Just Passing Through! The Water Cycle! Appear -- Disappear! The Magic of Water! Pre-Visit Lesson (Grade 4)

In “Just Passing Through! The Water Cycle!,” students use the Forever Earth vessel to begin exploring the importance of Lake Mead by making and recording observations of how water is being used in different ways by plants, animals, and people. Then students view an animated PowerPoint presentation that follows one drop of water through Lake Mead’s water use cycle and then re-create the cycle on a magnet board. Working as scientists, students determine if water is the same in all parts of the lake by comparing water samples from the middle of the lake and from Las Vegas Bay. By examining a number of scenarios, students use scientific reasoning to deduce the major reasons for the current lower lake level. In a culminating activity, students brainstorm ideas for personal actions that they can make to conserve or protect Lake Mead’s water. These pre-visit activities are designed to prepare students for their Forever Earth experience by introducing them to the water cycle and to some of the factors that affect the cycle

GSI: Geo Scene Investigation! On-site Programming, Support Materials (Grade 7)

What happened geologically to produce the landscape we see today? What was the stage like that ultimately produced the Colorado River? What are the processes that are still at work today? To begin exploring and discovering the answers to these questions, we can look at what’s happened in the past and also examine the clues that are evident on today’s landscape. Lake Mead’s geologic past can be organized like acts in a play. These geologic “acts” represent the area’s significant geologic events. The acts are not equal in terms of time (millions of years), nor is all geologic time accounted for during this “play.

High School Activities Outline

The following activity outline provides a protocol for conducting water quality monitoring. The outline also includes educational goals and objectives and shows how Nevada State Standards and Clark County District Objectives are addressed. The protocol can be adapted to meet the needs of the group, as well as its time and equipment constraints

Just Passing Through! The Water Cycle! Post-Visit Lesson (Grade 4)

In “Just Passing Through! The Water Cycle!,” students use the Forever Earth vessel to begin exploring the importance of Lake Mead by making and recording observations of how water is being used in different ways by plants, animals, and people. Then students view an animated PowerPoint presentation that follows one drop of water through Lake Mead’s water use cycle and then re-create the cycle on a magnet board. Working as scientists, students determine if water is the same in all parts of the lake by comparing water samples from the middle of the lake and from Las Vegas Bay. By examining a number of scenarios, students use scientific reasoning to deduce the major reasons for the current lower lake level. In a culminating activity, students brainstorm ideas for personal actions that they can take to conserve or protect Lake Mead’s water. The following post-visit activities are designed to synthesize and expand the knowledge students have gained in their Forever Earth experience. Students apply their knowledge by building a model of the water cycle, recording observations of changes through time, and designing experiments to examine additional questions

Finicky Fish Finish... Last! On-Site Programming -- Support Materials (Grade 5)

In “Finicky Fish Finish…Last!” students explore what has happened to the Colorado River and the reasons why it is so difficult for the razorback sucker to thrive in a changed environment. Working as ichthyologists (fish biologists) at Lake Mead, students collect water quality data such as temperature, pH, and clarity to determine whether current habitat conditions are sufficient for survival of young razorback suckers. Students observe and identify non-native fish in Lake Mead as they learn how the razorback sucker interacts with these neighbors. Students assess whether Lake Mead is still a good habitat for razorback suckers. Using the knowledge they’ve gained, students design ideal refuges for the razorback sucker, including ideas to get the word out about this endangered native fish

GSI: Geo Scene Investigation! On-site Programming (Grade 7)

GSI: Geo Scene Investigation! introduces students to the differences between observations and interpretations and to some of the fundamental principles of geology. Students identify specific geologic processes and landforms in the landscape surrounding them at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA) by solving mysteries with a set of geology-related clues

GSI: Geo Scene Investigation! Pre-visit Lesson: Topograhic and Geologic Maps (Grade 7)

GSI: Geo Scene Investigation! introduces students to the differences between observations and interpretations and to some of the fundamental principles of geology. Students identify specific geologic processes and landforms in the landscape surrounding them at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Lake Mead NRA) by solving mysteries with a set of geology-related clues. This activity introduces students to topographic and geologic maps and their respective purposes

Just Passing Through! The Water Cycle! On-Site Programming (Grade 4)

In “Just Passing Through! The Water Cycle!,” students begin exploring the importance of Lake Mead by making and recording observations of how water is being used in different ways by plants, animals, and people. Students view an animated PowerPoint presentation that follows one drop of water through Lake Mead’s water use cycle and then re-create the cycle on a magnet board. Working as scientists, students determine if water is the same in all parts of the lake by comparing water samples from the middle of the lake and from Las Vegas Bay. By examining a number of scenarios, students use scientific reasoning to deduce the major reasons for the current lower lake level. In a culminating activity, students brainstorm ideas for personal actions that they can take to conserve or protect Lake Mead’s water

Alien Invaders! Pre-Visit Lessons: Water Characteristics (Grade 6)

In the “Alien Invaders!” program, students use the Forever Earth vessel to investigate how quagga mussels might affect Lake Mead. Students collect water quality data such as clarity, pH, and temperature to determine whether current habitat conditions would allow quagga mussels to survive and thrive. Students learn about the consequences the quagga mussels could have on the lake and its living and non-living resources. Using the knowledge they’ve gained, students create their own management plans to prevent the spread of quagga mussels to other waterways. This activity gives students an opportunity to explore water quality conditions as they relate to the habitat needs of an organism

GSI: Geo Scene Investigation! Pre-visit Lesson: Lake Mead Geologic WebQuest (Grade 7)

GSI: Geo Scene Investigation! introduces students to the differences between observations and interpretations and to some of the fundamental principles of geology. Students identify specific geologic processes and landforms in the landscape surrounding them at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Lake Mead NRA) by solving mysteries with a set of geology-related clues. This activity is an inquiry-oriented activity designed to introduce students to the geology, landforms, geologic processes, and geologic timeline of Lake Mead NRA