An illustration of water on a hydrophobic surface. The water forms perfect spheres.

Water

A compilation of water public engagement resources and activities; topics include water quality, pollution, supply, hydrological cycle, properties at the small scale including hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, bubbles, ice, and clouds. Also included are resources for annual events including Groundwater Awareness Week, World Water Day, Earth Day, World Oceans Day, National Pollution Prevention Week, Coastal Cleanup Day, Earth Science Week, and Imagine a Day Without Water.

Water Quality and Pollution

Two learners measure out water into a beaker

What’s in the Water

In this activity, learners investigate what chemicals and compounds can be found in a sample of water using a variety of tools and techniques.
Chemistry oil spill activity materials with dye absorbent cups and tongs

Cleaning Oil Spills with Chemistry

In this activity, learners will experiment with different methods of cleaning up a model oil spill.
Oil spill video activity two comparison cups of oil, water, and sand

Oil Spill Clean Up Simulation

In this activity, learners use natural sand and hydrophobic sand to learn about oil spills and cleanup.
Water being poured into a Glass - iStock photo

Cleaning Our Water with Nanotechnology

In this stage presentation, learners experience demonstrations about how we can make contaminated water safe to drink using a variety of technologies.
model of a blue fish with a metallic ring around its waist

Big Fish, Little Fish

In this activity, learners investigate biomagnification through a short visual demonstration followed by an interactive game.

Water Supply

Young learner sorting colored marbles into three different colored boxes using a tube and funnel

Water Roll

In this activity, learners decide how they would distribute water between homes, farms and factories by sliding marbles down a tube into various containers.

Properties and Forces - Including Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Properties

Facilitator showing learners the lotus leaf effect

Lotus Leaf Effect

In this activity, learners explore how some leaves are self cleaning and repel water due to their nanoscale features.
A lotus leaves in a small, man-made concrete pond.

Zoom into a Lotus Leaf video

In this video, learners get an up close look at the tiny nanostructures that give the leaf its unique superhydrophobic behavior.
hand spooning white powder material into cup in Exploring Materials - Hydrogel NanoDays activity

Exploring Materials - Hydrogel

In this activity, learners discover how a super absorbing material can be used to move a small object.
Group of two learners and two facilitators observe as one learner carefully applies drops of water onto colored sand

Exploring Products - Nano Sand

In this activity, learners explore how water behaves differently when it comes in contact with nano sand and regular sand.
Exploring Products - Nano Fabrics acitivty components including signs, guides, and mini pants coated with nano materials

Exploring Products - Nano Fabrics

In this activity, learners investigate the hydrophobic properties of pants made from nano fabric and ordinary fabric.
Family engaging with sand, plants, and pants

Sand, Plants and Pants

In this activity, learners explore how the application of nano-sized particles or substances can change a bigger material’s properties.
Learner experimenting with magic sand

Magic Sand / Nanosurfaces

In this activity, learners discover that "magic" sand repels water because of a nanoscale hydrophobic coating on the grains of sand.
young learners placing mini teacup in water to see what happens

Exploring Forces - Gravity

In this activity, learners will discover that size can affect the way materials like water behave.
Person looking closely at a cup filled with dirty water

What’s Nano About Water?

In this 30-second video, viewers quickly learn how nanotechnology can filter pesticides and heavy metals out of water.
What is nano about museum labels thumbnails of signs featuring signs of hot-chocolate, hamburger, glass of water, a window, and a toilet

Nano Museum Labels (Graphic Signs)

These museum graphic labels highlight everyday connections to nanoscale science including: chocolate, food packaging, water, a window, paint, a toilet, a soap bubble, fashion, a sock, a pencil, a butterfly, a gecko, a laptop, an elevator, and a local city.
Children looking at Gecko with magnifying glass

Biomimicry

A collection of biomimicry resources and examples of how technology can imitate natural phenomena and processes. Public engagement biomimicry activity examples include: self-cleaning surfaces and fabrics inspired by the lotus leaf effect observed in some plant leaves, sticky materials inspired by gecko feet, photonics crystals using structural color similar to the iridescent properties of some insects, bird feathers, and shells.

