My recommendation is to contact Mike Klebe (217-785-9986) at the IL Department of Nuclear Safety. Last I knew, IDNS had a program to collect radioactive materials from schools.

I Googled for "erosion +webquest" and found the following. The first is from the Illinois State Museum:

Weathering and Erosion (5th/6th grade)
http://geologyonline.museum.state.il.us/tools/lessons/6.3/lesson.html

Bowen Earth Force Scientists: A Webquest for 4th Grade
http://www.newton.mec.edu/bowen/pages/classroom_projects/richmond_pages/richmondwebsite/our%20webquest.html

Avoiding the Disasters of Erosion: A Webquest for 4th Grade Science
http://literacy.calumet.purdue.edu/STUDENT/linnearm1/

Weathering and Erosion Webquest
http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/sdickson/webquest.html

Billy the Builder: Water Cycle, Erosion, and the Edwards Aquifer
http://www.atstar.org/webquests/leonard/

The Shell Island Dilemma: Costal Erosion Webquest
http://www.ncsu.edu/coast/shell/index.html

Barrier Islands: To Build or Not to Build
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/science/webquest/content/barrierisland.shtml

Erosion Simulation
http://www.blackcatracing.com/runoff/

In addition, you might find the following helpful. I searched the National Science Digital Library (http://nsdl.org) to locate most of these.

Soil AgMag from the Illinois Department of Agriculture
http://www.agintheclassroom.org/060605/Teachers/Printable/agmags/agmag22_2.pdf
Includes a short discussion of how plants help prevent soil erosion.

Erosion
http://www.col-ed.org/cur/sci/sci03.txt
Activities for grades K-4.

Soil erosion
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/visualization/collections/soil_erosion.html
Includes animation and pictures.

River Boxes: Erosion in a Box
http://www.nps.gov/badl/teacher/riverboxes.htm
For grades 1-3.

Dirtmeisters Investigate and Report on Erosion
http://teacher.scholastic.com/dirtrep/erosion/index.htm
Each student is asked to observe and describe one way that erosion has an impact in his or her neighborhood or local area. Using the questions listed on the assignment sheet, students should describe in detail where the erosion is happening; what agent (wind, water, ice, etc.) is causing it; where the eroded material is going to; how the erosion might be reduced; and where else similar erosion problems occur. For grades 3-6.

For information on building and plumbing codes for the City of Chicago, contact the Chicago Public Library (http://www.chipublib.org/cpl.html). They should have this information available in their collection or be able to tell you what municipal organization to contact for more information.

For more information on indoor use of grey water, you might want to take a look at the following:

Grey Water Indoor Reuse
http://www.oasisdesign.net/greywater/indoorreuse.htm

Grey Water Policy Center
http://www.oasisdesign.net/greywater/law/

In order to receive free chemical disposal of educational chemicals for your science department (and this can include other educational departments, just not operations department) you need to attend one of the Safe Chemicals in Education Workshops. These full-day workshops easily justify the cost of obtaining a substitute to cover your time. The average cost of removal of chemicals runs $1,500 (with many schools considerably higher).

The schedule of workshops is available at http://www.greeningschools.org/news/calendar.cfm. Go to the above web site and select the date/location that works best for you and open the PDF for registration details.

Pollution is a complex topic. The simple answer is everyone is responsible.

Teachers have a responsibility to help students understand the science and societal issues of pollution. Students have a responsibility to become wise stewards. You also have a responsibility to listen and learn when taught and to consider what you are learning in school. Students also have a responsibility to keep your surroundings clean and pick up or remove pollution when possible. However, as you probably know, pollution is more than tossing litter on the street. When Woodsy Owl says "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute" the message is clear. Accept personal responsibility and care for your surroundings. You need to reduce your waste, recycle what can be recycled, encourage buying of recycled products, and rethink wasteful purchases. Still pollution goes beyond all of this to industry, travel, shopping, entertainment, landscaping and simple activities like changing the oil in cars. Consider what you throw away and dispose of improperly. Consider what you buy and how it's packaged. Rethink your purchases. Everything you purchase was created using resources from somewhere else. Energy was used in making the item, as well as transporting it. When you're done with it chances are good that it will go into the trash unless you try to recycle the item. Someone else will need to deal with the waste, and someday when you're working that will be part of your tax burden.

Everyone has a responsibility to elect leaders who vote for pollution prevention and waste management legislation. Everyone is responsible for pollution because it always begins with the individual. As we approach Earth Day we each need to remember that the day is symbolic and that the true meaning is that Earth Day is everyday.

When was the last time you picked up some trash blowing around outside that you didn't drop? When was the last time you walked, rode your bike or took the bus rather than had someone drive you to school, shopping or friends' houses?

