Young scholars explore the water cycle and the path a single drop of water would take if it traveled from their schoolyard to the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.

In this unit of lessons, students examine the Chesapeake Bay area. Students learn what lives here and how humans are affecting the area.

Be at the top of the food chain when it comes to understanding marine ecosystems. The 21st installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates marine ecosystems, ocean zones, and food...

Students perform pH and turbidity test to determine water quality. In this environmental science instructional activity, students analyze NASA database on chlorophyll-a in the bay. They explain how a small river area affects Chesapeake Bay.

Middle schoolers conduct research to determine how the Chesapeake Bay has changed since the 17th century when Captain John Smith first explored it. Students read from Smith's historical documents.

Students examine non-native species and the problems they have caused in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. They create a "Wanted" poster for one of the species. They describe the effects of non-native species on the schoolyard species.

Third graders identify sources of salt water and fresh water that enter the Chesapeake Bay. They build a model watershed and describe how runoff enters the Bay.

Students discover the role of a watershed. In this geography lesson, students are shown a diagram of a watershed and discuss the definition of a watershed. Students demonstrate the role of a watershed by using an umbrella and spraying it...

  Students discuss what a watershed is, and locate watersheds on a map.  In this watershed lesson, students use the information they have been introduced to and create a color coded watershed map of their own.     

Students investigate water ways by conducting an experiment with classmates.  In this natural resources lesson, students define a watershed and identify where large ones are located within the United States.  Students utilize...

Pupils research the factors that contributed to the decline of submerged aquatic vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay. Students evaluate the natural and human factors that led to the decline of bay grasses.

High schoolers identify where their water sources and explore a watershed on a map.  In this watershed lesson students walk a wetland, and identify sources of pollution.

Pupils consider the effects of development on water quality. They test nitrogen levels in waters before and after development, investigate wastewater treatment options and research best management practices to reduce nitrogen loads.

Students comprehend how tides can impact shoreline plant communities through the study of a freshwater tidal marsh. They use actual tidal data to show that tidal ranges differ among geographic locations, even those relatively close...

In this inquiry, students engage with mapping data to determine what kind of land coverage is contributing the most to harmful algal blooms in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Click on the link for teacher resources for teaching guides and...

Using data visualizations that show dissolved oxygen levels, students analyze the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. They will also learn about dead zones, which are aquatic areas where there is insufficient oxygen to support life....

This inquiry is intended to provide students with practice developing investigable questions that need data, and specifically large datasets, to be answered. Click the teacher resources link for teaching guides and student handouts.

In this self-directed lesson, young scholars use graphs and maps of water quality to investigate relationships between variables to answer questions. A handout with everything the student needs to complete this lesson is available as a...

After learning about the role of oysters in an estuary ecosystem and a population decline that oysters have faced over time from overharvesting and pollution, young scholars work with data to determine where are ideal sites for restoring...

After learning about the role of oysters in an estuary ecosystem and a population decline that oysters have faced over time from overharvesting and pollution, students work with data to determine where are ideal sites for restoring...