Lesson Overview (3 periods)
Students use materials found outdoors to make a watershed landscape. Students then decide where the rivers will flow.They cooperatively form the rivers using a trickle flow apparatus with the flowing material (corn meal) representing water flowing in rivers. Students then draw a map of the watershed they have created, complete with mapping conventions to represent all the geographic features. This map could form the basis of subsequent activities to learn additional Geography, or Science and Technology expectations.
Connections to Environmental Education
This activity is best done outside due to the messy materials used and the space needed. To work outdoors for the mapping activity, students will need to dress for the weather, and to show care and concern for the environment by cleaning up after themselves. They will also use found objects, reusable and repurposed materials from their environment which are returned to the original location after the activity. Students create a small scale representation of a large geographical area to help increase their respect for the resources of the Earth, particularly soil, water and minerals.
GRADE 7, GEOGRAPHY
Curriculum Expectations
History and Geography (2004) – The Themes of Geographic Inquiry
-Students will use a variety of geographic resources and tools to gather, process, and communicate geographic information.
-Students will create and use maps for a variety of purposes.
History and Geography (2004) – Patterns in Physical Geography
-Students will identify patterns in physical geography and explain the factors that produce them.
-Students will identify various types of landforms and explain how they are used to describe regions (a watershed).
-Students will describe the drainage patterns (of river systems) as either dendritic or trellis.
-Students will use contour lines to represent elevation on maps.
-Students will use a variety of resources and tools to gather, process, and communicate geographic information about the earth’s physical features and patterns.
-Students will use a variety of thematic and topographic maps to identify patterns in physical geography.
Learning Goals
-At the end of this lesson, students will be able to demonstrate, identify, and describe the value of communication and planning in teamwork.
-Students will identify various landforms and explain how they are used to describe the region of a watershed. Students will also be able to identify and describe the interactions between geographic features (altitude, incline/ slope, soil type) and forces (gravity, erosion, water volume and speed) that influence the formation of waterways.
-Students will draw a map of the watershed they have created using accepted mapping conventions.
Readiness
-Know the components of a map (compass rose, legend, title, caption, etc.).
-Understand how to read a relief map and the basic features that it can illustrate (e.g. altitude, valleys, peaks, river, stream, tributary).
-Understand science concepts: forces, gravity, drag, volume, flow rate, basic role of water in the environment.
-Understand crossover concepts: water cycle, percolation, runoff, groundwater, erosion.
Terminology
dendritic or trellis drainage pattern, altitude, grid, cardinal directions, intermediate directions, legend, physical feature, relative location, scale, topographic map
Materials:
BLM 1 – Class Discussion Self Evaluation Rubric
BLM 2 – Teamwork Skills Rubric
BLM 3 – Student Instructions
BLM 4 – Watershed Map Do-It-Yourself Rubric
BLM 5 – Teacher Guide
7 trickle flow apparatus (see BLM 5 – Teacher Guide)
7- 750mL margarine or yogurt containers with 1/4″ drilled hole in each
36m twine or light-twisted (not braided) rope
5 large bags corn meal, enough to fill the yogurt containers with some extra
15 atlases (or other relief map that can be examined closely in small groups)
12 Metre sticks
1 Compass (only teacher use is necessary)
6 Clipboards
Graph paper
12 Pencils
Tape
28 tent pegs (optional)
MINDS ON
Using a relief map that includes waterways, students brainstorm the factors that affect the course (shape) of waterways. The teacher leads a discussion about the features of a watershed, examining drainage patterns of the major river systems, the contour lines, the slope and incline of the physical features, predicting the downhill flow of water, possible results of erosion and the resulting river courses.
Minds On: Assessment
Assessment for Learning
Content understanding and participation, BLM 1 – Class Discussion Self Evaluation Rubric.
Minds on: Differentiated Instruction
Students can be accommodated with homogeneous or heterogeneous groupings
as appropriate. The number of new terms used or learned can be scaled according
to students’ abilities.
ACTION!
Whole class.
Before going outside the teacher and students read BLM 3 – Student Instructions to ensure all students know the process. The teacher will have students demonstrate the use of the trickle flow apparatus.
Groups of 4-5.
Students now design the landforms of a watershed with found materials and cover the watershed with a cut open plastic bag. Students will decide on the likely river courses. Then the students use the trickle flow apparatus to draw the rivers on the watershed.
Finally, the group will draw a scale map of the watershed they have designed and then clean up.
Action: Assessment
Each student self assesses their teamwork skills and those of one teammate using
BLM 2 – Teamwork Skills Rubric.
CONSOLIDATION
Students will work their group members to construct their own rubrics to evaluate their group’s map using BLM 4 – Watershed Map Do-It-Yourself Rubric. The group then self-assesses their own map and peer assesses one other groups’ map. This allows students to demonstrate their understanding of what constitutes a good map.
Consolidation: Assessment
Assessment as Learning
Students complete and self assess using BLM 4 – Watershed Map Do-It-Yourself Rubric.
Consolidation: Differentiated Instruction
The teacher may want to review the components of a good map as a class before the groups design the rubric. The Watershed Map DIY Rubric may be communicated orally or in writing. Assessment may also be accomplished with the use of a simpler method (e.g. oral quiz) that does not require the analytical or critical thinking skills required for designing a rubric.