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Water conservation and usage is an important concept in science. This document, geared specifically to New England, provides many activities for protecting and discussing ground water situations. Sample activities for grades K-6 include: (1) All the Water in the World; (2) The Case of the Disappearing Water; (3) Deep Subjects--Wells and Ground Water; (4) Excuse Me, Is This the Way to the Drainpipe?; and (5) The Case of the Mysterious Renters. Sample activities for grades 7-12 include: (6) Getting Up to Speed: The Water Cycle and Water Conservation; (7) All the Water in the World; (8) How Much Water Do You Use?; (9) Getting Up to Speed: New England's Ground Water Resources; (10) Predicting Ground Water Flow; (11) The Great Water Hook-Up; (12) Getting Up to Speed: Ground Water Contamination; (13) "A Civil Action"; (14) When You Were My Age, What Was This Place Like?; (15) Getting Up to Speed: Protecting Ground Water; and (16) Develop a Wellhead Protection Program. (MVL)

This document features descriptions of interactive learning models and presentations in environmental education concerning groundwater, geology, the environment, weather, water activities, and interactive games. Activities include: (1) GW-Standard; (2) GW-w/no Leaky Underground Storage Tank (No UST); (3) GW-Karst; (4) GW-Landfill Models--Standard (Underground); (5) Groundwater Well Cut-Away; (6) Porosity Tanks (Bottles); (7) EnviroScape w/Groundwater Add-on; (8) Earthquake Tank; (9) Edible Geology (Cake--Faults and Folding); (10) Volcano Demonstration; (11) EnviroScape-Standard; (12) EnviroScape-Hazardous Waste; (13) EnviroScape-Landfill (Surface); (14) EnviroScape-Riparian Add-on; (15) EnviroScape-Wetlands; (16) Wetlands-In-A-Bottle; (17) Wetlands-In-A-Pan; (18) Instant Snowstorm; (19) Weather Demonstration (Tornadoes, Lightning, Thunderstorms, Flooding); (20) 21st Century (Working Reservoir); (21) Water Witch (Water Use, Recycling and Reuse, Water Conservation); (22) Hydro-Explorer (Computer Game--Household Pollution); (23) No-KNOW (Board Game--Surface Pollution); (24) SPLASH (Computer Game--Surface Pollution); (25) Blue Lagoon (Discussion/Participation re: Water Management); (26) Pass-The-Jug (Water Rights and Allocation); (27) Hydraulic Research Laboratory Tours; (28) Storm Drain/Curb Stenciling Program; (29) Classroom Visits; (30) Partnership School Program; (31) Teacher Training Interactive Learning Model and Display Loan Program; (32) Water Festivals; and (33) Special Events (i.e. State Fairs). (CCM)

The educational objective of this exercise is for students to use a risk assessment tool to evaluate a hazardous release site and for students in grades 8-12 to increase their experience with geology, aquifers, soils, land use, pollution, data analysis, and map concepts. Students use background information on hazardous materials, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Hazard Ranking System to complete a simulation activity. Students are given maps, site reports, and lab reports for a hazard release site and follow steps to assess the risk involved and give a priority ranking to the site. This teaching guide contains answers to worksheets, an introduction to the activity, background information, and instructions and worksheets needed for each step in the risk assessment. Topics related to the exercise include Earth science (geology); environmental science (pollution); mathematics (square roots, division, and formulas); and geography (map reading and natural resources). (LZ)

The goal of this supplemental activity guide for elementary students in grades 3-5 is to develop awareness, knowledge, and skills for sound water use decisions. Materials developed for the program are compatible with existing curriculum standards established by State Boards of Education throughout the United States and teach concepts included in those standards by using water quality information as the content. The guide is divided into five chapters that cover the topics of: (1) an introduction; (2) drinking water and wastewater treatment; (3) groundwater; (4) surface water; and (5) wetlands. Sixty-one activities including "hands-on" components are designed to blend with existing curricula in the areas of general science, language arts, math, social studies, art, and, in some cases, reading or other areas. Each activity details: (1) objectives; (2) subjects; (3) time necessary; (4) materials; (5) background information; (6) advance preparation; (7) procedure (including activity, follow-up, and extension); and (8) resources. Contains factsheets and a 273-word glossary. (LZ)

