NEW 2015 RESOURCES
Here are a number of links to Internet sites which contain information and/or other links related to the specific theme of water quality. Please read our disclaimer.
[The] Daybook
- From this searchable database of lessons plans, we gathered together the
following intermediate grade lesson plans into one location for your convenience:
- Water
Unit: Adhesion: Part 1 of 6 Introduces students to the property of
adhesion.
- Water
Unit: Physical Properties: Part 2 of 6 Introduces students to the
physical properties of water by having them guide water droplets around
a race course outlined on a piece of wax paper.
- Water
Unit: Surface Tension: Part 3 of 6 This unit introduces students to
the physical properties of surface tension on water by floating a needle
on it.
- Water
Unit: Surface Tension: Part 4 of 6 Students demonstrate surface-tension
by dropping pennies into a full glass of water and watching as the water
begins to form above the glass.
- Water
Unit: Cohesion: Part 5 of 6 This lesson introduces students to the
property of cohesion - the way water likes to stick together. Students
are asked to visualize and draw water droplets.
- Water Unit: The Uses of Water: Part 6 of 6 This final activity involves the students in categorizing the uses of water. They are asked to collect and chart data about the different uses of water in their home.
- Water
Unit: Adhesion: Part 1 of 6 Introduces students to the property of
adhesion.
- Eliminating
Microorganisms from Water
- An activity, designed by the Chlorine Chemistry Council (CCC), in which
students create water samples with microorganisms, examine the sample, and
then remove the organisms.
- Fundamentals
of Physical Geography
- Although this online textbook from Michael Pidwirny, Okanagan University
College, is intended for postsecondary students studying introductory physical
geography, much of it may be applicable for high school students as well.
Contents include over two hundred pages of information, more than three hundred
2-D and animated graphics, an interactive glossary of terms, a study guide,
links to other Internet resources, and a search engine. See the Table of Contents
to directly access the Hydrology section.
- Educating
Young People About Water
- The following three links allow you to download PDF files that describe
and explain a comprehensive community based water education program.
- A
Guide to Program Planning and Evaluation This first section "walks
program planners through the steps in setting up and evaluating a youth
water education program- bringing together the key components that can
lead to an effective, sustainable program."
- A
Guide to Unique Programming Strategies The second part "tells the
story of 37 program coordinators from around the country. Discover how
they integrate community water education issues and youth development
needs into unique program designs."
- A Guide to Goals and Resources This section "provides the program coordinator with 100 water education curricula summaries, environmental education topics and goals, and multimedia resources."
- A
Guide to Program Planning and Evaluation This first section "walks
program planners through the steps in setting up and evaluating a youth
water education program- bringing together the key components that can
lead to an effective, sustainable program."
- Environment
Canada's Freshwater Web Site
- Here's a comprehensive Canadian site designed with educators and students
in mind. Most content has been written for grade 6-12 students with learning
materials available for grade K-12 teachers. From the home page, be sure to
check out: The Management of Water (covers topics like water modeling, water
pollution, water quality, water use...); The Nature of Water (covers information
on ecosystems, ground water, properties of water...); Teacher's Corner (free
learning aids ad teaching materials); Water and Culture (articles on water
and Canadian identity).
- Environmental
Priority-Clean Water
- A page by Environment Canada that explains what causes water pollution,
why we should be concerned, and what is being done to protect our water.
- Exploring
the Environment: Water Quality
- This module is part of "Exploring the Environment"ª (ETE) from NASA's Classroom
of the Futureª. In ETE, high school students are faced with a real life problem
and their goal is to use problem solving skills and internet-based data (e.g.,
remotely sensed satellite images) to propose and defend a solution. A Teacher's
Guide is available. This link is to the ETE home page since it gives the easiest
access to necessary introductory and teacher information. To access the water
quality module, click on "Modules and Activities" and then "Water Quality".
- Floods
Theme Page
- This CLN theme page provide curricular and instructional resources on the
associated topic of floods.
- Groundwater
in British Columbia
- The Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing of British Columbia maintains
a meta-list of links to information and resources relating to groundwater
in the Province.
- Groundwater
Remediation Project
- Supported by the National Water Research Institute, this site has information
on Canadian groundwater resources including PDF reports on various issues,
links to other groundwater sites, and groundwater education.
- Hydrologic
Cycle
- Nasa's Observatorium presents an article explaining the five processes
which make up the hydrologic cycle (condensation, precipitation, infiltration,
runoff, and evapotranspiration). A quiz and a word search activity are provided
as well.
- [The]
Incredible Journey
- A lesson plan for upper elementary students that uses the roll of a die
to simulate the movement of water within the water cycle.
- Lifewater
Canada
- Extensive information is available regarding a vast array of water pump
construction, water collection, water storage, water quality testing and treatment,
and effective sanitation. The focus of the information, assembled by a Christian
Organization, is to aid Third World countries in improving and developing
healthy water sources.
- Liquid
Assets
- This unit has four lessons on the water cycle, water use, measuring water
quality, and water pollution for intermediate/junior high students. Lessons
include suggested learning activities that teachers can incorporate with their
own ideas.
