BASINS is a multipurpose environmental analysis system for use by regional, state, and local agencies in performing watershed and water quality based studies. This new software makes it possible to quickly assess large amounts of point source and nonpoint source data in a format that is easy to use and understand. Installed on a personal computer, BASINS allows the user to assess water quality at ... Full description.

Users can read and view pictures as part of a discussion of the positive and negative impacts of dam building on the streams, rivers, and watersheds in the United States and in Egypt. Conservation measures intended to increase the availability of water for fish and wildlife are outlined, and a link to the Dam and Reservoir Impact and Information Archive is provided. This archive is an extensive collection ... Full description.

Students investigate the challenges of living and working in Antarctica and the technologies that help researchers meet those challenges. This six-day unit includes: teacher tools (downloadable readings, breakdowns of tasks, teacher strategies, grading sheet and rubric), an online activity (students review the preparation materials given to researchers traveling to Antarctica), classroom activities ... Full description.

The purpose of this resource is to have students develop a qualitative understanding of the characteristics and patterns of seasons and highlight the relationship of seasons to physical, biological and cultural markers. Students observe and record seasonal changes in their local study site. They establish that these phenomena follow annual cycles and conclude the activity by creating displays that ... Full description.

The site offers an interactive discussion of different vantage points associated with dam building. It describes some of the engineering and environmental issues that go into the process of selecting a site for building a dam and the conditions necessary for electrical generation. Links to classroom and family activities are organized by grade level. Full description.

In this National Geographic lesson plan, students look at various regions and define what a region is, give examples, and understand the subjective nature of determining regional boundaries. Full description.

In this lesson plan, using the skills of a geography detective, students learn more about the land and humans' relationships with it. Students apply the six essential elements of geography (location, places and regions, physical systems, human systems, environment and society, and uses of geography) as they make in-depth observations and draw conclusions about historical landscapes. They will demonstrate ... Full description.

This lesson plan introduces students to the concept of wilderness and the role that wilderness preservation has played throughout American history. Students will conduct research on different historical wilderness issues or events and analyze those events in the context of the political and cultural climate of that particular time. Students will define wilderness; communicate varying opinions on the ... Full description.

This lesson will help students to become familiar with public lands in the United States. Students will consider clues about the scenic, biological, and historical treasures of some of our public lands and use the clues to help identify and locate them on a map. After completing these activities students should be able to articulate the difference between public land and private land, name reasons ... Full description.

This activity helps students understand the benefits and drawbacks of globes, Mercator maps, and polar map projections. After closely examining all three, students discuss how we represent a spherical object like the Earth on a flat surface. The printable five-page handout includes a series of inquiry-based questions to get students thinking about the many different representations of Earth that are ... Full description.