National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Can Small Pollutants Harm Aquatic Organisms?
Nanoparticles have toxic effects on plant and animal life—even though you can't see them. The second lesson of a two-part series has young scientists conduct an experiment that exposes plant and animals to nanoparticle pollutants. They...
Curated OER
Bacteria in Drinking Water And Water Purification
Students explore how sewer systems can contribute to water pollution and perform an experiment to see how well a water purification technique can protect against water-born microbial illnesses. They compare the bacterial growth from...
Curated OER
Pollution and Lung Health
Learners investigate how pollution affects lung health. For this pollution and lung health lesson, students build lung models from a soda bottle and balloons, and then discuss how the emissions from fossil fuels can adversely affect lung...
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Water Pollution
Students investigate a variety of pollutants that can affect water and the plants and animals that live in the water. In this water pollution lesson plan, students identify pollutants in a bog, marsh, stream or other wetland area and...
Baylor College
What Is a One Part Per Million Solution?
Water may appear to be crystal clear, but there could be dissolved substances present. Lab groups make a one-part-per-million of a food coloring solution to demonstrate this concept. As part of an outstanding unit about water, this...
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Water Quality and Environmental Pollution
Learners use litmus paper to begin to discover the qualities of acids and bases. They learn about pH by testing clear liquids for acidity with purple cabbage juice as an indicator. The video Streamkeeper, with Bill Nye, and other video...
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Ocean in a Bottle
Young scholars investigate pollution in water. In this pollution lesson, students participate in an experiment to simulate water pollution. Young scholars observe how the water reacts to the "pollution."
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Endocrine Disruptors in Our Drinking Water: Should We Be Concerned?
Learners investigate the different hormone contaminants in the water supply. For this math lesson, students analyze data tables and graphs. They demonstrate exponential growth and decay using frog populations.
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Pollution Solution
Young scholars explore the concept of environmental stewardship. In this science lesson, students investigate the effects of oil spills and brainstorm ideas to help companies avoid them as they create models to demonstrate their...
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Water Pollution
Fifth graders observe and record what happens when household products are added to a tank of water to depict water pollution. They brainstorm ideas of how to clean the contaminate out of the water before watching demonstrations of...
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The Water Detectives
Students collect water samples from designated sampling stations, and discuss water pollution. They analyze the water samples, record the data on a spreadsheet, and present the environmental water quality data to the class.
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Water Pollution
Students explore the causes of water pollution. In this environmental lesson, students conduct experiments with natural filtration systems.
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Lake Pontchartrain Basin Pollution Solution
Young scholars design a project for solutions for pollution problems at the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. In this pollution lesson, students research the pollution problems and solutions for Lake Pontchartrain. Young scholars answer the...
National Park Service
Glaciers and Water
Explore the amazing power of glaciers with a hands-on earth science experiment! After first learning basic background information, learners go on to create their very own chunks of frozen water and gravel in order to observe first-hand...
Curated OER
Water Quality: Water Filtration
Students build a water filtration system. In this water quality lesson, students work in groups to construct water filtration units that can purify contaminated water. This lesson is part of a larger unit on water quality.
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Mock-Muck
Students purify water samples using various techniques. In this water treatment lesson, students complete a variety of activities to learn about the process. A data chart is included for recording results. A crossword puzzle is included...
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What Are We?
Students list and describe three types of surface water pollutants. They observe the effects of various water pollutants on algae growth. Three causes of each surface water pollutant is listed.
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Water Filtration Competition
Students design water filtration systems. They draw sketches and write paragraphs about their systems. After presenting their systems to the class, each group then builds their system and determines its effectiveness for purifying...
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Wetland Water Testing
Students examine the different properties that affect water quality. In this pollution lesson students play a game, complete a hands on activity and computer lab.
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Urban Effects on Inshore Plankton
Students investigate the effects of urban pollution on plankton. In this plankton and pollution lesson plan, students use samples of plankton collected in urban areas to observe the effects of pollution on plankton samples. They...
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Pollution in Our Watershed
Students conduct an experiment. In this pollution instructional activity, students review the vocabulary words watershed, pollution and pesticide. Students create watersheds, spray pesticides on them, create precipitation and observe...
Learning Games Lab
Nitrogen in Pollutants
Responsible farming is important for maintaining natural resources. Eager scientists complete a WebQuest to explore what happens to nitrogen when it enters the soil. They learn about the chemical makeup of nitrogen-based molecules and...
Curated OER
Water Pollution Experiments
Fifth graders conduct experiments in simulated water pollution using a box of items to hold "pollutants"and an aquarium, representing a waterway. They observe how "rain" from a watering can poured into the box washes the pollutants into...
Curated OER
Understanding the Effects of Water Pollution
Third graders examine the effects of water pollution by participating in a story. After reading the story, they determine the best way to get rid of the pollution in a river using different objects. In groups, they complete a worksheet...