- Oil,
Water, and Chocolate Mousse
- The purpose of this Environment Canada site is to provide information about
the impact of oil spills. Some topics include: When Oil Spills, Prevention
is the Best Cure, Always Be Prepared, What Can I Do To Help? and more.
-
Project Wet: Lesson Plans
- The Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide is an interdisciplinary water
education program developed for teachers of kindergarten through grade 12.
It contains a range of water education concepts and multidisciplinary activities.
- Properties
of Water
- A lesson plan for K-8 biology teachers on the properties of water. The
language level of the content will probably be too high for students to use
directly.
- Smile
Program Biology Index
- Teachers participating in the SMILE (Science and Mathematics Initiative
for Learning Enhancement) summer session programs each create a single concept
lesson plan. This database has a few lessons on water quality in their section
on Environmental Studies and Ecology. Caution: Since there is a wide number
of authors who have contributed to the database, the detail and quality of
the lesson plans will vary.
- TrackStar
- TrackStar is an online interface which allows instructors to create lessons
for students by sequencing existing instructional content in various web sites
within a lesson. Students explore one topic at a particular location within
one web site then move on to the next topic at another web site. The list
of topics remains visible throughout the lesson so that students can remain
on track. Explorations of the web sites beyond the designated instructional
content are also possible.
This link is to their search page from where a keyword search on "water" will produce numerous hits. Caution #1: Many of the web sites that these lessons access may already be on this CLN page - it's the creation of lesson objectives and the sequencing of the tours through the sites that make the lesson potentially useful to your students. Caution #2: The quality of the lessons (e.g., definining objectives, finding web sites, sequencing the tours) will vary widely within the TrackStar collection.
- U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency: Curriculum: Water
- This page contains links to a variety of curriculum resources on water
for students as well as links to student activities.
- Utahlink
- Teacher Resource Book
- Over 30 science lesson plans from Utah State that are designed for elementary
aged students. You can browse through their set of science resources above,
or we've made direct links to four below which focus on water and how it interacts
in our environment.
- Activity
# 1 - Ground Water Students create a model for the percolation of
water through the soil and observe the filtering process achieved as water
enters a sample of ground water. Students are challenged to create a more
effective system.
- Activity
# 2 - Water Sheds and Basins A mountain of soil is observed as water
is sprinkled and then poured down the valley.
- Activity
# 3 - Water Cycle Terrarium Students make a terrarium out of two-liter
pop bottles and observe the water cycle in action.
- It's Raining in the School An introduction to the concept of the water cycle containing demonstrations on condensation, precipitation and accumulation.
- Activity
# 1 - Ground Water Students create a model for the percolation of
water through the soil and observe the filtering process achieved as water
enters a sample of ground water. Students are challenged to create a more
effective system.
- Wastewater
System
- Greater Vancouver Regional District site provides a range of information
describing a number of wastewater issues that apply to many cities and towns.
The following three links identify common wastewater issues and answers:
- Water
- Over 10 lesson plans/suggested activities for studying water that span
grades K-12.
- Water
- Facts and Tips
- Health Canada published this page of general information on drinking water
and some general tips on water conservation.
- Water
Myths and Realities
- This page provides answers to many questions concerning water quality,
water sources, and impacts on your health.
- Water
Quality Resources
- About 8 lesson plans, activities, and fact sheets on water quality from
the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. You'll need to scroll down
the page to find the links.
- Water
Science for Schools
- The U.S. Geological Survey offers a wide range of water science information
about water and its uses, its special characteristics and its availability
on earth. Included with this information are activities, questions and answers,
pictures, maps, data tables and links to further resources.
- Wastershed
Game
- Students simulate the role of a manager of a watershed, making decisions
in response to issues and then seeing the consequences of those decisions.
- Water,
Water Everywhere
- A research project designed for elementary students. Students will gather
precipitation levels from two sides of the Cascade Mountains, enter information
into spreadsheets, create graphs of the data and discuss the implications
of their results.
- Water,
Water Everywhere, Nor Any Drop to Drink
- In this lesson plan, grade 6-12 students "investigate the importance of
water historically and in their daily lives and examine the nature of water
as a limited resource. Students work in groups to research technological systems
that have aimed to use water in the most productive ways, evaluate those systems,
and create "How It Works" posters of those systems that incorporate their
research." They use a New York Times article as a starting point for their
explorations.
- Water
What-ifs
- This site has a number of lesson plans related to exploring the characteristics of water. Although the site is designed for Delaware and North Carolina teachers, the information and lessons are comprehensive and transferable. Lessons are suitable for both middle and high school students, encourage inquiry and collaboration into the investigation of water quality, and explore the following content areas: pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrates/phosphates, and macroinvertebrate surveys.
Note: The sites listed above will serve as a source of curricular content in the Water Quality. For other resources in Social Studies - Environment (e.g., curricular content in Biomes, Endangered Species, or Hazardous Waste Disposal), or for lesson plans and theme pages, click the "previous screen" button below. Or, click here if you wish to return directly to the CLN menu which will give you access to educational resources in all of our subjects.
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