Pollution is driven by lack of care for the environment and a lack of knowledge about causes. You can't blame the teacher if the student doesn't listen and practice. You can blame the teacher if the teacher is wasteful, but you can't blame the teacher if you also are wasteful. Think honestly about your daily habits and waste. Encourage your friends to do the same. You will be inheriting the world and in many ways it's going to be what you make of it.

If this hasn't answered your question, I can recommend some additional sources. The California Integrated Waste Management Board can provide you with some excellent advice for southern California. A second source of valuable information on pollution prevention and managing waste is the US EPA teen web site.

The link for the Vitamin C Clock Reaction is http://www.greeningschools.org/docs/VitaminCClockReaction.pdf. You can find other green chemistry experiments and resources at http://www.greeningschools.org/resources/view_cat_teacher.cfm?id=42.

U.S. EPA's Student Center is a very good place to start when researching basic environmental topics. It includes information on environmental basics, air, water, conservation, ecosystems, human health, in your neighborhood, and waste and recycling. Also includes links to environmental laws, publications, an environmental dictionary, news, and information for teachers and kids.

U.S. EPA also maintains frequently asked questions collections on a variety of topics. You should be able to locate basic information with links to EPA resources from these documents.

If you're looking for information on toxicology and children's health, check out the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Kids, Parents, & Teachers Page. It includes lots of good information and links on this topic.

For a good discussion of current environmental issues with relevant links, see the Almanac of Policy Issues: Environment and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office is a very good place to start when looking for information about the Great Lakes. They have many resources, including information about each lake. In particular, the Great Lakes Atlas provides comprehensive information about the history, ecosystem, environmental concerns, and joint management of the Lakes.

Another good resource is the Great Lakes Center for Environmental Education. They're on the web at http://www.greatlakesed.org/.

A good book on the topic is Kehoe, Terence. Cleaning up the Great Lakes : From Cooperation to Confrontation. DeKalb, IL : Northern Illinois University Press, 1997. You should be able to borrow a copy through your local library.

The Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette ran several news stories on this in 2000, when prices first spiked.

See:

Gas prices set based on competition, retailers say
http://www.newsgazette.com/story.cfm?Number=8480

Local gas prices fall following suspension of state gas tax
http://www.news-gazette.com/story.cfm?Number=7453

Gasoline prices soar for summer season
http://www.news-gazette.com/story.cfm?Number=7230

The Energy Information Administration has current and historical statistics on gas prices by region and for certain large metropolitan areas like Chicago. See:

Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp
Has some nice graphs illustrating national price changes over the last two years.

Retail Gasoline Historical Prices
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/mogas_history.html

Weekly U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/mogas_home_page.html

For information on gas prices and how they're set, see:

A Primer on Gasoline Prices
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/analysis_publications/primer_on_gasoline_prices/html/petbro.html

How Gas Prices Work
http://www.howstuffworks.com/gas-price.htm

Gasoline Prices (Fueleconomy.gov)
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/gasprices/index.shtml

Gas Prices: How Are They Really Set?
http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/042902gasreport.htm
Report from the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations regarding the production, marketing, and pricing of gasoline in the United States.

As an authoritative source for questions like this, I highly recommend the book The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, which you should be able to obtain through your local library. There is a discussion of styrofoam (polystyrene) on p. 16. For more information about the book, see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/060980281X/ref=sib_rdr_dp/104-0579898-7891101.

Some web resources of interest include:

Polystyrene and the Environment (Polystyrene Packaging Council)
http://www.polystyrene.org/environment/environment.html

Expanded Polystyrene (Australia)
http://www.pacia.org.au/Environment/environment7.html

Arguments Against Polystyrene Foam Products
http://www.verdant.net/nofoam.htm

Some more scientifically oriented papers include:

Endocrinically Active Chemicals in the Environment
http://www.epa.gov/endocrine/Pubs/uba3_96.pdf

Plastic Pellets in the Environment: Sources and Recommendations
http://www.epa.gov/owow/OCPD/PLASTIC/plasticpellets.pdf

Technical Factsheet on Styrene
http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/dwh/t-voc/styrene.html

Some journal articles of relevance include the following. You should be able to obtain copies of these through your local library:

Zabaniotou, A; Kassidi, E. (2003) "Life cycle assessment applied to egg packaging made from polystyrene and recycled paper." Journal of Cleaner Production 11(5), 549-559.
Abstract: In the present study, the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) for the comparison of two egg packages, from polystyrene and recycled paper, is presented. The input and output streams of mass and energy are examined and the environmental impacts associated with the two systems are analyzed. The application of LCA by using EcoIndicator 95 has made possible the comparison of the environmental impacts of two egg packages. The results of this LCA study are discussed and reveal that the PS packages contribute more to acidification potential, winter and summer smog, while recycled paper egg packages contribute more to heavy metal and carcinogenic substances impact. Nevertheless, it seems that paper eggcups have less environmental impact than the polystyrene ones with the assumption that the accuracy of the results is confined by the credibility of European databases used for primary data.

