Lesson Plan
Berkshire Museum

Where’s the Water?: Acting Out Science Cycles

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
Young scientists transform themselves into rivers, oceans, clouds, and drops of water in order to explore the water cycle. After assigning and explaining to students their different roles in the activity, the teacher reads aloud a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Am A Rock, I Am An Island: Describing Landforms and Bodies of Water

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students identify common landforms and bodies of water from descriptions of distinguishing features. In this landforms and bodies of water lesson plan, students describe the features they see in the pictures given to them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wonders of Water - Biology Teaching Thesis

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students name 3-5 aesthetic values of the Potomac River. They state the importance of water in their own words. Students describe what Earth Day is and why it is important. They list 5-7 ways that they can help minimize water pollution.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Watershed Tourist

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students recognize and categorize different bodies of water. In this watershed and water environments lesson, students "Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean." Students define the different bodies of water and sort from smallest to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is a River?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners study the various types of bodies of water: rivers, oceans, lakes and ponds. They observe models of each and then use clues to discuss how they are alike and different. They imagine they have found a new planet and draw a map...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Around Us

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students create a collage of human land use activities around a body of water. Students evaluate the effects of different kinds of land use on wetland habitats, and create a list of pros and cons for each land use.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Water Hunt

For Teachers K
Students examine a globe to locate the bodies of water present and create a representation of those bodies of water for further exploration of the concept. Extensions of their observations are made at school, home, and the community.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tides in the Hudson

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students view an illustration of the Hudson River watershed and identify the bodies of water shown. They discuss what happens when fresh and salt water mix. Students view a teacher demonstration of the stratification of fresh and salt...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Growth of a River

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students evaluate geography by drawing an image in class. In this river lesson, students identify a list of vocabulary terms associated with bodies of water. Students identify how a river is formed and draw a picture of one including the...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

The Cycle of Water

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd Standards
Young water cycle enthusiasts discover the water they have been using has been cycling around the earth for billions of years. Through presentations, learners will understand that water has three states and how these forms...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Importance of Water

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students complete a KWL chart on what they comprehend about water. They complete a water activity determining how much usable water is available, and they determine the water usage in their households. Students take notes on water and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Nearby

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore water located near where they live. In this map skills maritime lesson, students use Google Maps to find their school and the body of water closest to them. Students research the body of water and answer questions about it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rivers Run Through It

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Using a relief map of New York State, learners answer questions about the distance between different cities, identify bodies of water, and more. First, they discuss vocabulary related to the Hudson River area. Then, they complete a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

War of 1812

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders locate the major land forms and bodies of water on a map of Louisiana. In groups, they discuss the role of the Mississippi River in the Battle of New Orleans and how land and water affect the outcome of battles. To end...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

River Research

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students use the internet to research the streams and rivers found in Illinois. Using the information, they identify and describe the rivers and streams along with the physical characteristics of a river ecosystem. They share what they...
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Bearing Witness

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
A controversial construction project in South America, the Belo Monte dam, is endangering local cultures, ecosystems, and communities. High schoolers create a concept map based on an online article they read before engaging in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is the Hudson River Too Salty to Drink?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Young scholars explore reasons for varied salinity in bodies of water. In this geographical inquiry lesson, students use a variety of visual and written information including maps, data tables, and graphs, to form a hypothesis as to why...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Cycle Reading and Writing

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Here is a great way to get pupils to express a scientific concept in a fun way. After hearing the story of Walter the Water drop and learning facts about the water cycle, the class will write a creative expository piece describing what...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Snapshot Day Definitions and Activities

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Here is a document full of teaching notes on water quality and bodies of water that you can use in your ecology curriculum. It has information specific to the Hudson River area, but can easily be adapted to any local body of water....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rivers... for Kids

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students investigate U.S. geography by exploring it's bodies of water. For this river formation lesson, students identify the reasons rivers are needed in our country by reading assigned text. Students examine a diagram which explains...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Youth Activity: How People Get Their Water Reservoirs: "Holding Tanks" for Drinking Water

For Teachers K - 8th
Students experience and participate in "Riding the Water Cycle" with this lesson. They explore, analyze and study the role of reservoirs in maintaining a reliable supply of drinking water. Each student constructs a model of a reservoir.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students conduct a series of investigations on the unique properties of water. In this general science lesson, students explain what causes water's surface tension. They explain the different stages in the water cycle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rivers that Flow from the Continental Divide: The Journey of Two Rivers

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners explore river routes. In this social studies lesson, students trace the route of a river from its source and discuss the Continental Divide. Learners draw the route the river takes and name the states it flows through. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rollin' on the River: The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers take a close look at the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation system. They study how the Army Corps of Engineers built and monitor the system. Learners discover how a lock and a dam work, and study three benefits of...