Watery Earth Web Links
Our writers recommended these independent websites for our field-test teachers.
General Water Information
The Fragile Fringe: A Guide for Teaching about Coastal Wetlands
http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/ff_index.html
This USGS sponsored site includes background information for teachers as well as activities that focus on the vital ecological role of coastal wetlands. Includes sections on wetlands loss, the Barrier Islands and Mississippi Delta. Though activities cover all grade levels, ones for elementary students are identified. Includes a glossary.
Kirsten Findell’s Water Quotes and Poetry
http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/~klf/h2oquotes.html
Dr. Findell works in The Climate Dynamics and Prediction group at The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab, which is a global climate modeling center run by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Use the material here to supplement the poetry and proverbs in the student reference book.
Quotations About Water
http://www.quotegarden.com/water.html
The Quote Garden, a commercial site, provides a number of famous authors’ thoughts about water. Use the material here to supplement the poetry and proverbs in the student reference book.
River of Words
River of Words’ multidisciplinary, hands-on approach to education nurtures students’ creative voices through instruction and practice in art and poetry. This site features some amazing examples of student art and poetry, a source of inspiration for language arts and art extensions. Don’t miss the thoughtful and moving contributions by the young Afghan refugees!
U.S. Geological Survey’s Learning Web
http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/explorer/topic_water_links.asp
The “Water” section of the “Learning Web” portion of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) web site features links to numerous web sites with a range of information about water. This is a good resource for both students and teachers.
Water Quotes – Pausing to Think
http://www.gmd4.org/quotes.html
This site, part of the Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District Number Four’s webpage, lists water related quotations and poetry throughout history and from many cultures. Use the material here to supplement the poetry and proverbs in the student reference book.
Water Science for Schools
This kid-friendly portion of the USGS website offers information on many aspects of water and includes pictures, data and maps. Parts of the web site are interactive, allowing students to give opinions and test their water knowledge. Also includes a glossary of water terms.
Water Is a Resource
Is the Oasis Vanishing?
http://www.pbs.org/thinktank/transcript1106.html
This is a transcript of the PBS show “Think Tank.” Host Ben Wattenberg is joined by Peter Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security in Oakland, California, and author of The World’s Water, a biennial report on freshwater resources; and Peter Rogers, professor of city and regional planning and environmental engineering at Harvard University and author of America’s Waters. The guests discuss the issues of the Earth’s limited water resources.
Living Waters at the World Wildlife Fund
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater/index.cfm
This extensive site provides information and links about WWF’s freshwater program. Contents include information about problems and solutions pertaining to water resources, fact sheets, news stories, and a photo gallery.
UNICEF: Water, Environment, and Sanitation
http://www.unicef.org/wes/index.html
This site provides an outstanding overview of the water and sanitation issues confronting over two billion people around the world. Though it highlights the work of UNICEF to improve water supplies and sanitation for communities worldwide, the site also provides statistics, links to resources, news articles about child-focused projects, and real-life stories about children and water.
Water in Africa
http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/water/africa/lessons/ESread01/
This short teaching unit, “Splish Splash: Daily Use of Water,” facilitates students’ understandings of daily water use through reading stories from Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Kenya (East African Region) and Ghana (West African Region). The lessons are excellent extension activities appropriate for several of the Watery Earth lessons.
Water on Tap: What You Need to Know
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/wot/index.html
This site contains a downloadable version of this EPA booklet. Topics include the following:Where does your drinking water come from? How do you know if your drinking water is safe? How can you protect it? What can you do if there’s a problem with your drinking water? This is a comprehensive and useful reference tool for teachers and parents.
The Water Treatment Cycle
http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/kids/treat.html
This EPA-sponsored site for students follows a drop of water from the source through the treatment process. Students can click on a graphic of a typical water treatment facility and learn more about that step in the process.
Water Follows a Cycle
Dartmouth Flood Observatory
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/hydrography/E30S10.html
This site details flood data collected by orbital spacecraft. Click on the squares on the world map and to download a detailed map with flood data covering several years. (Try Italy. It’s got some interesting multi-year flooding).
The Groundwater Foundation’s Kids Corner
http://www.groundwater.org/kc/kc.html
This page is part of the Foundation’s larger website. It contains sections for students and teachers that include informational articles as well as activities and games. Information includes a basic explanation of groundwater and how it fits into the water cycle.
