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.

This site provides an explanation for cloud formation and seeks to correct myths or misconceptions about how clouds form. Water vapor, condensation, and evaporation are discussed in the context of dew-point temperature and saturation. Educators and anyone explaining cloud formation will find hints on how to present the correct information and avoid misinforming their audiences.

Users can access information about educational programs and materials for teachers and students, including tours, traveling exhibits and presentations by the staff of the Des Moines Water Works. "Water Trunks", which contain water-related literature, books, science experiments, videos, games, CD-ROMs, hands-on activities, picture cards, career information, and a teacher resource book, are available to order. There are also links to other water websites, a teachers' newsletter and pollution prevention tips for classroom use and for the general public.

This is an inquiry activity that, while based on a local area (the San Francisco Bay), could be adapted to the teacher's/student's local area. Students perform an experiment in which they observe how water pollution is absorbed into plants. The site contains a teacher's guide and printable student worksheet.

Users can obtain current weather forecasts for their own areas by entering a ZIP code, or they can access a large archive of historic data on severe weather (tornadoes, hail, high winds, hurricanes). Materials presented in the archive include dates, times, and intensities of storms, a photo gallery, maps, radar and other satellite data, storm chaser reports, and links to other weather sites. Raw data can be found in several forms for teachers wishing to have unprocessed data to work with.

This site presents two case studies regarding the Wheeling Creek area of West Virginia. The scenario asks students to research problems and come up with answers to a ficticious local water board's concerns over water quality in the watershed. The site provides students with extensive, yet easy to understand background information on the following topics: Importance of Water, Water Cycle, Hydrosphere, Forms of Pollution, and Methods for Monitoring. Graphs, charts, maps, and photos of the creek give students detailed information to help them in their investigations. The case study approach is a great way for students to explore all the issues affecting a watershed.

Segments on Rivers & Streams, Ponds & Lakes, and Wetlands provide information, photos, and graphics related to fresh water resources. The site provides information related to the geology and biology of these ecosystems and some information on technology as well. Each segment provides links to additional resources related to that topic. Students could readily use the site as a resource for independent learning or research, and educators could use the site to develop water-related activities.

As part of the GLOBE program's 2003 Teacher's Guide, this site provides information and activities related to understanding hydrology. Sections featuring protocols and activities cover collecting water samples, conducting tests such as dissolved oxygen, conductivity and salinity, modeling a local watershed, comparing local water to global data, modeling water balance and looking at how water chemistry affects life. Instuctors will also find information on learning goals and student assessment.

Students will utilize the Internet to take a virtual field trip to visit a glacier and discover what physical effects glaciers have on the land. They will also have the opportunity to virtually visit Vermont and trace the pictorial history of how a whale's fossils were found there. The site also contains a student worksheet for their visual field trip. The site also provides an explanation of the formation of fossils.

This United States Geological Survey (USGS) general interest publication presents a description of ground water in the U.S. This includes what ground water is, how it occurs, aquifers and wells, ground water quality and what affects it, and the state of U.S. ground water resources.

This Oregon State University site offers in-depth information on groundwater including: human impacts, protection, contamination, regulations, agencies, community action, and community stewardship. Although some information, such as how the geology of Oregon affects groundwater, is specific to that state much of the information is transferable to other locations.

This resource provides scientific understanding, detection, monitoring, assessment, and prediction of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxia (low oxygen). Specifics are given on understanding HABs (red tide) where they occur, the climate and economic impact on the environment as well as a framework of response options.

Ships travelling between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie use the Welland Canal. Beginning with a conversation between characters Mathise, Geo, and Trig, they explain how a lock in the canal operates by gravity alone, without pumps. The characters use mathematics to solve problems such as how long the locks take to fill and how to express the volume and flow of water in more common terms (bathtubs of water per second). They also ask why the lower lock door is much larger and heavier than the upper one, a question which users can answer by watching the animation of the lock's operation.

Using the European Space Agency's Infrared Space Observatory, Spanish and Italian astronomers have for the first time measured the total amount of water in cold regions of the Milky Way. The findings and implications of this research are discussed here, with emphasis on the fact that water is abundant in these cold regions and exists mostly in the form of ice. Images and videos are included.

This site provides the user an opportunity to explore storm clouds and climate change through the use of NASA climate research data obtained through satellite imaging. The user is challenged to investigate actual scientific research data on clouds and storms, and make observations and interpretations available to NASA research scientists for review. Topics addressed by these investigations include the role of clouds in relation to the changing climate of Earth, the role of clouds in warming or cooling the planet, and the major types of clouds produced by storms.

Visitors can study this account of the calving of the Larsen ice shelf and the disintegration of the ice shelf around James Ross Island that occured in Austral Summer of 1994-95. The account is in chronolgical order and is accompanied by photographs. Follow-up examinations from 1996-2002 and links to related material are provided.

The information on this site indicates that the life cycle of a glacier is more eventful than it appears. The site allows students to follow the journey of a single snowflake as it takes a ride through a glacier, a process that can take as much as 30,000 years to complete. It can be viewed as an interactive slide show or a single page of text and illustrations.

Arctic Science Journeys Radio (ASJ) is a free service that offers interesting stories about science, culture, and the environment of the far north. This audio file of a radio story describes the research of one scientist into the animals and plants that live within the ice of the Arctic Ocean.

This unit, designed to span two class periods, helps students understand that physical factors, particularly temperature and precipitation, limit the growth of plant ecosystems. The activity begins with a discussion in which students develop their own ideas about the role of temperature, precipitation, and environment on plant growth. They will then examine X-Y graphs of vegetation growth, temperature, and precipitation versus month for four diverse ecosystems to determine which climatic factor is limiting growth. A worksheet and scoring rubric are provided.

In this lesson, students will identify rivers in their local area and compile information about aquatic life in or near these habitats. Through research in various books or other sources, the students will learn more about the various animal and plant species living in riparian areas. The compiled information can be assembled into a class book, combining both text and drawings related to aquatic life.