Website
Columbia University

Nasa: Sedac: Water Resources and Consumption

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] A collection of twenty-four data sets from SEDAC (Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center) that examine water resources and issues around the world. They look at dams and reservoirs, floods, drought,...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Dry Spells, Wet Spells: How Common Are They?

For Students 6th - 8th
Here's a project that looks at what the weather was like for over a hundred years. The goal of the project is to compare long-term precipitation patterns in different regions of the country. You will work with historical climate data,...
Unit Plan
Geographypods

Geographypods: Theme 2: Natural Environments

For Students 9th - 10th
A rich collection of highly engaging learning modules on topics related to the natural environment. Covers four main areas - plate tectonics, forms and processes, weather and climate, and rainforest and desert. Within each of these,...
Unit Plan
Geographypods

Geographypods: Theme 3: Economic Development: Water Resources

For Students 9th - 10th
This learning module looks at economic issues related to our water resources. Looks at how water is used by industry, the distribution and availability of water, water use footprint, domestic use of water, water shortages, and water...
Unit Plan
Geographypods

Geographypods: Hazards and Risk Management: Drought

For Students 11th - 12th
This learning module looks at droughts. It examines their characteristics and distribution, how they are measured, their causes, how they can be predicted, and their frequency in Africa. Includes handouts, maps, activities, and videos.
Unit Plan
Geographypods

Geographypods: Hazards and Risk Management: Adjustments and Responses

For Students 11th - 12th
In this learning module, students learn about disaster responses, the three types (short, medium, and long-term) and the different levels of response (local, national, and international). They examine the responses in various case...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Precipitation on the Planet

For Students 3rd - 5th
Precipitation affects many aspects of our lives, from drinking water and food to devastating rain or snow storms. NASA gathered information from satellites to study factors that influence precipitation. View these narrated and unnarrated...
Handout
Curated OER

Bureau of Land Management: Anasazi Heritage Center: Who Were the Anasazi?

For Students 4th - 8th
A question-and-answer site giving information about the Anasazi, an ancestral Pueblo people. There is a discussion of their languages, farming methods, architecture, and use of astronomy.
Article
The Economist

The Economist: The Big Dry

For Students 9th - 10th
This article discusses and analyzes the current drought in Australia, focusing primarily on problems associated with the Murray-Darling River.
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Lab 1: Where's the Water?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lab experiment in a series of experiments that explores drought. Here students look at the availability of world's fresh water by investigating graphics and analyzing data to see where the world's water supply is going.
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Lab 3: Normal Climate Patterns

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lab experiment in a series of experiments that explores droughts. In this lab, students analyze data to determine what a normal climate should be.
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Lab 4: When Precipitation Patterns Change

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lab experiment in a series of experiments that explores droughts. This lab has students looking at precipitation data to define what a drought and predict drought conditions.
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Lab 5: Droughts of the Past

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lab experiment in a series of experiments that explores droughts. In this activity, students investigate droughts of the past by watching a PBS video and examining maps and animations of drought patterns.
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Lab 6: Drying of the American West

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lab experiment in a series of experiments that explores droughts. This experiment is presented as a case study for the drought conditions in the Colorado River. With this case study, students study the decrease of fresh water...
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Lab 7: Is Your Region Ready for a Drought?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lab experiment in a series of experiments that explores droughts. In this particular lesson, students look at the impact a drought would have on their own community by exploring the economic, environmental, and social consequences of a...
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Lab 8: Drought Mitigation Trade Offs

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lab experiment in a series of experiments that explores droughts. In this activity, students research drought mitigation technologies and their cost and benefits. They present their findings to the class with physical models and make a...
Article
DOGO Media

Dogo News: California Governor Imposes Water Restrictions

For Students 5th - 8th
Article reports on California Governor Jerry Brown's mandatory water restrictions resulting from the state's ongoing drought. Includes video.
Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Ap Environmental Science: Water Pollution and Treatment

For Students 9th - 10th
Students learn about water management, treatment and purification- global issues that must be addressed to ensure a continued supply of safe water for the growing human population and for the organisms with which we share this planet.
Website
Other

Niwa: Climate and Weather

For Students 9th - 10th
Want to learn more about the climate and weather? This webpage contains links to websites around the world concerned with providing information about climate and weather. Topics include ozone, greenhouse gases, global warming, tornadoes,...
Graphic
NASA

Nasa Earth Observatory: Natural Hazards: Crops and Drought

For Students 9th - 10th
NASA's Earth Observatory offers photos of drought's effect on crops and vegetation. Images from Africa, India, Australia, and other areas, are accompanied by details on droughts' effects as well as references for further reading.
Website
US Geological Survey

U.s. Geological Survey

For Students 9th - 10th
The U.S. Geological Survey reports on the latest news affecting the earth today, as well as providing a wealth of data, reports, and information.
Website
Other

Center for International Disaster Information

For Teachers 9th - 10th
An excellent source for information on disasters all over the world. Site is updated daily with reports from affected countries.
Website
Oxfam

Oxfam Education: Water

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
A great site from Oxfam which offers encourages critical thinking about water conservation through the use of pictures and student activities. Targeted to curriculum links for the United Kingdom, but information is certainly valuable and...
Lesson Plan
Choices Program, Brown University

Choices: Teaching With the News: Famine in Somalia

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students use a video, handouts, and news sources to explore the crisis in Somalia and examine the factors exacerbating the famine.