Humans and Water, Past to Present Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Archaeological Institute of America. Humans use lots of water. We need it for various activities, including agriculture, transport, washing, and recreation. Most important, we need to drink fresh water to stay alive. Today, in many regions around the world, fresh water comes straight to where we need it. But in some places, people must carry gallons of water from the closest stream, river, lake, or well to their homes. [Read More]

Identifying Your Watershed Activity Source: Water Use In Vermont - An Activities Guide For Teachers (United States Geological Survey) Goal To identify the (1) watershed you live in, (2) source of water used at home, and (3) pathway of surface runoff in your watershed. Look at the watershed maps of your state to answer the following questions: In what town do you reside? Locate your town on the town map. Locate your watershed on the town map. [Read More]

It’s About Time Activity Source: National Park Service. Adapted with permission. Geologic time can be difficult for people to understand. Our own lives are so short when we compare them to the age of the Earth, that the hundreds of millions of years of geologic time are almost too much to grasp. But for us to understand Earth activities today, we must have at least some basic understanding of geologic time. [Read More]

Liquefaction Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Soil Science Society of America. When it comes to slipping, sliding, and stability in soils, the key word is “liquefaction.” During an event like an earthquake, liquefaction is the process by which saturated soil behaves like a liquid. This can be problematic, as a liquid soil loses structure and can cause buildings to sink, foundations to crack, and soil to slide down slopes all at once. [Read More]

Making Caves: How Solution Caves Form Activity Source: Adapted with permission by National Park Service Caves form through a variety of natural processes depending on their local geology and climate. Flowing lava, melting ice, dissolving rock, and crashing waves are the major processes that form these wondrous environments. In this activity, students will observe a model of how the most common type of cave — solution caves — form. Materials Per student or small group: [Read More]

Mapping Your Soil Activity Source: Soil Science Society of America. Adapted with permission. The key properties of soil (physical, biological, and chemical) determine recreation, crop production, range, water/erosion conservation, forestry, and engineering uses of the soil. Soil surveys help us understand how soils differ and how they behave under various land management systems. The heart of a soil survey is the soil map showing the spatial distribution and variability of soils on the landscape. [Read More]

Measuring Permeabilities of Soil, Sand, and Gravel Activity Source: Adapted with permission from an activity by Robert D. Whisonant, Physical Science Department, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142. SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), 2006. Background This investigation will help you to learn that different geologic materials have different characteristics. Why is this important? When a road or building is constructed, the underlying substance could have an effect on the structure’s stability. Different soils, for instance, can pose different problems, based on climate, topography, and amount of rainfall in the area. [Read More]

Model of a Well Activity Source: Nebraska Earth Systems Education Network, School of Natural Resources, by Marianne Bonnemier Background Groundwater is contained in the zone of saturation below the land surface. The top of this zone is known as the water table. People can tap into this source of water by drilling wells. The depth of the well and level of the water table greatly influences the wells productivity. Objective Demonstrate the relationship of groundwater to wells. [Read More]

Nitrogen Connection Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Soil Science Society of America. All biological organisms require certain nutrients to live. Plants require carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from air and water, as well as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel, chloride, boron, and molybdenum from soil. Animals require a few others. Conversions and transformations of nutrients in the environment result from chemical reactions, biological activity, or both. [Read More]

Observing Soil Respiration Materials Local soil sample (approximately 2 cups) Disposable plastic water bottle Plastic tubing Small jar or clear container with an opening only slightly wider than the plastic tubing Small cup or 100 mL beaker Graduated cylinder Duct tape (or other waterproof tape) 5 g sugar 105 mL water Bromothymol blue and color change chart Plasticine clay (optional) Object to rest the small jar/container on (optional) Procedure Cut a plastic water bottle about a quarter of the way down. [Read More]