These lessons help students develop a better understanding of the importance of well-managed water use while exploring the concepts of a watershed, land use, aquifers, and water engineering. The material focuses on the historical water use decision affecting the Owens River Valley in California. Materials lists, procedures, assessment recommendations, and extension ideas are provided. Links to additional ... Full description.

This Internet-based collaborative project will allow students to share information about water usage with other students from around the country and the world. Based on data collected by their household members and their classmates, students will determine the average amount of water used by one person in a day. They will compare this to the average amount of water used per person per day in other ... Full description.

This site from SERC's Starting Point presents sample Gallery Walk questions for an activity about map reading. These questions encourage students to examine lines of latitude and longitude, read representative fractions, identify landforms on topographic maps, ways to use road, contour, bedrock, soil, satellite, and aerial maps, and how to critique maps. The questions are organized according to the ... Full description.

In this activity, students access and visualize world population data using the user friendly MyWorld GIS software. Data includes total population, population density, projected population, male and female population, and age specific population, etc. On this Starting Point page, users can access information about the exercise's learning goals, context for use, teaching notes and tips, teaching materials, ... Full description.

This lesson gives high school students a clear understanding of why the seasons occur and reinforces the ability to articulate this concept to others. Students review the basics of the seasons and design their own monuments to keep track of and commemorate the seasons. In the process, students will review their understanding of the science behind the seasons, learn some theories about Stonehenge, ... Full description.

This lesson plan teaches students about the problems in the Aral Sea region and how the water loss of the sea is affecting specific groups of people, such as women, farmers and fishermen. They will work in groups to prepare statements that these people might make and will present their statements to a mock United Nations panel. Full description.

In this lesson, students will learn about a major event in which humans modified the physical environment in the United States. On completing this lesson, students should understand the effects of human modification on the Kissimmee River in Florida. They should be able to make generalizations about what they have learned and apply them to human actions and their environmental consequences elsewhere ... Full description.

This Starting Point teaching module highlights a case study of Malama Keone'o'oi. Students will learn techniques for conducting a local environmental assessment in an ecologically sensitive area. Identification of native plants and methodologies for sampling will be taught in the classroom and then reinforced in the field. The module also includes a community awareness and conservation aspect. Users ... Full description.

In this curricular unit, students learn how water becomes contaminated with specific water-borne diseases, read personal accounts of unsafe water, and work together to brainstorm solutions to the water problems of communities in Africa. The website includes complete lesson plans, a list of materials, assessment tools, and links to on-line components of the exercise. Activities within this module include ... Full description.

This site contains slide shows and virtual field trips of Yellowstone National Park. There are several slide shows to chose from, including wolves of Yellowstone, bear research, fire ecology, the history of Yellowstone and the influence of art on Yellowstone Park. Each program features slides containing text and photographs. There is also an orientation slide show about the National Park system. More ... Full description.