Water is the lifeblood of the environment as no organisms can survive without it. This reference booklet is designed to help people make environmentally responsible decisions. The primer is targeted at the general public (grade 8 to post-secondary) to be used by educators, communities and organizations as well as individuals, as part of a learning campaign to help Canadians improve their understanding of the environment. Formatted as questions and answers, the booklet focuses on different aspects of water. These aspects include its physical characteristics, its availability both above and below ground, the uses people make of it, and how water is shared and managed. The primer contains some practical advice on how individuals can conserve water as a natural resource. Chapters are also devoted to ecosystems, facts about water in Canada, and water facts about the Great Lakes. A selected glossary provides definitions to terms. (AIM)

This compilation of 57 activities adapted from 32 different publications addresses 5 of the 18 needs and recommendations for water quality curricula made by Elaine Andrews in the publication "Assessing National Water Quality Education Needs for the Nonformal Youth Audience." The needs include: approaching water-related ecosystems in a more integrated way; providing activities that better integrate ecology and science study with everyday life; rewriting materials to make them more appropriate for diverse audiences; making nontraditional learning choices more accessible; and reprinting high-quality materials no longer available. The hands-on activities are organized within a logical framework in five sections. The sections address the topics of: (1) the science of water; (2) the hydrologic cycle; (3) water uses; (4) water conservation; and (5) water pollution. Subsections within these topics address water properties; water movement, precipitation, transpiration, and evaporation; water needs; methods of conserving water; and types of pollution and necessary clean-up. The introduction includes a guide to using the book and the rationale for activity selection. (MDH)

This booklet is intended to help teachers in Florida manage the growing interest in environmental education. Fourteen experiments are grouped into the environmental areas of the water cycle, groundwater, water pollution, waste and water treatment, air pollution, and field experiments. Experiments include demonstrations of the water cycle, the interrelationship between ground and surface water, water pollution principles, and water treatment processes; laboratory experiments such as construction and use of air pollution detectors; and field experiments to measure the clarity of different bodies of water, study the plankton that make up the base of the food chain for marine organisms, and assess plant cover in land plots. Each experiment is organized to show educational level (junior and/or senior high) objective, tools needed, procedure, and results and discussion. One experiment for high school that assesses air pollution substitutes a section on quantitative evaluation for results. A resource list is also included. (PVD)

This collection of 10 activities is designed to give students a better grasp of concepts relating to groundwater, aquifers, and hydrology. Activities can be conducted as a demonstration (especially for younger students) or as a laboratory activity for students in higher grades. The guide contains an introduction for teachers and students, a materials list, 10 activities, and a glossary. The first activity, Pre-Lab Construction, sets up the materials for the following activities which all utilize soda bottles and simple materials like sand and food coloring. The remaining activities cover the topics of marking guides, the hydrologic cycle, porosity, permeability, parts of an aquifer, the recharge zone, the discharge zone, sedimentary rock and core sampling, solubility, pollution plumes, and chemical changes in groundwater. Activities can be conducted in sequence or individually and are reproducible for the teacher. (LZ)

This booklet is designed to help people make environmentally responsible decisions. This activity booklet is targeted at students as part of a learning campaign to help Canadians improve their understanding of the environment. The imaginary journey From the Mountains to the Sea is a trip along the Eco River following molecules of water from high in the mountains to the ocean below. The trip illustrates the interdependence of all parts of the ecosystem and shows how the environment cannot be divided into distinct areas for study because air, water, land, plants and animal life are all interrelated. Many activities are suggested throughout the booklet to do both in and outside of the classroom. (AIM)

