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.
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.
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.
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.
Know the components of a map (compass rose, legend, title, caption,
etc.).
Know compass directions.
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.
- dendritic or trellis
drainage pattern, altitude, grid, cardinal directions, intermediate directions,
legend, physical feature, relative location, scale, topographic map
Materials:
BLM 5 – Teacher Guide
7 trickle flow apparatus (see BLM
5 – Teacher Guide)
7- 750mL margarine or yogurt containers
36m twine or light-twisted (not braided) rope
Drill a hole in each container with ¼” drill bits
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
Assessment as Learning.
Each student self assesses their teamwork skills and those of one teammate using
CONSOLIDATION
Groups of 4-5.
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
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.