Hands on Science:
Water Web Sites
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EPA's Drinking Water and Ground Water
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/
Kid's site all about water treatment, the water cycle, and health aspects of
water. Online games and activities: interactive water treatment plant, word
search, word scramble, water trivia and myths, and water "bloopers."
Includes downloadable curriculum and activities plus a section in Spanish.
•
Oceans and Seas
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean/
Enchanted Learning's site answers questions: Why
is the ocean salty? What causes waves and tides? Why is the ocean blue? Also
lots of information about plants and animals that live in the ocean. Includes a
printable map of the oceans and ideas for ocean crafts.
•
The Story of Drinking Water
http://www.h2o4u.org/story/
From the American Water Works Association, easy to
read one page articles covering these topics: water cycle, water treatment,
water molecule, three phases of water, water supply and distribution, water
costs, and wise water use. Cartoon illustrations too.
•
Surface Tension
http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/NPS/kids/TENSION.HTM
Darby Duck explores surface tension. Directions for a few simple experiments
with an explanation from the EPA.
•
Thermometers
http://www.howstuffworks.com/therm.htm
Explanation of how bulb and bimetal thermometers
work with diagrams, photographs, and suggested activities.
•
U.S. Geological Survey's Water Site for Students
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/
Very complete site with lots of illustrations,
quizzes to take, a picture gallery, glossary, and links to schools doing water
projects. Reading level is reasonable. Not to be missed --- the full color water
cycle illustration as well as lots of real photos of water topics like well
drilling, floods, aqueducts, etc.
•
Waterwheels
http://www.osv.org/education/WaterPower/
Animated graphics and Real Audio Player bring
various types of waterwheels to life: undershot, overshot, breast wheel, tub
wheel, and modern hydroelectric turbine. Also animated graphics and narration
for four basic types of historic waterwheels: textile, sawmill, gristmill, and
carding mill. Explains and illustrates the three main principles of water that
apply to water wheels: flow, head, and efficiency. Sponsored by Old Sturbridge
Village living history museum in Massachusetts.
•
Waterworks Experiments from OMSI
http://www.omsi.edu/explore/physics/ww/
Set of experiments with directions to build
various types of fountains, a fire extinguisher, a water thermometer, and ways
to move water. Photos, videos, and explanations of how various real fountains
work --- all are famous fountains in the Portland area. Teacher background
information about properties of water, gravity, pressure, and real life pumps
(the heart and an automobile fuel pump).
