WATER AND WATER QUALITY

Community Science Action Guides: Water ('E' 'M' 'H') (Standards) As the Franklin Institute site explains, ""Community Science Action Guides" are content packages that support student investigation of local science issues. Developed and tested by teachers, ... the "Guides" include planning resources, activities, and ready-to-use materials." Each guide is correlated to Nation Science Education Standards.
Teacher resources: sln.fi.edu/guide/index.html

Environmental Decision Making: Our Shrinking Groundwater ('H') (Standards)
A three week interdisciplinary unit involving individual and cooperative group activities. Partly internet based. Very thorough and detailed, downloads for classroom use, correlated to national standards.
Teacher resources: www.ncsec.org/team11/

Frogs in Minnesota ('H')
Frogs can be used as an indicator of the health of an environment. This site offers a detailed explanation of how frog deformities can be understood as environmental indicators. It also offers pictures of deformed frogs and a live "frog cam."
www.pca.state.mn.us/hot/frogs.html

Oceans and Coastal Pollution ('H')
Graphics and photo rich site takes a look at estuaries, the relationship between air and water pollution, coral reefs, and more. From the Environmental Protection Agency.
www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/

Oil Pollution ('H')
Part of the Smithsonian Institute's "Ocean Planet" exhibit, includes statistics on oil spills, how oil spills effect wildlife, and clean up efforts.
seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/peril_oil_pollution.html

Pond Watch ('E' 'M' 'H') (Standards)
An internet-based project that boasts three levels of class participation. As the site says, "The purpose of the "PondWatch" project is to make students aware of the importance of ponds as a natural resource. Students will learn about: mapping and other geographical concepts, watersheds, water characteristics, pond cycles, plants, animals and human activities within watersheds, stewardship and community awareness.  Student publishing encouraged. Correlated with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.
edutel.musenet.org:8042/pondwatch/index.html
Teacher resources: edutel.musenet.org:8042/pondwatch/about_pondwatch.html
Versión en Español: edutel.musenet.org:8042/pondwatch/esp_about_pondwatch.html

Water for Kids ('E' 'M' 'H')
Wonderful EPA site that includes projects, art, and activities.
www.epa.gov/OW/kids.html
Teacher resources: www.epa.gov/water/kids/watered2.html

Water Quality ('M' 'H')
From the USGS, "Water Quality" is a subsite in their "Water Sciences for Schools" site.
ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/navguide.html#special

Water Quality: A Model Unit ('H') (Standards)
The Curriculum Guide from the Saskatchuwan Province in Canada provides a model unit that should be very useful to teachers elsewhere.
Teacher resources: www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/xsci/unplxsc.html

Watersheds/Adopt your Watershed Program ('E' 'M' 'H')
From the EPA.
Locate your watershed: cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm
Nonpoint source pollution games and activities for kids: www.epa.gov/owow/nps/kids/


See also Science: Oceans