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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soils, Water and Erosion

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in a hands-on experiment to compare how water and soil erosion affect soil and grass. They determine how slope affects erosion and how terracing affects erosion. They write a paragraph summarizing their data.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Do Human Practices Affect Water Quality?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars determine if human practices have any noticeable effects on the quality of stream life as measured by the presence of certain macroinvertebrates. They collect, preserve and identify macroinvertibrate samples and quantify...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Quality Monitoring

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners comprehend the four parameters of water quality. They perform tests for salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and clarity or turbidity. Students comprehend why scientists and environmental managers monitor water uality and aquatic...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Parched! No Water, No Town

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discuss the benefits of water conservation. Given a data sheet, they document their water usage over a specified period. Water usage data is graphed and analyzed. Students discuss ways in which they can conserve water.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Are You Thirsty: The Effects of Pollution on Drinking Water

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils discuss the different causes of water pollution. In this ecology lesson, students brainstorm ways to purify polluted water. They formulate their conclusion based on the results of the experiments.
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Lesson Plan
Rivanna Regional Stormwater Education Partnership

Does It Soak Right In?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Which materials are best for groundwater runoff, and which are best for percolation? Discuss the water table with several experiments about different types of soil, pollution, precipitation, and filtration. The experiments assign roles...
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Lesson Plan
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Section Two: Why is Biodiversity Important?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Explore soil, genetic traits, natural resources, and pollution in a series of lessons that focus on biodiversity. Kids complete experiments to learn more about the importance of varied genes and organisms in an ecosystem.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Factors affecting infiltration and runoff

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students investigate some of the factors that determine the amount of runoff. They are reminded that infiltration and runoff tend to work oppositely. When conditions are bad for infiltration they usually lead to runoff.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wacky Water Critters

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students visit a local creek or stream. They collect water samples from the creek and observe and sort the "water critters" they find in the sample, observing smaller organisms under a microscope if necessary. They identify each organism...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landfills and the Potential for Groundwater Contamination

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine how a sanitary landfill is constructed, how it functions, and how waste and leachate affects the areas around the landfill. After a discussion about landfills and leachates, students construct a Sanitary Landfill Model...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching about Rain Storms, Land Use, and Lake Turbidity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the impacts of major rainfall and subsequent runoff on turbidity in lakes. They, in groups, develop a presentation of their research and/or write a paper summarizing their investigation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Controlling Nonpoint Source Pollution

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students examine factors affecting water quality. They test water in a local body of water to determine its quality. They collect data and continue monitoring the water monthly. They assess water quality in the home and on the farm.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mud in the Water

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders investigate erosion. In this erosion lesson, 6th graders explore how farming changes the environment. Students construct an erosion model and research ways to protect the soil from excess mud generated by farming.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rainfall Measurement

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are introduced to rainfall measurement and develop a network of rain gauges. Students measure rainfall, plot rainfall maps and calculate total rainfall volumes during rainstorms.
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Lesson Plan
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University of Wisconsin

Designing a Rain Garden

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Now it's time for all of the data collected in previous lessons to be applied to the design of a rain garden. This resource can only be used as part of the greater whole, since learners will need to rely on gathered knowledge in order to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hydrology: Flood Mitigation

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders discuss the different factors that can contribute to major floods. In this ecology lesson, 12th graders analyze collected rainfall data. They complete a scavenger hunt after the lesson.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Groundwater Movement

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Young scholars study groundwater movement beneath the surface of the Earth. In this agriculture lesson, students experiment with how water moves through rock materials such as sand, gravel, and clay.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It'll Go With the Flow...

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students construct a water table elevation contour map and consider the direction and rate of groundwater flow to predict the actual runoff pattern. They discuss their findings and evaluate a hypothetical landfill site based on data...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nutrients In Chesapeake Bay

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners 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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hydrology: Flood Mitigation

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders discuss the factors that affect flooding. In this environmental science lesson, 12th graders analyze rainfall data about flooding. They complete a scavenger hunt worksheet using the internet.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Seeds Tell the Story

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore sources of  pollution runoff and actions that can be taken to reduce runoff.  In this pollution lesson students complete a worksheet and see why bio-essays may provide a more realistic picture of toxicity.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acid Rain Keeps Falling On My Head

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students measure the pH of local rain water. Students map the location of the collected rain water according to pH levels.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Acid Rain Keeps Falling on My Head

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the pH level of rain water in their local community. They locate each location on a map. They analyze the data and draw conclusions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Watershed Island

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students make a clay model and a geographic map of a watershed. They talk about the differences between the two representations and the potential human threats to watersheds.