| Overview: In this lesson, students will gain an understanding of how elevation affects the flow of water. They will discuss issues that can arise when residents and industries upstream pollute or irrigate a river, in opposition to those downstream. In a group role play, they will examine the opposing viewpoints and formulate proposals to solve a dispute through a poster and presentation. Finally, they will compose letters to the editor, identifying problems and suggesting solutions. Objectives 1. Students will see and experience how elevation affects the flow of water. 2. Students will be able to explain why actions upstream affect conditions downstream. 3. Students will identify the concerns of upstream and downstream residents and industries. 4. Students will evaluate the costs and benefits of upstream actions. 5. Students will analyze the issue and recommend a position on the upstream-downstream problem in writing. |
Grade
Level: 7-8 Subjects: Social Studies, Geography, Environmental Studies, American Studies Time: 5 class periods of 45 minutes each Prerequisites: None Required Materials - Computer with projector and Power Point capability - PowerPoint presentation "Rivers: A Lesson in Flow" - Clay or playdough - about 5 cups for every 3 students - Cups of water - Cake pans or something else in which to put the playdough and water - Maps of the United States - Construction paper, looseleaf, markers, pens - Role Play Handouts - Overhead projector, blank transparencies, pens |
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Procedure Day 1: Begin by explaining to the students that they will be studying some common river issues. As background, you will review some basic facts about rivers. Show the PowerPoint presentation "Rivers: A Lesson in Flow," being sure to cover all of the discussion questions in the "Notes" box. After the presentation, assign the students to groups of 3 and have them make elevation models with the playdough, creating an imaginary landscape. Encourage them to include both flat and hilly land in their models. When they are finished with their design, they should slowly and gently pour water on different parts of the model to observe where it flows. They should record their observations in a notebook. At the end of class, place the models in one area to save until the next day. Days 2-3: Using one of the models, open class by selecting two possible places on the model for towns, one upstream of the other. Ask the students what would happen if the people in the upstream village were to pour oil or some other non-potable liquid into the river at their location. Discuss how the water would carry the material toward the second town, and it would pollute the water in both places. Similarly, ask the students what would happen if the upstream people were to heavily irrigate the river at their location, reducing the volume of the flow. Discuss how the people downstream would have less water for their own irrigation needs. Describe some of the real-life debates over this topic. One example is the Columbia River in Washington state, polluted by the Hanford nuclear plant in Richland. Another is the Colorado River, so heavily irrigated upstream that downstream it has gone dry. Another is meatpacking plants in Minnesota and other midwestern states, which produce heavy volumes of animal waste that flow into rivers. There are many. Assign the students to groups of 3-4. Each student group will represent one real-life group in the water debate, including upstream farmers, upstream nuclear plant managers, upstream meatpackers, downstream farmers, and downstream concerned citizens (who drink water and swim in the rivers. [You can add or subtract interest groups depending on the size of your class, being careful to include an equal number of upstream and downstream groups.] Provide the Role Play Handouts. Give the groups the remainder of class to discuss their problem and position, design and draw their poster, and compose their speech. At the end of class, collect all student work to save for the next day. Hang posters on the classroom walls. Days 4-5: Introduce the session by explaining that the students will be hearing from the different perspectives on the upstream-downstream issue, and discussing possible actions that can be taken in response. Each group should share their poster and speech. The rest of the class should discuss the costs and benefits of the recommendations of the different groups. The teacher should keep track of major points of the discussion on an overhead, and display it at the end of the presentations to help with the discussion. [For example, there could be a column for the recommendations of the upstream residents and a column for recommendations of the downstream residents.] Be sure that students see both sides of the issue. (Farmers do need to farm - even if they are upstream - if Americans are going to be fed the same way as we are now.) Emphasize during discussions that there are no easy answers. Also emphasize that it is a justice issue - the needs of all have to be taken into account, not just the needs of a few. After concluding the discussion, have students brainstorm their own opinions and ideas about the issue in a notebook for about ten minutes. They should consider which positions they most support, and which of the recommendations they think would make the most sense. For homework, students should write a letter to the editor expressing their opinions about the subject. The letter should include an analysis of one of the situations (either irrigation or pollution), a comparison of the opposing viewpoints, and a recommendation for action. Provide the students with an outline for their letter - for example: introduction, summary of problem, proposal, conclusion. Have them brainstorm and outline before beginning to write their letters, and review their outlines with them as they are working. As a class on a later date, the students should select 5 letters to mail to the editor. Definitions: Upstream Downstream Elevation Irrigation Meatpacking plant Ecology Standards Minnesota State Standards: Current Issue Analysis; Geography and Culture Discussion Questions: Follow the discussion guidelines above and in the PowerPoint presentation. Use the Role Play Handouts for additional discussion. Weblinks: - The Seattle Times newspaper website at www.seattletimes.com for information about the Columbia River (search for "Hanford") - Basic information about irrigation and the Colorado River can be found at http://www.desertusa.com/colorado/intro/du_introcr.html on the Desert USA website. You can find other info by going to www.yahoo.com and searching for "Colorado River" + irrigation. Extenstion Activities: - Have students research a specific river in the United States to discover current pollution and/or irrigation issues at that river. Newspaper websites are good sources of information. - Have students hold a debate about the issue or mock trial of an upstream polluter. |
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| Credits
Kate Mattessich Immaculate Conception School kmattessich@hotmail.com |
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