Know Your Watershed
http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/
Just enter a city name or zip code and locate the USGS “watershed address.” Links to a map of your watershed. A useful tool to locate local surface water information for Lesson 4. The site includes other information about wetlands and understanding the interaction between groundwater and surface water.
Major Rivers of North America
http://www.graphicmaps.com/webimage/countrys/nariv.htm
This page at WorldAtlas.com has a map and descriptions of surface water in rivers in North America. There are also links to maps of other world regions showing surface water.
National Atlas of the United States
http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/natlasstart.asp
This federal government website provides an interactive format for creating maps that display various types of data. For example, it’s possible to draw a map that shows dams and aquifers, and then click on a symbol to identify a specific feature. A useful tool for a social studies extension or as a resource for several Watery Earth lessons.
Taking Care of Water Resources
America’s Clean Water Foundation
http://www.acwf.org/index.html
The foundation promotes youth education and public involvement in clean water issues. The side includes a listing of publications suitable for children, many of which can be viewed online, as well as a set of pages just for kids.
Earth 911 KIDS
http://washington.earth911.org/usa/master.asp?s=kids&a=kids/kids.asp
At this site students will find information, fun games and activities, and environmental links. Adults will also find links about water pollution and conservation. A locator map allows users to search for state-specific information.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Student Center on Water
http://www.epa.gov/students/water.htm
As the site’s introduction states, “here you can learn how water is polluted, treated, and protected.” This web page displays an extensive list of links to other sites, each with a short description. Some of these link lead to other government sponsored sites, others are non-governmental. This is a useful jumping off point for further research about protecting and conserving water resources.
Especially for Kids , Office of Response and Restoration
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/kids/kids.html
This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sponsored website offers students links and activities about understanding and mitigating the effects of oil and hazardous materials in our waters and along our coasts.
Give Water a Hand
http://www.uwex.edu/erc/gwah/index.html
This site helps young people team up with educators, natural resource experts and committed community members to study water issues and take action. Includes links to other helpful water web sites.
H 2OUSE Water Saver Home
This site provides a wealth of information about conserving water in the home. It features a virtual tour of various rooms in the house, highlighting ways water is used and can be conserved in each room. It also offers a “Water Budget Calculator” to help you calculate how much water you use at home, a garden guide with information about low water use plants, and lists the top 5 actions you can do to save water around the house. Sponsored by the California Urban Water Conservation Council.
International Rivers Network
This organization supports local communities working to protect their rivers and watersheds. The website includes links to their “International Day of Action” and other projects. A good website for teachers looking for more information about rivers and dams.
Just For Kids – Maryland Department of the Environment
http://www.mde.state.md.us/CitizensInfoCenter/kids/index.asp
This page lists links with a focus on pollution issues that will be of interest to children. Listed links include information about mercury, air pollution, and recycling.
100 Tips for Conserving Water
http://bewatersmart.net/100tips.htm
This practical and detailed list is created and sponsored by the Water Conservation Coalition. It focuses mainly on ways to save water around the home and garden. Though some tips are geared towards adults, several ideas could be implemented by students as part of the Protecting Water Resources Project.
Water for Life, the Earth Day Network
http://www.earthday.net/goals/water_for_life.asp
Founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day Network (EDN) promotes environmental citizenship. Their “Water for Life” campaign focuses upon water access, health, and usage issues in communities worldwide. The listed links help educate others how to conserve and handle water issues across the globe. “Ten Thirsty Children,” for example, provides stories about real children around the world facing the challenge of finding sufficient, clean water. Each story includes a vivid photograph and a detailed description of efforts being made to solve the problem. These stories provide additional case studies for the “Studying Water Problems” lesson.
Water Use It Wisely
http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/index.html
In addition to a “Family Water Audit,” a landscape watering guide, and a list of low-water use plants, this site features links to conservation organizations and local water authorities and a couple of “water-wise” games.
WaterShed Action
http://cgee.hamline.edu/watershed/action/background/fact_sheets.htm
The Center for Global Environmental Education and the WaterShed Partners sponsor this website that includes downloadable fact sheets on several topics including how trash affects fish and wildlife, what happens to pollutants that spill into the street, and the impacts of erosion on water quality. Each fact sheet includes a link to a service learning project, which might suggest ideas for the Protecting Water Resources Project. Though the fact sheets are written above grade-level, both teachers and students will find that essential information enriches several of the Watery Earth unit’s lessons.