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U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Water Science School

The Water Science School is USGS's public-facing encyclopedia of water science, covering the water cycle, water properties, groundwater, surface water, and water use in plain-language articles backed by real agency data and maps. A companion teacher-resources page adds lesson plans, regional guides, posters, and a class play, making it as useful for lesson planning as it is for student research.

Visit USGS Water Science School ↗

What you will find there

  • The water cycle diagram, including a newer version showing human impacts on water movement and storage, with Spanish and beginner/intermediate/advanced versions
  • A dedicated teacher-resources page with lesson plans like Building the Water Cycle Diagram and the Our Water, Our Lives regional series (California, Chesapeake Bay, floods)
  • Quizzes, opinion surveys, and challenge questions students can use for self-check or discussion
  • Nine educational posters on topics from watersheds to wetlands to wastewater
  • A water-science glossary and free classroom bookmarks available by request

Our take

This is a good reference for student background reading and for diagrams that many water units use; it reads more like an encyclopedia than a classroom activity, so pair it with a hands-on lesson rather than assigning it alone.

Pairs well with our materials