A watershed, also called a drainage basin or catchment, is an area drained by a river and its tributaries. Differing in size and shape, watersheds can encompass a small stream or span thousands of miles like the Mississippi River watershed. As water flows over and through the landscape, it transports materials like plastics, and often times, pollutants, moving them downstream and ultimately to the ocean.

Teach your students how water moves through a watershed with these resources.