created at the National Geographic Society, students will explore data layers, create a map...

Learners identify the watershed they live in and study the pathway of surface runoff which ultimately becomes the source of water used at home,

For students that have already been introduced to the water cycle, this lesson is intended as a logical follow-up. Students will learn about human impacts on the water cycle that create a pathway for pollutants beginning with urban...

A quick summary of the water cycle that includes a diagram of the cycle, with links to in-depth explanations of each component of the cycle. Click "water-cycle home" to access water-cycle resources in a variety of languages.

This interactive tutorial discusses the flow of water on the surface and below the surface. You will learn about the causes and actions of wind, and how water and wind move sediment.

Water pollution occurs when a body of water is adversely affected due to the addition of large amounts of materials to the water. The sources of water pollution are categorized as being a point source or a non-source point of pollution....

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...

A collection of resources--pictures, maps, data, glossary--about water and the water cycle.

This virtual field trip for middle school students looks at aquifers and their place in the hydrologic cycle. Students learn why and how it is important to protect the source of your drinking water and some unique details about the...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Discusses how flowing water causes erosion; describes how runoff, streams, and rivers change Earth's surface; and identifies features caused by groundwater erosion.

Check out this simple overview of the water cycle and learn how to build a model of the water cycle.

The Evergreen Project profiles the natural history of rivers and streams. Topics include watersheds, how a stream becomes a river, erosion, water pollution, and the like.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Covers the water cycle.

This site provides a comprehensive introduction to the water cycle. Students construct a model to simulate parts of the water cycle. Includes background information, links to standards, lesson plans, and assessment ideas.

This is a very brief overview of the water cycle, but it does have a nice graphical representation.

The USGS explains the definition of a river and how a river is supplied with water. Included is a cross section of a river. Click Home to access the site in Spanish.

The USGS reviews the differences between lakes and reservoirs. They discuss the history of freshwater and salt water lakes. Click Home to access the site in Spanish.

This simple overview provides definitions of key terms in the water cycle and a diagram showing the path water takes in this cycle.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes the sources of water pollution, such as municipal, industrial, and agricultural.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes the sources of water pollution.