Flowing water from rivers and streams is a valuable and plentiful energy resource that people learned to use centuries ago to operate the machinery that was important to their livelihoods. This page features diagrams (some animated) that show the three main principles of water; various types of water wheels; and the modern hydroelectric turbine. There are also animations of various types of mills ... Full description.

This resource ties together physical and biological aspects of ocean color for high school students. Specific sections discuss life in the oceans, the appearance of the ocean from space, phytoplankton (the little link in a big food chain), carbon (where does it go?), and the Earth as a giant greenhouse. There are also activities that accompany these lessons. Full description.

This article from Agriculture21 cites the management practices and policies that will be necessary to avoid water crises in the coming three decades. There are links to information on raising water productivity, improving irrigation technology, and modernizing irrigation management. The text is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese. Full description.

This collection of educational resources is intended to call attention to the issues of locating and preserving healthy water supplies and fighting the spread of water-borne diseases for communities in Africa. Teachers can choose from a number of lesson plans for downloading, which are arranged alphabetically by title, by grade level, or by subject. These lesson plans cover such topics as design of ... Full description.

This lesson introduces the basics about how tornadoes are formed, and where and when they are most likely to occur. It includes a review of the current research on tornadoes and how scientists are trying to predict them. The equipment storm chasers use to study tornadoes is included. Students are asked to write a research plan for further study of tornadoes. Full description.

In this activity, students download NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of the Martian polar ice caps in summer and winter. Using image processing techniques, students measure and compare various images of the changing Martian and Earth polar ice caps. By completing this activity, they will understand that the sizes of the polar ice caps on Earth and Mars depend on the lengths of the seasons. ... Full description.

NeMO studies the dynamic interactions between submarine volcanic activity and seafloor hotsprings at an observatory called Axial Seamount. The research activities at NeMO provide an extraordinary educational opportunity, both from the daily reports from expeditions at sea and from creative learning materials based on NeMO results. The site features curriculum materials designed for high school and ... Full description.

This is a comprehensive site that looks at many components of dams, including construction, destruction, and other issues. Access is organized into three levels by grade level. Information on cracks, case histories of the building and problems associated with some well known dams, and some real and imagined scenarios are included. Full description.

For ecologists, the horseshoe crab is an important creature- a vastly adaptable organism that predates most species on the planet, with a lifecyle that is interlocked with other animals. Users can view information, photographs, and diagrams that explain the anatomy, range and habitat, lifecycle, ecological niche, reproductive cycle, and medical uses of the horseshoe crab. Full description.