How Much Oil Leaked from Deepwater Horizon? part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Systems, Society, Sustainability and the Geosciences:Activities
Stephen Boss, University of Arkansas
Students develop an estimate of the total quantity of petroleum discharged from the Deepwater Horizon from 20 April to 15 July 2010 using only two known facts, the diameter of the riser and the flow rate of the oil/gas mixture emanating from the riser.

Exploring sustainability through water cycle connections part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Systems, Society, Sustainability and the Geosciences:Activities
Tim Lutz, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
During this module students use multiple experiences (reading, video, the outdoors, a survey of their water footprints, writing, and lots of discussion) to examine how life today, in comparison to pre-industrial times, makes our connections to water virtually invisible. Students use the class's water footprint results to find out how agricultural and industrial water uses link us to people distant in both place and time. They weigh the consequences of these invisible connections in creating the lost sense of dependence and responsibility that typifies unsustainability. Students study the variability of water footprints within our class to help identify more sustainable personal choices. They consider the activity of a local watershed association to educate and involve people in improving the quality of local streams as a model of how community action can accomplish what individuals cannot.

Analyzing Water Neutrality of U. of Utah Campus part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Systems, Society, Sustainability and the Geosciences:Activities
Steven Burian, University of Utah
Water Neutrality Case Study Activity

'Reporting' on the World Water Forum to understand media coverage and gaps part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Systems, Society, Sustainability and the Geosciences:Activities
Abigail Schade, Davidson College
'Reporting' in-class on the tri-ennial World Water Forum.

Environmentally Sustainable Mining part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Systems, Society, Sustainability and the Geosciences:Activities
Stephen Kissin, Lakehead University
A field trip that illustrates a contrast between environmentally sustainable mining activity and a case of a lack of environmental planning in mining operation and closure.

Unit 3: Field Geophysical Measurements part of Evaluating the Health of an Urban Wetland Using Electrical Resistivity
Lee Slater, Rutgers University-Newark
Near-surface geophysical measurements are performed by moving sensors across the earth's surface. Active geophysical sensors transmit a signal into the earth and record a returned signal that contains ...

Unit 4: The Magic of Geophysical Inversion part of Evaluating the Health of an Urban Wetland Using Electrical Resistivity
Lee Slater, Rutgers University-Newark
This unit introduces the student to the concept of geophysical inversion, which is the process of estimating the geophysical properties of the subsurface from the geophysical observations. The basic mechanics of ...

Nutrient Loading Module part of Project EDDIE:Teaching Materials:Modules
This module was initially developed by Castendyk, D.N., T. Meixner, and C.A. Gibson. 6 June 2015. Project EDDIE: Nutrient Loading. Project EDDIE Module 7, Version 1. Module development was supported by NSF DEB 1245707.
Estimating nutrient loads is a critical concept for students studying water quality in a variety of environmental settings. Many STEM/Environmental science students will be asked to assess the impacts of a proposed anthropogenic activities on human water resources and/or ecosystems as part of their future careers. This module engages students in exploring factors contributing to the actual loads of nitrogen that are transmitted down streams. Nitrogen is a key water quality contaminant contributing to surface water quality issues in fresh, salt, and estuarine environments. Students will utilize real-time nitrate data from the US Geological Survey to calculate nitrate loads for several locations and investigate the interplay of concentration and discharge that contributes to calculated loads.

Unit 1: Exploring Harrier Meadow, an Urban Wetland System part of Evaluating the Health of an Urban Wetland Using Electrical Resistivity
Lee Slater, Rutgers University-Newark
Students will conduct a virtual exploration of Harrier Meadow, a salt marsh in the New Jersey Meadowlands. They will identify its vulnerability to pollution, its tidal connection to the Hackensack Estuary and the ...

Unit 1: Exploring the Reservoirs and Pathways and Methods to Measure the Hydrologic Cycle part of Eyes on the Hydrosphere: Tracking Water Resources
Becca Walker, Mt San Antonio College
How does water move throughout the Earth system? How do scientists measure the amount of water that moves through these pathways? This unit provides an alternative way for students to learn the major components of ...

Water Optimism - focusing on solutions for the hydrosphere in a take-home final exam part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
Laura Guertin, Penn State Brandywine
This take-home final exam asks students to demonstrate their improved skills in searching for sources (information literacy) and writing on freshwater science/society/policy intersections (science literacy), and ...

Unit 2: Geophysical Properties of the Subsurface part of Evaluating the Health of an Urban Wetland Using Electrical Resistivity
Lee Slater, Rutgers University-Newark
Archie (1950) defined the term petrophysics to describe the study of the physics of rocks, particularly with respect to the fluids they contain. Although originally focused on geophysical exploration, petrophysics ...

Unit 1: Climate Change and Sea Level: Who Are the Stakeholders? part of Understanding Our Changing Climate
Bruce Douglas, Indiana University-Bloomington; Susan Kaspari, Central Washington University
How are rising sea levels already influencing different regions? This unit offers case study examples for a coastal developing country (Bangladesh), a major coastal urban area (southern California), and an island ...

Unit 5.1 - Water Balance of a Tree part of Critical Zone Science
Martha Conklin, University of California-Merced
The assignment is to calculate an annual water balance for a tree using data gathered at the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory. In the framework of experimental design, students will organize around a ...

Unit 5.4 Heavy rainfall and landslides part of TIDeS:TIDeS Teaching Materials:Earth Science
Mark Abolins, Middle Tennessee State University
Students assume various roles (e.g., school superintendent) and use online maps to explore landslide hazards in Southern California. They examine the landslide problems from different perspectives, and they apply ...

How to Destroy (and Maybe Save) the Chesapeake Bay part of Pedagogy in Action:Activities
Kelsey Arkle, Augustana College
In this activity, students simulate 10,000 years of ecological change in the Chesapeake Bay—tracking how human influence has transformed this dynamic estuarine ecosystem. Working in teams that represent key ecological guilds, they will explore how human pressures propagate through interconnected food webs and habitats over time.

What's in the Water? Benchmarking Activity part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
Kelsey Bitting, Elon University
This short (15-25 min) writing activity asks students to respond to a series of prompts related to the content knowledge and societal issues explored in the "What's in the Water?" PFAS Contamination ...

Stream Discharge Module part of Project EDDIE:Teaching Materials:Modules
This module was initially developed by Bader, N.E., T. Meixner, C.A. Gibson, C.M. O'Reilly, and D.N. Castendyk. 26 June 2015. Project EDDIE: Stream Discharge. Project EDDIE Module 5, Version 2. cemast.illinoisstate.edu/data-for-students/modules/stream-discharge.shtml Module development was supported by NSF DEB 1245707.
Stream discharge is a fundamental measure of water supply in stream systems. Low discharge may cause problems with water supply and fish passage, while high discharge may mean flooding. In this module, students ...

What's in the Water? Lesson 1: Water Cycle and Watersheds part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
Kelsey Bitting, Elon University
In this lesson from "What's in the Water?" PFAS Contamination Unit", students collaboratively explore water and contaminant cycling through the natural environment. They identify pathways each ...

Lesson 3: The Value of a Water Footprint (High School) part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
Kai Olson-Sawyer, GRACE Communications Foundation
Session 1 of this lesson begins with a quick activity to get students thinking about their direct and virtual water use. It introduces a few new ideas for virtual water use that may surprise students, including the ...