Before you wade into the rest of this Quest, check out these videos for more information about the wonderful world of water and what it means for our world:

Watch 1: Why Water Is Really, Really Weird (BBC)
Watch 2: How Nature Makes Clean Water (The Nature Conservancy)
Watch 3: Water: The Source of Life (The Nature Conservancy/TED)
Watch 4: The Journey of Water: From Colombia’s Páramo to the Kitchen Sink (The Nature Conservancy)
Watch 5: Water Tales: Change the Story (WWF India)

LEARN + INTERACT

Explore the cycle of water with this interactive diagram. (for all ages)

Experiment with water! Check out this video and try some amazing water experiments, like instant freezing, instant boiling, floating needle, handmade rainbow, and more! (for all ages)

Write your own version of a water drop's journey with National Geographic. Begin in the time of the dinosaurs and get your water drop all the way back to present day at your house. (for ages 8-11) 

Analyze your personal water footprint using this online calculator from Water Footprint Network. (for ages 8+)

Explore fresh water around the world through this interactive globe. (for all ages)

Calculate the availability of freshwater! Explore how water moves above and below Earth's surface by using interactive computational models. Then, examine the supply and demand issues around your own local water source(s). (for ages 12+)

ACT + SHARE

Create your own salt water distillery. 70% of the Earth's surface is covered in water but only 3% of that water is drinkable. In this experiment, you’ll learn how to create your very own fresh water from salt water. (for ages 6+)

Research your local water supply. A watershed is any piece of land that channels water (such as rainfall) into a specific river or lake or ocean. Everyone on the planet lives in a watershed-- as these beautiful maps of the world’s rivers demonstrate. Search online for details about your own area’s water supply. Where does your town’s water come from? How do the people who live upstream affect the water of people who live downstream? Do you do things that might pollute water for others in your community? What are some steps your family could take to minimize its impact on water quality? (for ages 10+)

Conduct a home water audit. Calculate the water usage in your home with this calculator. Then, help start a neighborhood-wide campaign encouraging everyone in your community to use less water. Get the word out with persuasive writing via posters, social media, and neighborhood newsletters. (for ages 12+)

WANT MORE?

Watch: The Netflix film Our Planet: Fresh Water (for all ages)

Watch: The PBS special about water, H20: The Molecule That Made Us (for ages 12-18+)

Watch: Water Water Everywhere from PBS Kids (for ages 5-10)

Watch: Where does water come from in the Namibian desert? with National Geographic (for ages 7-18+) 

Read: 10 Interesting Things About Water from NASA (for all ages)

Participate: Build your own watershed with PBS Kids (for ages 13+)

Make: A mini water cycle with The Water Project (for all ages)

Resources for Families and Educators: Use this week-long guide from The Nature Conservancy to explore how water and food can be sourced sustainably (ages 10+). Have younger students? Watch The Journey of Water: From Colombia’s Páramo to the Kitchen Sink (The Nature Conservancy) and play Nature Spy using page 9 of this guide. (for ages 6-10)

This Earth School Quest was created by the following incredible educators and environmental experts: 
Steve Davis, UC Irvine
Kate Ireland, The Nature Conservancy
Alison Lowndes (NVIDIA/AVIF)
Richard Matthew, UC Irvine
Ximena Marquez, The Nature Conservancy
Hannah Moosa, IUCN
Bill Tomlinson, UC Irvine