What makes water water? Water is a lot more than just wet -- it has special properties that make it unique and valuable to all life on earth, including you. This section discusses water properties as well as common measurements of water. You might want to start off taking a water properties True/False Quiz...

Examine such mysteries as a meteor crater in Nebraska, coastal erosion in Maryland, the mouth of the Mississippi, and Earthquake Lake, Montana with the framework of using every USGS map as a means of uncovering mysteries about the Earth and its life. Explore the Earth using remotely sensed satellite imagery. This quiz challenges students to think about how physical and human processes are at work to change the surface of the Earth. [Quiz is 18.7 MB PDF] Examine how the Aral Sea, Iran, Brazil, Texas, and other places around the world have changed due to natural hazards and human impact via Landsat satellite imagery. Use thousands of images registered to real-world coordinates across the globe to teach cultural and physical geography and literacy. Ten standards-based ideas for using corn and corn mazes to teach about mapping, landforms, measurement, soils, human impacts on the environment, and more...

Geology of National Parks 3D and Photographic Tours Featuring Park Geology and Natural History Click on a national park below to start an image tour. Standard photography websites mirror the 3D image websites...

What is all the excitement about concerning the use of Geographic Information Systems in education? Follow this link for lessons, data, and information about the use of GIS in science, history, math, environmental studies, and geography courses. Guidelines and information about how to download, format, and use USGS and other digital spatial data within Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Guidelines and information about how to use USGS maps with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) receivers and compasses...

As the saying goes "water, water, everywhere." Well, how much water is there; where is this water; how does it move around? This section of Water Science for Schools tells the story of where, how much, and in what forms water exists on Earth. The dripping pipe below lists the main topics in this section...

There must be thousands of World Wide Web sites with information about water -- and the list is growing every day. You can use the ever-growing list below to continue your search for information about water and also find out how schools across the nation and around the world are putting their own water information on the Web. Note: Web sites referred to on this page are totally independent of the U.S. Geological Survey. Organizations involved with water. Government agencies EPA - EPA - USGS - USGS - USGS - USGS GNIS- USGS - USGS ESIC - USGS - USGS - Resources in other...

What is a Web site without pictures? Where scientific issues like water are involved, a picture can really help explain something. For instance, I could tell you that it can be a shocking experience collecting fish samples, but doesn't it help to see it...

Looking at water, you might think that it's the most simple thing around. Pure water is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. But it's not at all simple and plain and it is vital for all life on Earth. Where there is water there is life, and where water is scarce, life has to struggle or just "throw in the towel." So what is it about water that makes it so important to us? And what is it about water that makes it water? This section of Water Science for Schools explores the physical and chemical properties of water and why water is so critical to living things. May I suggest you begin by taking the on water properties? Or pick a topic from the dripping pipe below (text options are provided below the picture)...

We've put together a list of questions and answers about water that hopefully you will find interesting and amusing. Things like, "Is salt water used for anything in the U.S.?," and, "How can we have a 100-year flood two years in a row?" Choose a topic from the pipe diagram below or use the text menus below the picture...

This site offers a broad range of information about water. In fact, there are so many topics and subtopics, you may find it challenging to get around. You might find that this NavGuide, which displays most of the topics and subtopics in a long list, is the easiest way for you to navigate the system...