Earth Science, Oceans, and Climate

Caregiver and two children using the paper mountains activity

Exploring Earth: Paper Mountains

In this activity, learners make unique mountain models from crumpled paper and watching how water moves across them.
Photo of person pouring water on soil and sand to demonstrate erosion

Exploring Earth: Land Cover

In this activity, learners model some of the ways natural processes affect Earth’s landscape through erosion and sediment pollution.
Facilitator and young learner squeeze colored water into a dish

Exploring Science Practices: Early Explorations

In this activity, learners are given an opportunity to practice scientific ways of thinking that are developmentally appropriate for early learners.
A group of learners observing a cloud that was made in a plastic bottle

Exploring Earth: Investigating Clouds

In this activity, learners create a cloud in a bottle and explore it with laser light.
Family traces water line on clear piece of plastic

Exploring Earth: Rising Sea

In this activity, learners explore how to use topographical mapping techniques to track changes in sea level and have discussions about the effects of rising sea levels on the environment and coastal communities.
Cumulonimbus cloud over Africa

Climate Change

A compilation of climate change and weather public engagement and professional learning resources for informal science educators.
Half of the blue marble for Earth Day hero

Earth Day

A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the Earth, Earth Day, and Earth science. Resources can be used for celebrating Earth Day April 22, Earth Week, and Earth Month.

Ice and Snow

two learners and a facilitator examine three ice orbs

Exploring the Universe: Ice Orbs

In this activity, learners investigate a sphere of ice and objects hidden inside as a model for icy worlds in our solar system.
A person using thin slice of graphite to cut ice.

Exploring Properties - Heat Transfer

In this activity, learners investigate how quickly heat is transferred through two different materials.
Children engaging with snowflake program

Snowflakes: Nano at its Coolest

In this activity, learners watch videos of snowflakes growing, observe real ice crystals growing in a chilled chamber and that snowflakes are examples of self-assembled systems studied by nanoscientists.
Ready Set Self Assemble children holding hands

Exploring Fabrication - Self-Assembly

In this activity, learners will play several full-body interactive games to model the process of self-assembly in nature and nanotechnology.
Ready Set Self Assemble children holding hands

Ready, Set, Self-Assemble

In this activity, learners explore the concept of self-assembly through three full-body, interactive games.
Nano ice cream activity Mr. O video schreenshot showing presenter wearing safety goggles and gloves

Nano Ice Cream

In this public presentation, a presenter will demonstrate how liquid nitrogen cools a creamy mixture at such a rapid rate that it precipitates super fine grained (nano) ice cream.
A person using thin slice of graphite to cut ice.

Exploring Properties - Heat Transfer

In this activity, learners investigate how quickly heat is transferred through two different materials.

Bubbles

two learners and a facilitator watch a soapy solution with dry ice make a giant bubble filled with smoke

Sublimation Bubbles

In this activity, learners explore sublimation by capturing carbon dioxide gas in soapy bubbles sublimated from dry ice.
Lady in pink shirt stands in the path of a cluster of bubbles

What’s Nano About Bubbles?

In this 30-second video, viewers quickly learn about the rainbow of colors seen in bubbles.

Clouds

A group of learners observing a cloud that was made in a plastic bottle

Exploring Earth: Investigating Clouds

In this activity, learners create a cloud in a bottle and explore it with laser light.

Annual Events

 

More Resources

More Water and Nanotechnology Resources

Working with STEM Experts Guide cover including an image of expert puring a liquid and using a strainer with a girl and her family at a museum public event

Finding STEM Experts

Water Scientific Images

Scientific Image - Water Droplets on Nanotex Fabric

Photograph of water droplets sitting on Nanotex fabric.

Scientific Image - Water Droplet on Hydrophobic Sand

Photograph of drops of water sitting on purple hydrophobic sand.

Scientific Image - Water Droplets on Hydrophobic Sand

Zoomed in photograph of water drops on purple hydrophobic sand.

Scientific Image - SEM Image of Lotus Leaf

Magnified image of a lotus leaf using a Scanning Electron Microscope.

Scientific Image - SEM Image of Lotus Leaf

Magnified image of a lotus leaf using a Scanning Electron Microscope.

Scientific Image - Hydrogel Scaffold

Magnified image of hydrogel scaffold using a Scanning Electron Microscope.

Scientific Image - Water Droplet on a Nasturtium Leaf

Magnified image of a water droplet on a Nasturtium leaf using an Optical Microscope.

Scientific Image - Nasturtium Leaf

Magnified image of Nasturtium Leaf using an Optical Camera.

Scientific Image - Nasturtium Leaf

Magnified image of a nasturtium leaf using a Scanning Electron Microscope.

Scientific Image - Nasturtium Leaf

Magnified image of a nasturtium leaf using a Scanning Electron Microscope.

Scientific Image - Nasturtium Leaf

Magnified image of a nasturtium leaf using a Scanning Electron Microscope.

Scientific Image - Ice models

Vector illustrations of ball-and-stick models of ice structure.