Ohno, K; Azuma, Y; Nakano, S; Kobayashi, T; Hirano, S; Nobuhara,Y ; Yamada, T. (2001) "Assessment of styrene oligomers eluted from polystyrene-made food containers for estrogenic effects in in vitro assays." Food and Chemical Toxicology 39(12), 1233-1241.
Abstract: Recently, several substances from among the huge numbers of chemicals used by mankind have been implicated as instigators of disrupted endocrine function and related human health problems. Polystyrene (PS) is one of the most frequently used resins in the world, and the styrene oligomer dissolved out from PS has been designated as a potential trigger of estrogen-like activity in the Wingspread Declaration and the Japan Environment Agency's SPEED98 [JEA (Japan Environment Agency) Strategic Problem on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors '98 (SPEED) '98), http://www.env.go.jp/en/pol/speed98/sp98.html]. In order to assess the endocrine disrupting effect of styrene oligomers, we tested one styrene monomer (SM), three styrene dimers (SDs) and seven styrene trimers (STs), newly isolated from optical isomers, known to dissolve in small amounts from cup noodle containers made of polystyrene by the estrogen receptor binding assay, luciferase reporter gene assay, and human breast cancer cell MCF-7 proliferation assay. In all three tests, none of the SM, SDs and STs showed any significant activity. Accordingly, we concluded that these substances have no estrogenic activity.

Prinsen, MK; Gouko, Nobuaki (2001). "Determination of the Oestrogenic (Uterotrophic) Activity of Extracts of 'General Purpose Polystyrene (GPPS)' using Immature Female Rats." Journal of Applied Toxicology 21(3), 235-239.
Abstract: In Japan there is growing concern about the possible adverse effects of consumption of food from styrene containers (mainlythose made from polystyrene paper) due to the alleged oestrogenic activity of styrene oligomers (dimers and trimers), which may migrate into the food. To examine the possible oestrogenic activity of styrene dimers and trimers, extracts were made from 'general purpose polystyrene (GPPS)' and administered orally to immature female rats over a 4 day period. Increase of uterus weight (wet and blotted) was used for assessment of possible oestrogenic activity. To establish the sensitivity of the test method, immature rats were treated with diethylstilboestrol (DES), a well-known oestrogenic compound. It was found that treatment of rats with levels of up to 60 mu g of styrene dimers and 930 mu g of styrene trimers per kilogram body weight per day did not give any statistically significant increase of the uterus weight (wet or blotted), whereas DES caused statistically significant, dose-related increases in uterus weight at levels as low as 0.89 mu g kg super(-1) body weight day super(-1). It was concluded that, compared with the estimated maximum human daily intake of styrene trimers of 1 mu g kg super(-1) body weight day super(-1) from polystyrene food containers, the risk of adverse human health effects with respect to oestrogenicity may be considered negligible.

There are many sources for collections of statistics and facts. The following is a list of some that we recommend as dependable.

The Illinois Recycling Association has a list of such facts on their web site at http://www.illinoisrecycles.org/facts.html.

GLRPPR (Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable) offers a "Facts and Statistics" subcategory in the "Recycling and Waste Exchange" sector resource on the GLRPPR web site--see http://www.glrppr.org/contacts/gltopichub.cfm?sectorid=65#8.

The Office of Solid Waste's (U.S. EPA) Municipal Solid Waste Data pages should also be a useful source of information--see http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/states.htm. These pages will provide information on different types of recycling programs, which states have bottle bills, state recycling rates, etc. The U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste web pages provide a lot of information to explore: http://www.epa.gov/osw/.

The National Recycling Coalition has a study available on its web site about the economic value of the recycling industry in the U.S.--see http://www.nrc-recycle.org/resources/rei/reihome.htm. This report includes figures for the number of recycling establishments in the U.S., number of people employed in the industry, comparison of the recycling industry to other industries, etc.

US EPA's Recycling Measurement can help with interpretation of the numbers. See http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/recycle/recmeas/.

A collection of articles related to waste statistics is available at http://www.csun.edu/~vceed002/BFI/waste_stats.html.

You will find that the numbers between these sites will vary, in part because of when the data was collected. If you are not familiar with these organizations, you should explore their other resources for more in-depth insights into recycling issues.

Holiday waste is of particular interest at this time of the year. Greening Schools offers a list of suggestions for reducing holiday waste and through this list you will find some facts and figures. http://www.greeningschools.org/docs/greenchristmas2.pdf. Additionally, the GLRPPR "P2 for the Holidays" page and the Greening Schools holiday resource list provide suggestions and more links to explore.

