This site presents two lessons that work together to help students understand who and what pollutes our water systems, as well as what may be done to try to clean it up. The activities are interdisciplinary in nature and involve the use of critical thinking and analysis to solve a problem. Full description.

Three macroinvertebrate lessons focus on (a) macroinvertebrate surveys, and how a pH change and the introduction of pesticides and fertilizers can affect an aquatic ecosystem, (b) pH and macroinvertebrate populations (do changes in the pH level effect an aquatic ecosystem?), and (c) pesticides and macroinvertebrates (does the introduction of pesticides and fertilizers alter an aquatic ecosystem?. ... Full description.

This document provides activities and ideas for science projects that deal with water supply and quality in the Jacksonville, Florida area. Topics include the use of groundwater (and wells) as a resource, types of groundwater contamination, and information on the aquifers in the Jacksonville area. An activity is provided in which students construct a model aquifer, and suggestions are made for science ... Full description.

Temperature changes in surface water may affect the solubility of substances and affect ecosystems by increasing plant growth, which in turn, decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen available for animals. In this activity, students measure and compare the temperature of water in various zones of a river, stream, pond, or lake. A materials list, instructions, discussion questions, and a printable ... Full description.

This is the education section of a larger site about the Aquarius underwater habitat in the Florida Keys. It includes classroom activities exploring concepts of buoyancy, pressure and light; a series of classroom activities exploring the biology of corals; and an on-line book about coral reef biology. Full description.

In this activity, younger students investigate the effects of acid rain. They will view photos of buildings and statues that have been damaged by acid rain, and conduct an experiment in which they treat a chalk 'statue' with vinegar and observe the effects. Full description.

This site, from the Miami Museum of Science, provides an overview of the basic scientific concepts behind a hurricane. A collection of projects allows students to build their own weather station. These include making a psychrometer to measure air humidity, wind spirals, chimes, a wind scale tool to measure wind speed, a wind scale streamer to measure wind direction, and a barometer and air pressure ... Full description.

Web Weather for Kids offers hands-on classroom activities for students to learn about selected severe weather phenomena. Each activity has step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and guiding questions for students. A Teacher Tips page offers implementation strategies for teachers. Phenomena covered include the formation of thunderstorms, lightning, and tornados. Students explore the concepts of ... Full description.

The Gulf of Maine Aquarium hosts this two-part activity. The focus is on seasonal changes in the mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Part 1 uses an atlas and satellite imagery to examine the geography of the region and the changing boundaries of the ice sheet. Part 2 tracks annual changes in sea ice. There is an animation page showing changes in ice cover around Antarctica during 1991, and links ... Full description.

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the US. Eleven rivers empty into the bay creating the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. From urban areas and cultivated fields in which wetlands were not preserved, runoff can run into the rivers unfiltered. This runoff can include nutrients that can cause uncontrolled growth of an abundance of algae which can eventually increase the turbidity of the river, not ... Full description.