Animal Planet, a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the network of hit franchise series and special programming dedicated to animals and the natural world that includes RIVER MONSTERS, DR. JEFF: ROCKY MOUNTAIN VET, PIT BULLS & PAROLEES, TANKED, TREEHOUSE MASTERS, THE VET LIFE and PUPPY BOWL, the largest non-sports TV event on Super Bowl Sunday. Animal Planet is the premiere TV, digital and social community for all things animal, providing immersive, engaging, high-quality content across all Animal Planet platforms including: Animal Planet television network, available in more than 90 million homes in the U.S., that is complimented with a deep Video On Demand offering; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for animal lovers and pet owners; the Animal Planet Go app that allows viewers to catch up on full episodes of their favorite shows anytime anywhere; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access via live cameras around the globe in a variety of animal habitats; Animal Planet Social including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram via @AnimalPlanet and on Snapchat as AnimalPlanetTV.
Two of the female calves were born since the Bronx Zoo temporarily closed to the public on March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The herd currently consists of 25 animals. The Bronx Zoo has the only gaur breeding program in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Gaur are native to Southeast Asia and are largest wild cattle species in the world. Males are larger than females and can grow to 11 feet in length and weigh more than 2,200 pounds. The species is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and populations are decreasing due to human activity.
Most people have heard Earth referred to as "the water planet." With that name comes the rightful image of a world with plentiful water. In photographs taken from space, we can see that our planet has more water than land. However, of all the water on Earth, more than 99 percent of Earth's water is unusable by humans and many other living things - only about 0.3 percent of our fresh water is found in the surface water of lakes, rivers, and swamps.
The teacher guide describes our current understanding of water cycling and freshwater issues that affect natural and human communities.
In photographs taken from space, we can see that our planet has more water than land. It is unexpected and somewhat inconceivable that less than three percent of Earth's water is fresh water. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, most of that three percent is inaccessible. More than 68 percent of the fresh water on Earth is found in icecaps and glaciers, and just over 30 percent is found in ground water. Only about 0.3 percent of our fresh water is found in the surface water of lakes, rivers, and swamps. Of all the water on Earth, more than 99 percent of Earth's water is unusable by humans and many other living things. It seems extraordinary that the water that supports all terrestrial, as well as aquatic, life on our planet is actually so scarce. With this stunning realization comes a recognition that we have to use this resource very wisely. An important first step is to educate ourselves and future generations of citizens.
We can make better consumer, voter, and community member choices when we are informed about how we use resources, the ramifications of misuse, and solutions and actions to prevent freshwater issues. This guide was developed to support teachers in teaching topics with real-world context, and provide them with the background to feel competent and comfortable when teaching about fresh water. It provides a solid introduction to fresh water in an accessible and reader-friendly manner. In addition to general information about fresh water, the guide includes numerous education features, such as teaching tips and student thinking, that help to connect the content to classroom practice.
Scroll through our resources above and click to download the book or individual chapters. Having trouble downloading? Use the links below.
Earth's Fresh Water: Full Teacher Guide
Chapter 1: Biodiversity in Fresh Water
Chapter 2: Water Cycle and Water Reservoirs
Chapter 3: Changing Natural Flows of Water
Chapter 4: Water Quality in Freshwater Systems
Chapter 5: Water Concerns for Wildlife and Humans
Chapter 6: Water Rights and Human Communities
Chapter 7: Water Solutions for Our Future
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SESYNC Collection of Socio-Environmental Educational Resources
Resource: Educators, Students (undergraduate and graduate), and Researchers
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This site, from NSF-funded National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), provides a collection of resources for college professors and informal outreach instructors to help students build foundational knowledge of coupled social and environmental systems across the world. There are lesson plans, short video lectures, case studies, audio interviews and publications.
CLEAN Collection of Climate and Energy Educational Resources
Resource: Educators (Middle and High School, Undergraduates)
This site, provided by the Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN), offers more than 700 free, ready-to-use learning resources about climate and energy for educators. The resources include education acitvities, visualizations, videos, and short demonstrations and experiments.
GLOBE Learning Activities
Resource: Educators, Students (K-12)
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This site provides free activities that for downloading to help students learn about the atmosphere, biosphere, Earth as s system, hydrosphere and pedosphere. The activities can be sorted by grade level, and there is a link to Elementary Globe, a series of modules to introduce students in grades K-4 to the subject of Earth system science.
IRIS Education
Resource: Educators (K-16), Students
This site, from Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), offers educational resources to help teachers and students learn about earthquakes. There are animations, visualizations, short video lectures, images, downloadable fact sheets, posters and other products, plus links for professional development.
NCAR Education + Outreach
Resource: Educators (K-12), Students, Researchers, General Public
-we-offer/education-outreach
This site, from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), presents materials to engage and inspire students, teachers and the general public about science at NCAR and about the excitement of atmospheric and related sciences. There is information about NCAR's lecture series and a link to the Center for Science Education (SciEd) website that has games, activities, videos and mobile apps for students of all ages, and lesson plans and activities for teachers to use in their classrooms.
Ocean Observatories For Educators
Resource: Educators and Students (undergraduates)
This site, provided by the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), offers live video of Axial Seamont, the most advanced underwater volcanic observatory in the world's oceans. Also available are archives of previously recorded videos and online data investigations to engage students in analyzing evidence and developing arguments from the analysis of data. The site also provides information on marine technologies used in OOI's networked sensor grid.
Science Education Resource Center (SERC) Resources
Resource: Educators (K-12)
This site offers links to Earth sciences-related lessons, activities, lab investigations and field trip ideas for K-12 educators. The material is organized by grade level and topic. There is also material on teaching strategies and an educator's toolbox with ideas for using innovative tools including visualizations, simulations and videos.
UNAVCO Education
Resource: Educators (K-12), Students, Researchers
This site presents activities and materials for K-12 teachers, college professors and informal outreach instructors so they can help students explore geodesy (the study of Earth's shape, gravity field and rotation), geodetic data and the role geodesy plays in everyday lives. There are animations and videos, interactive data and mapping tools, hands-on demonstractions and links to request educator packets. UNAVCO is a non-profit university-governed consortium that facilitates geoscience research and education using geodesy.
Understanding NSF Research: Earth & Environment
Resource: All Audiences
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Earth's environments range from polar ice caps to hot, dry deserts, from dark ocean depths to high mountaintops. The planet's ecosystems involve complex interactions between the physical (non-living) and biological (living) worlds. NSF supports research that leads to an understanding of Earth's environment. These studies help people comprehend effects on the planet, and how the environment, in turn, responds to the impacts of human activities. Through news articles and beautiful imagery, this page encourages the mind to seek answers through research.
U.S. Antarctic Program Video Clips, Maps and Images
Resource: Educators, Students, General Public
This website offers links to live webcams at the three U.S. stations in Antarctica--McMurdo Station, South Pole Station and Palmer Station--and real-time weather information. There are also video clips of research and events taking place in Antarctica, podcasts and articles, and maps and images. Through the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), NSF manages all U.S. scientific research and related logistics in Antarctica as well as aboard ships in the Southern Ocean.