In February of 1990, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources identified 2,662 sites of soil and groundwater contamination in the state of Michigan alone. Half of all United States residents and one quarter of the Canadian population used ground water as their primary source of drinking water. Groundwater and surface water are integrally connected. Groundwater and surface water flow between political boundaries, connecting neighboring states, provinces, and communities. This curriculum was created to better teach concepts related to water, ground water, and pollution prevention to students in grades K-6. It contains 28 activities centering on ground water and related topics, such as the water cycle, recycling and solid waste, hazardous waste, water conservation, ground water protection, and responsible citizenship. The activities are divided into eight sections: (1) Why Is the Earth Called the Water Planet?; (2) How Is Water Stored and Moved on Planet Earth? (3) Where Is Water Found Underground? (4) How Does Water Move Underground? (5) What Natural Factors Influence Water Quality? (6) How Do People Affect Groundwater? (7) How Does the Quality of Groundwater Affect Life on Earth? and (8) How Can We Protect the Quantity and Quality of Groundwater? All activities use a multi-disciplinary, hands-on, participatory approach and include science, art, math, lab, language arts, geography, music, and social studies activities. The activities are indexed by subject area, type of activity (sucy as lab or demonstration), and grade level. Contains a glossary, a list of Michigan Soil Conservation offices, and 25 references. (MKR)

This booklet introduces an environmental curriculum for use in a variety of elementary subjects. The lesson plans provide an integrated approach to incorporating Great Lakes environmental issues into the subjects of history, social studies, and environmental sciences. Each of these sections contains background information, discussion points, and a variety of hands-on activities designed to illustrate the major points of each lesson. A map of the Great Lakes is provided for photocopying and can be used with the discussion points and activities. Topics include the history of the Great Lakes, shipwrecks, water use, acid rain, air pollution, lake clean-up, groundwater, surface runoff, industrial runoff, and sediment pollution. General facts about each of the Great Lakes are listed. (KR)

Household hazardous materials are products or wastes which are toxic, corrosive, reactive, and/or ignitable. Although common products such as pesticides, oils, gasoline, solvents, cleaners, and polishes are hazardous, students and adults are not always aware of potential dangers. This sourcebook contains definitions and examples of household hazardous materials, includes information about pesticide and chemical product labels, and presents classroom projects and worksheets which may be used with a variety of curricula. A discussion of automotive products, household cleaners and polishes, paints and solvents, hobby and art supplies, pesticides and herbicides, personal and health care products, aerosol sprays, and alcohol, tobacco, and plants is included. (KR)

These resource materials are a part of a larger plan for groundwater education, as detailed in the Iowa Groundwater Education Strategy. The six units are arranged in priority order. The first unit covers the basics of groundwater and hydrogeology in Iowa. The other five units cover Iowa's groundwater issues in priority order, as outlined in the Iowa Groundwater Protection Strategy 1987. Within each unit are a list of objectives, background information, and some activities. Many of the illustrations are a full page to allow teachers to make an overhead transparency for discussions. In each activity the title is followed by suggested subjects (earth and/or life science; all activities could be appropriate for general science) and an "average" length of time. The Quick Summary, Objectives, and Materials listings follow. The Printed/AV Materials section lists supplementary pages following the activity that could be used to make overhead transparencies, worksheets, etc. Other audiovisual materials that could be obtained may also be listed there. Sometimes more background is given in the Teacher Information section. The Procedure, Alternative, and Extensions all give ideas about how to implement these activities in a classroom. Six plexiglass groundwater models and a set of six groundwater posters accompany the set of GREAT materials when ordered from the Conservation Education Center. following topics are covered: (1) hydrology; (2) fertilizers and pesticides; (3) abandoned waste sites and landfills; (4) leaking underground storage tanks and hazardous materials handling and transportation; (5) direct paths of contamination; and (6) land-applied wastes and sewage treatment. More information on the water of Iowa, hazards of household products, publications on groundwater from the Department of Natural Resources, recycling directory, and information on composting are appended. (KR)

