This is one of my favorite investigations in the Landforms Unit. It requires the entire classroom to work together, is hands-on, and involves authentic data analysis.
Background Knowledge: Prior to this lesson, students have learned about River Systems. They can identify basic the basic parts of a river, including channels and deltas. They also understand weathering, erosion, and deposition. Students have already completed a basic river system activity with the stream tables, and are applying what they learned in that exploration as they begin the Slope of a River Investigation.
The Investigation
Students are presented with an essential question: How does the slope of a river impact the patterns of erosion and deposition?
With this question in mind, students work together to create three plateaus in the stream tables. While building, I guide the students in a discussion about constants - factors that need to be the same in each of the three stream tables in order for the test to be valid.
Once the plateaus are built, textbooks are used to very the slope of each river.
Then, we are ready to make it rain!
After the water is done flowing, students measure the channels and deltas formed by the river. This data is recorded in a shared data table, projected onto the front board.
Students then return to their own computers, using the shared data to complete their lab reports in small groups.
