ALEX Lesson Plan Resources

ALEX Lesson Plans  
Subject: Science (5)
Title: Where's the Water?
Description: The majority of Earth's surface is covered by water, but only a small percentage of this water is freshwater.  In this lesson, students will learn where saltwater and freshwater are found.  Then they will use models to show the distribution of different types of water in different reservoirs and depict this information using bar graphs and pie charts.  Finally, they will use their data as evidence to support the idea that freshwater should be conserved. This lesson was created as part of the 2016 NASA STEM Standards of Practice Project, a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

Subject: Science (5)
Title: Why So Blue?
Description: If water covers 70-75% of our planet, then why should we be concerned about water quality and conservation? This lesson helps students understand that 97% of our water is present on Earth in the form of salt water, and therefore, unavailable for helping support life on Earth. Another 2% of Earth's water is frozen, which leaves us approximately 1% in groundwater, lakes, streams, and water vapor.  This lesson was adapted from a lesson series from 4-H SET (California). This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.