These materials are for use by elementary and middle school teachers in the state of Illinois. This document contains five modules for teaching water conservation. Topics include: (1) "Life Depends on Water,""What is Water?" and "The Hydrologic Cycle"; (2) "The Treatment of Drinking Water"; (3) "Wastewater Treatment"; (4) "Earth's Closed System/Water Pollution"; and (5) "IEPA and Environmental Laws/Illinois Rivers Appreciation Month." Each module contains student resources such as text, maps, handouts, and diagrams; classroom materials such as posters; and activities such as projects, experiments, games, and puzzles. In several modules, supplemental and extension activities are suggested. (CW)

This guide is one of three teacher's guides developed for the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Education Initiative. Each guide supplements a set in the accompanying poster series which forms the core of this project. This guide covers navigating the water highways, groundwater, and water quality and helps teachers use the included Water Resources posters by providing background material and 12 activities that draw from or build on the poster series. In addition to background information about navigation, ground water, and water quality, the guide contains a discussion on how students can protect water, ideas for further student research, and a list of related resources. The 12 activities are hands-on explorations that involve students in a variety of environmental education topics. Two sets of posters accompany this guide, one for middle school and one for elementary school. (DDR)

This publication is designed for both classroom teachers and nonformal educators of young people in grades 6 through 12. It can provide a 6- to 8-week course of study on the watershed with students participating in activities as they are ordered in the guide, or activities may be used in any order with educators selecting those appropriate for the aspect of the watershed they are studying. This book is divided into three parts: a reference section that includes the natural and human history of the watershed, contemporary issues and potential solutions, and learning activities. Chapters include: (1) "The Vital Essence"; (2) "Rock from Water"; (3) "A Primal Alliance"; (4) "A Green Patchwork"; (5) "Blood and Bones"; (6) "Connections"; (7) "Looking Back at Eden"; (8) "Troubled Waters"; and (9) "A Portfolio of Problems". Investigations include simulating the movement of water molecules through the Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades watershed; building a model of the watershed; investigating southern Florida's ground water systems; comparing and contrasting southern Florida with places around the world at the same latitude; plotting a hurricane and predicting if it will make a landfall; sharpening survival skills; modeling a mangrove, stabilizing a shoreline, and protecting a peninsula; designing animals with special adaptations for survival in different habitats; creating a transect and exploring the concepts of ecotone and the edge effect; tracing the history of southern Florida through stories; designing simulations that illustrate the threat of invasive species to the watershed; simulating a restoration project; creating a special edition of a newspaper on water in southern Florida; kicking wasteful habits and conserving water; and developing a vision statement for the Everglades for the year 2020. Appendices includes a list of species, resources, maps, and other watercourse publications. (JRH)

This book contains science activities that are designed to make learning and demonstrating nonpoint source pollution concepts exciting and fun. These activities can either be used alone or with an existing water resources education curricula. Activities include: Water Tasting, Acting Out the Hydrologic Cycle, Concentration of Chemical Pollutants in Water, Mini-Groundwater Models, Contamination of an Aquifer, What is a Watershed?, Sources of Drinking Water, How Drinking Water is Cleaned, Aquifers, Flow Concepts, Wells, Groundwater Contamination, Water Underground, Why Not Dump It Here?, The Invisible Problem, and Cleaning Up the Mess. A groundwater flow demonstration model fact sheet, water quality fact sheet, and parent/student water conservation checklist are included. (JRH)

A watershed is an area of land where water is drained ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water. This curriculum guide acts as a comprehensive resource for educators at all levels to explore the many facets of watersheds for New York City. The guide investigates all the dynamics of watershed education, exploring the environmental and cultural dynamics of water, tracing it from a tiny spring in the mountain to a faucet in Brooklyn, New York. It includes a wide variety of activities as well as information sheets on terminology and issues on the subject of water. Each chapter incorporates suggestions for classroom assessment tools and follow-up projects for students. Major sections include hydrology, geology, ecology, pollution, land development, watershed technology, and conservation. Activities are listed by grade level (K-12) and subject area (subjects are primarily focused on the sciences and social studies, but also include such areas as art, economics, health, and mathematics). (AIM)

