Investigating how terrain and watersheds are connected

This activity is designed for students to develop models of stream systems through observing a stream system and its surrounding area by analyzing data they collected through field work, and collaborating information with other groups.
The key concepts that students will investigate during this lesson are:
How are terrain and water systems connected?
What information can be gathered by doing a field study at a stream?
Vocabulary:
-Watershed
-Topography
-Run-off
-Velocity
-Stream discharge

This activity is used with 8th grade geoscience students in class sizes ideally smaller than 32. Limiting factors would include lab space and computer access. The investigation is placed in the beginning of the school year for two main reasons; the exploration of maps and Google Earth gives a students a sense of place with how they fit in with their area (specifically their watershed) and waterways in Mn tend to be warmer and flowing lower during the fall compared to the spring. The time needed to complete the activities depends on the level of investigation. 2- 3 days should be spent on investigating maps, Google Earth, and then creating hypotheses and questions about water might do in a given area of a watershed. 1-2 days should be spent on discussing field technique. 1 day should be spent gathering field data. 1-2 days should be spent analyzing the field data and creating a summary of the investigation.
The concept of using maps and Google Earth can be used in many other fields of study. Investigations can be made about rock types that create different terrains, how human influences have changed landscapes, and the social history of an area created by the terrain. Once students have mastered the idea of reading terrain, many lessons can springboard and help give students a "picture" of a novel, timeline, or migrations.

In this activity, students will gain an understanding of how to "read" the terrain of an area, how the terrain creates a watershed, how the watershed is impacted by activities on the terrain, and how to measure parameters of waterways within a watershed.
The activity is introduced by asking students to describe the terrain, the streams, and anything that might affect the water in the area of study, Students will then investigate maps to get a "feel" for what the area they will be studying looks like in two dimensions. Ideally this activity is done using the watershed in which most of the students live or are very familiar with. If the students have been out in the area that the map represents, it will be and easier transfer of how the map model represents the area. Students then investigate the area using Google Earth. This will allow them to "see" what is actually going on in their area since most topo maps are old and don't represent a current picture of the terrain. As students investigate there area using Google Earth, they should be able to generate some hypotheses about how water might "look" physically and chemically. They should also be able to create some questions about how different activities, natural and man-made, will impact the water in this area.
Upon completion of the mapping activities, students will learn about physical, chemical, and biological parameters of water and how to test them. This specific lesson looks at just the physical parameters of the water system but if time and money allowed would also include chemical and biological tests. Students will create hypotheses and questions about what will be happening in their stream by using online real-time data and their understanding of the watershed's terrain as background information. Students will create a plan for how they could test their stream. Field procedures will be modeled and discussed in the classroom. Students will be taken in to the field and will gather data on the physical parameters that they have decided to study. The data will be analyzed and students will try to determine how their data can be used to answer their questions.
The information from this activity will be used to set up the concept of using small scale investigations to create models for a larger scale concept. The activity is closed out by leading into a discussion of modeling and large scale watershed issues.

When teaching this lesson, it is very important to have an understanding of the watershed being investigated, how to use Google Earth, and how to test physical parameters of water. It is recommended that the teacher look at the Google Earth images of the area the students will be investigating so that any glitches in imagery or the computer's ability to run the program are corrected prior to the lesson. The field testing area should also be scouted prior to field day so as to improve the safety of the activity. Access to the field site also need to be confirmed prior to bringing students to the site. Safety concerns would be stream access points, water height, currents, possible underwater hazards and water temperature. As with all field investigations, the teacher should try to be ready for all possible situations. This field investigation has been changed to include inquiry instead of being a "cookbook" type of stream study.

Students will be assessed throughout the activity by being asked questions of understanding. Student will put all information such as answers to map and Google Earth questions, field study plans, and field data in their science notebooks. The notebooks will be checked periodically while students are working. Field study techniques will be assessed in the classroom and the field by watching the students techniques and asking questions of understanding. Students will have options for presenting their findings. These options would be a choice of creating a poster, creating a powerpoint, creating pamphlet, creating a video, or creating a podcast.

Inquiry: 8.I.A.2 scientific modeling, 8.I.B.2 elements of scientific investigations,
8.I.B.2 using investigations to create generalizations for complex systems.
Earth and space science: 9.III.B.4, water quality issues and influences.