How has human activity affected Earth's watersheds? An action-packed lesson plan, part of the K20 Center, examines water's ability to go with the flow regardless of what is in its path. Scholars build model watersheds, examine time-lapse aerial photography, and create public service announcements to raise awareness of flood safety.

Concepts

watersheds, floodplains, floods, water runoff, severe weather, making observations, making predictions

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• For more real-world context, invite a speaker from your local emergency management office to talk to the class about flooding in your area
• Arrange for student PSA posters to be displayed around the school after their projects are complete

Classroom Considerations

• Pull together local maps and modeling materials well in advance to ensure you have enough for each group
• Substitute watershed data from your area for the data used in the lesson to make it more meaningful

Pros

• Plan includes a broad range of activities to approach learning from many angles
• Lesson focuses on having the class ask and then work to answer their own questions about the behavior of water in different substrates

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.6-8.2