Students participate in two interactive exercises designed to help the user learn about river processes like discharge, flooding, and flood frequency. Each activity requires a person to make careful observations and measurements, do simple calculations, and answer questions about his or her work. A Certificate of Completion is available for printing at the end of each activity. Full description.

This interactive site features games, animations, and teachers' materials intended to introduce younger students to climate change. There is information about what climate change is, the difference between weather and climate, and the greenhouse effect. There are also materials on the climate system, ancient climates, and how scientists investigate climate. Other topics include discussions of whether ... Full description.

This interactive diagram allows the user to follow a drop of water from the source through the treatment process. Water may be treated differently in different communities depending on the quality of the water which enters the plant. Groundwater is water located under ground and typically requires less treatment than water from lakes, rivers, and streams. Users are invited to click on each treatment ... Full description.

Ocean Planet's six lesson plans are adapted from several themes in the Smithsonian Institution exhibition created to share with the public what recent research has revealed about the oceans and to encourage ocean conservation. "Sea Secrets" explores ocean geography; "Sea Connections" looks at the plants and animals that live in different marine ecosystems. "Ocean Market" identifies and values many ... Full description.

This online collaborative project is part of the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) program, which has developed internet activities for the elementary, middle, and high school level student. Based on data collected by their household members and their classmates, students determine the average amount of water used by one person in a day. They compare this to the average ... Full description.

Natural indicators of climate change, such as melting glaciers, changes in time of flowering of trees in spring, and bird migrations are excellent indicators of long-term changes in climate. The behavior of animals and the characteristics of plants can be biological proxies for long-term scientific measurements. They are an accumulated response to long-term shifts in the surroundings, and they are ... Full description.

This site provides a brief overview of processes and properties associated with global climate change and its rate of change, which is of current concern to scientists. The carbon cycle is discussed including its sources, sinks, and release agents along with the fact that it is critical to the biosphere and must continue cycling to support life on Earth. The information at this site should lead students ... Full description.

This site provides a brief overview of the properties associated with the atmosphere, the thin envelope of air that surrounds our planet and is a mixture of gases, each with its own physical properties. It will help students to recognize that while ninety nine percent of the atmosphere is made up of nitrogen and oxygen, the rest is made up of trace gases that can have a large impact on atmospheric ... Full description.

This classroom module consists of a series of activities that prepare students to give a presentation about the Earth system. Topics covered include the definition of a system, examples of systems, and the Earth system. The teacher's page includes assessment tools such as concept mapping and an evaluation rubric. Full description.

This educational project uses online real time data to guide student discovery of the science behind the causes and effects of ground level ozone. Through this project, students will discover what ground level ozone is, what factors contribute to its formation and how breathing ozone affects health. Students will use data and animated maps from the internet to monitor the presence of ground level ... Full description.