Water is a limited resource, and yet it is constantly renewing itself, being recycled, cleansed and redistributed over and over again (or at least it should). Water came from meteors, it’s a thing of stars, and the fact that it exists here on earth is nothing less than a miracle.
Human life is never far from water. Take a look at a few cities in the world to understand where ancient communities gathered, in water. While fire can be built and remade, carried and used, communities have collected around bodies of water.
In this activity the student will become an expert on a river, and understand its flow from beginning to end.
Consider: How water shows up on land: (rivers, streams, oceans, lakes, ponds, marshes, geysirs)
What does the term ‘body of water’ bring up for you. Do a quick free write or a discussion: what makes up a body?
Look at a topographical map: where does the water come from? How does it get to that city or basin?
Define a watershed: Almost all land is within a watershed. Together you can follow a watershed and it can tell you a lot about the ecosystem around it. A watershed can also fan into beautiful tree-like shapes. They flow with gravity, and often build momentum in the form of the river, but the headwaters are the pivotal actors for how the rest of the river will flow. If the headwaters do not come from a solid base there can be flooding. Pollution at the headwaters can also become a huge issue along the entire length of the river.
Discuss: Ask the students what can give the soil structure: freezing, rocks, roots. What do they think would happen if the rocks or trees were taken away? Is ice being taken away? How?
Other Vocabulary: spring, stream, creak, river, delta/estuary, groundwater, basin, runoff. Look at pictures of each one. Have them make notes or compare and contrast what they see.
Resources:
A little about watersheds: the vibe is just great.
Activity:
Have a student choose a river and follow its watershed, from the headwaters to its mouth. Ask them to draw the plants and animals that rely on it. What are ancient myths that are told about this river? Is there any news about this river? They can choose to write about this river, or create a field guide about it. The student can also create a model of this watershed using clay and soil or flour. They can use small objects that represent a small landscape to show how it flows.
Bending Tree Education 