Curated OER
Missing Macroinvertebrates - Stream Side Science
Field study groups collect samples of stream water and identify the macroinvertebrates found. Using their data, they calculate a water quality index to rate the health of the stream. They graph their data and discuss the value of a water...
California Academy of Science
Rapid Brainstorming: How Can We Conserve Our Water Resources?
Water covers around 75 percent of the earth, yet humans struggle to find enough fresh water to live. The fourth of 10 lessons focusing on Fresh Solutions requires brainstorming. Young scientists consider various problems related to fresh...
Curated OER
The Flow of Fresh Water
In this water flow learning exercise, students complete 15 word puzzles, a word search, and 2 picture puzzles about the flow of water and erosion.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Excuse Me, Is This the Way to the Drainpipe?
Elementary kids read and color the story of Willy Wetsworth, a drop of water, as he describes the journey that he and his friends take to provide fresh water to houses. He tells his story to Martha Merriweather, a little girl, and...
Curated OER
Microscopic Water Life
Students use a light microscope to observe the organisms living in a sample of ocean or fresh water. Students create a drawing of the organisms that they observe. Students then discuss the different body plans of the organisms and the...
Curated OER
Hurricanes
Your middle school meteorologists mull over hurricane facts while viewing this presentation. They learn about the physical characteristics and power of these low-pressure storms. They also discover the danger of hurricanes: freshwater...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Making of the Fittest: Evolving Switches, Evolving Bodies
How did the stickleback fish, which was once ocean bound, evolve to be able to persist in freshwater lakes? Hear from the scientists who identified the genes and related switches that allowed these survivors to adapt. In addition to the...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Protecting Your Drinking Water
Having a clean, reliable source of drinking water is essential for any community, but in many cases this is easier said than done. Engage young environmentalists in exploring the five factors affecting vulnerability of a groundwater...
California Academy of Science
Fresh Solutions: Design Thinking Challenge
How do people transport fresh water long distances to ensure everyone has access to it? The final activity in the 10-part Fresh Solutions unit encourages individuals to design their own solution, or solutions, to that very problem....
EngageNY
Research Skills, Part 1: Natural Resource Development and How it Modifies the Physical Environment
Put it in your own words. Scholars complete a mini instructional activity about paraphrasing then complete a note catcher using the text A Limited Supply. They continue studying Canada's natural resources by analyzing the graph...
Curated OER
Water: From Neglect to Respect
The goal of this collection of lessons is to make middle schoolers more aware of the ways in which they are dependent upon water to maintain their standard of living. Learners compare water use in Lesotho to water use in the United...
Curated OER
Who Lives in the Water? Stream Side Science
Andree Walker thought of everything when he wrote this resource. It includes a detailed list of materials and background information links for the teacher. In addition, it has procedures, a macroinvertebrate identification key, and tally...
Curated OER
Catch a Wave
Students study low tides and how to calculate for fresh water. In this ocean science lesson, students pretend they are stranded on an island and must calculate low tide in order to source the fresh water aquifer. Students calculate how...
Curated OER
Reading the River
In collaborative groups, young ecologists measure the temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen for three different freshwater samples. They examine each sample with a microscope and record observations on the microorganisms in the pond...
Curated OER
Floating on Salt Water
Mixing substances together causes their properties to change. This resource illustrates that concept for fifth graders by having them consider four questions that have to do with buoyancy and boiling point. Learners begin to understand...
Curated OER
Scarcity of Water Throughout the World
Students identify the various forms of fresh water on the earth. They observe a demonstration aand read articles that show them the importance of water conservation. They write a journal about their opinion regarding paying for water.
Curated OER
Harvesting Water from Fog
Students analyze the water issues of Cape Verde in the Peace Corp lesson. In this water resources lesson, students analyze the concept of water being harvested from fog. Students explore the Peace Corps project site by watching Nathan...
Curated OER
Drama from Animal Characters
Learn about animal habitats, characteristics, and writing in a different perspective. The class composes a narrative from the perspective of a fresh water animal, they include a problem and the animal's reaction to the problem. The...
Curated OER
A Tool for the Environment
In this desalting salt water activity, students will read about three different methods of desalting sea water which includes distilling, crystallizing, and filtering. Students will describe these methods in three short answer questions...
Curated OER
Sunken Millions
This PowerPoint provides a game show format with multiple choice questions about fresh and salt water. Topics include sources of water, water geography, uses of water, and the water cycle.
Curated OER
Interdependency
In this interdependency worksheet, middle schoolers respond to 6 short answer questions about water resource sharing after they read assigned textbook pages.
Curated OER
Water
In this water worksheet, students read an excerpt about the effects of pollution on the life cycle of a lake. Then they describe how lakes are affected by the pollution. Students also define why pollution has become such a problem for...
Curated OER
What is a River?
Young scholars 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...
Curated OER
Water Wars
For this water worksheet, learners match 5 water uses to their definitions, they unscramble 3 terms related to water supply to complete sentences and they answer 2 questions about water diversion.