Earth science education needs to be relevant to students in order to make them aware of the serious problems facing the planet. In an effort to insure that this need is meet, the Denver Earth Science Project has set as one of their goals the development of new earth science curriculum materials for teachers. This document provides a collection of activities developed and used by teachers to enhance the students' understanding of important aspects of ground water. The four units are entitled: (1) "Overview of the Hydrologic Cycle and Water Use"; (2) "Ground Water"; (3) Ground Water Contamination"; and (4) "Careers in Water Resource Management." (ZWH)

This student guide and accompanying teacher's guide are a product of the Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST) curriculum development project at the University of Hawaii. In the teaching guide, the introduction gives a description of the underlying theory and practice in FAST and includes the FAST instructional model, descriptions of FAST courses, a conceptual framework of the local environment, a schedule and sequence of the units, a description of FAST instructional materials, and a safety advisory. Both the student and teacher guides are made up of eight investigations separated into three sections. In Section A, "Water in My Community," students investigate the water cycle, uses of water, the distribution of water, and local resources related to water resource management. In Section B, "Monitoring Water Quality," students investigate testing water quality, purifying water, and managing water resources. In Section C, "Making Decisions," students simulate the planning of a community in which the dominant feature of the area is a marsh. In the teacher's guide, each investigation includes the following sections: review, introduction of new work, student activities, summary, challenge, rationale, overview, materials, and notes. In the student guide, each investigation may contain the following sections: background information, activity, materials, procedure, summary, and challenge. Concluding the teacher's guide are visual aid and student record book masters. (MDH)

Knowledge of the physiographic evolution of the Tasmanian landscape is still very far from complete; however, all aspects of the landscape are governed by definable processes acting on the rock medley which is the heritage of Tasmania's geological history. This book explains Tasmania's landforms and geology in terms of geologic processes. Chapters include: (1) "Our Changing Earth"; (2) "Weathering"; (3) "Soils and Soil Erosion"; (4) "Groundwater"; (5) "The Development of Rivers"; (6) "Waves and Coastlines"; (7) "Glaciation and Tasmania"; (8) "The Effects of Wind"; and (9) "The Geological History of Tasmania". A summary of the geological history of Tasmania is appended. (KR)

The world is faced with a variety of environmental problems. No country has escaped pollution and resource depletion. Basic ecological principles are often ignored and sometimes this contributes to ecological disasters. This volume is designed to provide basic information about the quality of the earth's land resources. The visual aids, worksheets, and activity pages are designed to promote investigative and inquiry experiences, and to foster the use of critical thinking skills through the analysis of environmental problems and solutions. An additional feature is the inclusion of a take-home activity. The activity may be done with simple materials or by conducting a survey. The teaching guide provides suggestions for discussion questions to initiate class participation. Extension activities are also suggested. A research activity that can be used to challenge students and an interdisciplinary activity are provided. This guide contains 12 reproducible hand-outs, a teaching guide, and four overhead transparencies. Topics include the use and types of soil, erosion, rock and mineral resources, fossil fuels, forests, renewability of resources, food production, landfills, public lands, roots, weathering, and soil pollution. A review quiz is also included. (CW)

The world is faced with a variety of environmental problems. No country has escaped pollution and resource depletion. Basic ecological principles are often ignored and sometimes this contributes to ecological disasters. This volume is designed to provide basic information about the quality of the earth's water resources. The visual aids, worksheets, and activity pages are designed to promote investigative and inquiry experiences, and to foster the use of critical thinking skills through the analysis of environmental problems and solutions. An additional feature is the inclusion of a take-home activity. The activity may be done with simple materials or by conducting a survey. The teaching guide provides suggestions for discussion questions to initiate class participation. Extension activities are also suggested. A research activity that can be used to challenge students and an interdisciplinary activity are also provided. This guide contains 12 reproducible hand-outs, a teaching guide, and four overhead transparencies. Topics include the water on Earth, groundwater, acid rain, oil spills, ocean and coastal pollution, drinking water, health issues, keeping water clean, the water cycle, water treatment, and waste water. A review quiz is also included. (CW)