Curated OER
Surface Water/Groundwater
Water wizards write short answers and fill in the blanks about Earth's surface water and groundwater. They also identify the condition of the soil in a diagram. Use these two worksheets as a reading comprehension assignment if your...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can a Dam Affect a River? Activity B
Second in a pair of activities, young ecologists continue to examine the food pyramid of a freshwater ecosystem. They take a look at the food pyramid drawn in Activity A and consider what would happen if a reservoir was created on the...
Curated OER
Exploring "Our Lakes"
In this lakes worksheet, students access a website to explore the geology and anatomy of a lake. This worksheet has 9 short answer questions.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Water Quality Through Quantative and Qualitative Analysis
By looking at the bottom dwelling macroinvertebrates, students will investigate water quality and habitat quality in this field lab. Students will record the number of creatures found at the bottom of a pond, lake, ditch, stream or river...
Other
Freshwater Ecoregions of the World
The World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy have compiled a comprehensive database about the freshwater regions of the world. Includes great interactive maps to find detailed information about any area of interest. Explore what's...
US Geological Survey
U.s. Department of Interior: Lake Pontchartrain Basin Lessons
An entire unit regarding the wetlands of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Students can find comparisons or relationships between elevation, vegetation, soils, geologic formations, rainfall, pollution, public land use, coastal wetlands,...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Ap Environmental Science: Aquatic Biomes and Ecology
Students explore Earth's most important natural resource, water, and learn about how the planet's aquatic biomes thrive and support life.
Read Works
Read Works: Passages: "Zebra Mussels and the Hudson River"
[Free Registration/Login Required] The information passage "Zebra Mussels and the Hudson River" focuses on the Hudson River ecosystem and how the introduction of Zebra Mussels would impact it. A Step Read, an easier version of the...
Nature Conservancy
Nature Conservancy: Planet Earth: Rivers and Lakes
A comprehensive exploration of rivers and lakes, their importance to biodiversity and to humans, how we use them, threats they face, and what is being done to conserve them.
BBC
Bbc Nature: Wildlife: Swamp
Take a close-up look at the world of swamps and discover what lives and grows there through pictures, descriptions, and external links. Listen to the various sounds made in swamps in different locations.
BBC
Bbc Nature: Wildlife: Rivers and Streams
Take a close-up look at the world of rivers and streams and discover what lives there and where you can find them through pictures, news, descriptions, and external links.
BBC
Bbc Nature: Wildlife: Lakes and Ponds
Take a close-up look at the world of lakes and ponds and discover what lives and grows there through pictures, news, descriptions, and external links.
BBC
Bbc Nature: Wildlife: Wetlands
Take a close-up look at the world of wetlands and discover what lives and grows there through videos, pictures, news, descriptions, and external links. Listen to the various sounds that occur in wetlands.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Episd: Freshwater and Wetlands Biomes
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] A classroom introduction to freshwater ecosystems.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Macroinvertebrate Simon Says
Introduces students to the feeding adaptations found in aquatic macroinvertebrates.
Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy: Nature Lab
These wonderful virtual field trips allow students to explore a coastal rain forest or the coral reefs in the Dominican Republic, and so much more.
Florida State University
Florida State University: Pond Life
Explore the microscopic organisms that live in the freshwater ponds with this video collection. These video clips feature unicellular organisms, from under the microscope, showing off their daily activities. Collection includes videos of...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Probing an Aquatic Ecosystem
In this activity, students' use a pH sensor and Temperature Sensor to measure and compare the pH and temperature of three aquariums over a period of several weeks. They will compare and understand how plants and animals affect the water...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Aquatic Ecosystems: Macroinvertebrates and Water Quality
Students will investigate three aquatic ecosystems (pond, stream, bog) to determine the relative pollution index and the water quality of each ecosystem. They will collect and analyze the benthic organisms found in each system and...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Macroinvertebrates and Indicators of Water Quality
During this field activity, young scholars will examine different aquatic habitats, collect and identify macroinvertebrates from each and use an index to determine water quality. They will also be able to explain the meaning of tolerant...
Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden: Freshwater Ecosystems
At this site from the Missouri Botanical Garden, you can learn about the wide variety of plant and animal life in or around fresh water ecosystems. Click on the links to "wetlands," "Ponds and Lakes," or "Rivers and Streams" to view...
Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden: Fresh Water Wetlands
What are fresh water wetlands? What creatures live in a wetland? Are wetlands in danger? Find out at this informative site. Use the toolbar at the left to navigate through the site.
American Institute of Biological Sciences
Action Bioscience: The Decline of North American Freshwater Fishes
An article addressing the need of immediate action to repair damages of declining life in the ecosystems of North American inland bodies of water.
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Aquatic Plants
Article describing types of freshwater aquatic plants and their characteristics.