This El Nino site explains the abnormal warming of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific and how it affects global weather, ocean circulation, and coral reef ecosystems. The activities involve wind direction and the Coriolis effect, global wind patterns, and cloud formation. There are sections comparing normal conditions to El Nino conditions and a video clip of the 1982-1983 El Nino ... Full description.

This national watershed education program is designed to involve young people in local environmental service projects. Visitors can download easy to follow Action Guides that show how to organize and carry out effective action-oriented water projects for youth groups or classes by learning about local watershed issues, investigating what needs to be done, enlisting the help of experts, and planning ... Full description.

Materials presented here outline basic concepts related to groundwater, answering questions like "What is groundwater?" and "What is an aquifer?" More detailed topics include groundwater quality, sources of contamination, engineering problems presented by groundwater, and safeguards to the groundwater supply. A bibliography and links to other water-related sites are included. A French translation ... Full description.

This resource offers several avenues for students to evaluate environmental effects on water quality. The Bear Creek case study asks students to imagine they are owners of an environmental consulting firm who has been hired by a local catch-and-release campsite to find out why all the fish are dying, and come up with solutions to fix the problem. Biological, chemical and physical data for locations ... Full description.

This lesson introduces primary students to the water cycle by having them help draw a picture of a lake ecosystem, adding human impacts that affect water quality. Students conclude by creating their own illustrations of human-induced changes to a lake ecosystem. There are suggested implementation directions and assessment strategies. There are links to related sites and suggestions for extending the ... Full description.

This is an Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) webpage for kids that deals with the ramifications of pollution, particularly runoff. The site has many components, which include a slide show for kids descibing microinvertebrates, word searches, a game about water quality, experiments that teach about the characteristics of water, resources for middle schoolers and links to the EPA's Water For Kids ... Full description.

This lesson offers students an introduction to river ecology and the effects of human activity on watersheds. They will learn the basics of river ecology; research how dams affect the environment; and study a specific watershed in the United States. Assessment materials, extension activities, and links to related sites are inlcuded. Full description.

Life Without Light presents material describing the unique animal communities surrounding deep-sea methane seep habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors can study numerous photographs and brief text descriptions of tubeworms, mussels, ice worms, and other organisms that inhabit an ecosystem that exists in total darkness. Other materials include an article on deep-sea submersibles, videos of sea life ... Full description.

The Wetlands Reading List is an annotated list of printed material that will supplement lesson plans and provide students with suggestions for independent reading on wetlands. The goal of the list is to encourage students to explore and develop a respect, understanding and appreciation for wetlands. Books contained in the Wetlands Reading List include different types of literature. Factual, nonfiction, ... Full description.

Where oceans and seas meet land, the change is abrupt and sudden. The plants and animals that call this transition zone home have interesting adaptations. Users can view pictures and read about several types of shorelines and coastal features (sandy shores, barrier islands, rocky shores, tide pools, estuaries, salt marshes, mud flats, and mangrove forests), the plants and animals that inhabit them, ... Full description.