The Greening Schools web site includes a "Groundskeeping/Landscaping" category in its section on greening your building. See http://www.greeningschools.org/resources/view_cat_admin.cfm?id=11. The information on rain gardens may be helpful. Rain gardens employ native plants to gradually filter water and prevent pollution from stormwater runoff. This section of the Greening Schools web site also includes information on funding opportunities related to school gardens.

You may want to contact the Southern Chapter of the Illinois Native Plants Society for guidance. See http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/inps/index.html. The contact for the Southern Chapter is Alice DeJarnett. She can be reached at 618-351-8106 or alicedel@yahoo.com.

Ken Robertson, a plant systematist for the Illinois Natural History Survey, has a nice web site on the tallgrass prairie in Illinois, which you may find helpful in preparing your unit. See http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/tallgrass.html. He also has a page entitled "Links for Using Native Plants in the Landscape" at http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/prairienativelinks.html. The Natural History Survey also has educational materials available at http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/outreach/eduresources/edupublications.html.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has posters and other educational materials available. In particular, see Wild about Plants at http://www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/classrm/plants.htm. They also have posters for several different regions of the state. An order form for these is available at http://www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/CLASSRM/edmats02.htm.

You may want to consider having an expert on native plants speak to your science club. Check out the Survey's speakers bureau at http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/outreach/speakersbureau/speakintro.html. Your local U of I extension office may also have someone you can speak with about this topic or who can visit the club as a speaker. The U of I Extension southern regional office is located in Mt. Vernon. You can contact the office at (618) 242-9474. Their website is at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cie2/offices/indexcenter.cfm?OID=226&CFID=73349&CFTOKEN=96991013.

The University Museum of Southern Illinois University has teachers' resource kits available for loan, including a kit on wildflowers of southern Illinois. See http://www.museum.siu.edu/kits.html for contact information. Also check out the web page on "Botany in the Natural Areas of Southern Illinois" on the Southern Illinois University Plant Biology Department web site (http://www.science.siu.edu/plant-biology/Information/Natural.html).

The Illinois Plant Information Network has lists of species available by county. See http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/delaware/ilpin/ilpin.html#Background.

Fermilab maintains a database of prairie plants with photos at http://eddata.fnal.gov/lasso/plant_search/search_kids.html. There is also a gallery of Southern Illinois Wildflowers at http://toms_place_2.tripod.com/SIwildflowers.htm.

A section of the U.S. EPA web site is devoted to information on native landscaping. See http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/index.html.

The University of Illinois Cooperative Extension office publishes Native Plants in the Home Landscape for the Upper Midwest (https://webstore.aces.uiuc.edu/shopsite/C1381.html). It costs $20 but you may be able to borrow a copy of this through your school or local public library.

If your science club develops its own native plant garden on the school grounds, consider having it certified via the National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitats program. See http://www.nwf.org/schoolyardhabitats/ for more information.

Finally, your local library may have some general information about gardening with native plants and flowers. Some titles, which you should be able to borrow through your local library, include:

Gardening with native wild flowers / Samuel B Jones; Leonard E Foote 1999, ©1990 (Pbk. ed.)
Portland, Or. Timber Press, ; ISBN 0881923818

The wild lawn handbook : alternatives to the traditional front lawn / Stevie Daniels, 1995.
New York, NY Macmillan USA, ; ISBN 0025294458

Natural landscaping : designing with native plant communities / John Diekelmann; Robert Schuster, 2002.(2nd ed.)
Madison, Wis. University of Wisconsin Press, ; ISBN 0299173240

The landscaping revolution : garden with mother nature, not against her / Andy Wasowski; Sally Wasowski, 2000.
Lincolnwood, Ill. Contemporary Books, ; ISBN 0809226650

Easy care native plants : a guide to selecting and using beautiful American flowers, shrubs, and trees in gardens and landscapes / Patricia A. Taylor, 1996 (1st ed.)
New York H. Holt, ; ISBN 0805038612 (alk. paper)

The native plant primer / Carole Ottesen, 1995 (1st ed.)
New York Harmony Books, ; ISBN 0517592150

Grow wild! : low-maintenance, sure-success, distinctive gardening with native plants / Lorraine Johnson; Andrew Leyerle, 1998.
Golden, Colo. Fulcrum Pub., ; ISBN 1555913962 (hardcover)

On the wild side : experiments in new naturalism / Keith Wiley, 2004.
Portland, OR Timber Press, ; ISBN 0881926361 (hardback)

Native landscaping for wildlife and people : how to use native midwestern plants to beautify your property and benefit wildlife / Dave Tylka, 2002.
Jefferson City, Mo. Missouri Dept. of Conservation, ; ISBN 1887247343

Eco-gardens / Lori Kinstad Pupeza, 2002.
Minneapolis, Minn. Abdo Pub. Co., ; ISBN 1577650336
Explains how to design and plant an ecologically sound garden by using native plants, which are adapted to the heat and water which nature supplies, and which will provide an environment for native animals and insects.