Browse Resources

Water Cycle Dice Game

Primary Topic:

Water Cycle

Subtopics:

Hydrologic Cycle, Precipitation, Earth Systems

Type:

Audience:

Standards:

Keywords:

Summary:

The water cycle may seem simple on the surface, but there are many different ways to move through the process. This page has a few different versions of a Water Cycle Dice game to teach students about the complexities of water in Earth's system.

GPM Gets Flake-y

GPM Project Scientist Gail Skofronick-Jackson explains why all snowflakes have six sides and how the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission can measure falling snow from space.

Primary Topic:

Water Cycle

Subtopics:

Precipitation, Water Properties, Remote Sensing

Type:

Video

Audience:

Outreach, Informal, 9 - 12, 6 - 8, K - 5, General

Standards:

ESS2.C

Keywords:

snowflakes, snow

Summary:

GPM Project Scientist Gail Skofronick-Jackson explains why all snowflakes have six sides and how the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission can measure falling snow from space.

Precipitation Towers Lesson Plan

Primary Topic:

Water Cycle

Subtopics:

Precipitation, Earth Systems, Weather, Climate, Data, Freshwater Resources

Type:

Lesson Plan

Audience:

Formal, 6 - 8, K - 5

Standards:

ESS2.A, ESS2.D

Keywords:

seasonal patterns, average precipitation, graphing

Summary:

This lesson uses cubes as a way to graph precipitation data to compare the precipitation averages and seasonal patterns for several different locations. There are several variations to accommodate various ages and ability levels.

Ground Validation and OLYMPEX Webquest – Elementary Version

Primary Topic:

Technology

Subtopics:

Precipitation, Water Properties, STEM Careers, Data, Societal Applications, Freshwater Resources

Type:

Interactive

Audience:

Formal, K - 5

Standards:

ESS2.A, ESS2.D

Keywords:

OLYMPEX, ground validation, rain gauge, radar, airborne instruments, rain shadow

Summary:

You will learn how we measure rain and snow from the ground and from space using satellites, and why we need to check the data using ground validation. This particularly relates to the OLYMPEX Field Campaign.

Models of Landforms and Bodies of Water

Primary Topic:

Water Cycle

Subtopics:

Societal Applications, Freshwater Resources

Type:

Lesson Plan

Audience:

Formal, K - 5

Standards:

ESS2.A

Keywords:

landforms, bodies of water, models

Summary:

The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with experience creating models of landforms and bodies of water. Students review the characteristics of landforms and bodies of water in an active game, and then make models of these.

Identifying Landforms and Bodies of Water on a Map

Primary Topic:

Water Cycle

Subtopics:

Remote Sensing, Data, Societal Applications

Type:

Lesson Plan

Audience:

Formal, K - 5

Standards:

ESS2.C

Keywords:

landforms, maps, bodies of water

Summary:

The purpose of this lesson is to expose elementary level students to the practice of “developing and using models” as students explore and identify landforms and bodies of water on a map of the world. It is anticipated that this lesson will take one hour.

Exploring Climate Science: A Snow Study

Primary Topic:

Weather and Climate

Subtopics:

Water Cycle, Hydrologic Cycle, Precipitation, Earth Systems, Weather, Climate, Human Impact, Data, Freshwater Resources

Type:

Lesson Plan

Audience:

Formal, 6 - 8, K - 5

Standards:

ESS3.C

Keywords:

watershed, snow pack, snow water equivalent, stream flow

Summary:

This curriculum for 5th grade was designed to help students measure basic snow properties through science techniques, and focus on the connection between snowfall in the Sierra Nevada and water availability in the rest of California ...