Yakima WATERS Mini Lesson
A Tale of Three Raindrops: A Watershed Writing Exercise
Targets and Assessment / Lesson ParametersWA Science Standards Addressed:
· 6-8 SYSA- Any system may be thought of as containing subsystems and as being a subsystem of a larger system
· 6-8 SYSB- The boundaries of a system can be drawn differently depending on the features of the system being investigated, the size of the system, and the purpose of the investigation. / Content Area: Physical Science, Interdisciplinary
Overview: This lesson helps students explore watersheds and river basins. Students will build on their knowledge of watershed boundaries as they describe the path from sub-watersheds to river basin.
Grade Level: 6-8 (any grade)
Assessments:
· Students will accurately describe the path of flowing water from a sub-watershed to a river basin through a creative writing exercise and will be assessed using the grading rubric attached. / Suggested Time: Three 45 min lessons spaced a week apart
Special Materials:
· Maps and atlases
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge: Students should be able to describe the pathway that water flows from the top of a ridge, into a sub-watershed, through a watershed, into a sub-basin, to a river basin and out to an ocean. By the end of this lesson students will have an intimate understanding of their regional river basin.
Skill: Students should be able to identify key features from a sub-watershed, watershed, sub-basin and basin, including tributaries, river confluences, and geographic features like cities, dams and aquatic and terrestrial landscape features.
Science Concept Background:
A watershed is an area of land separated by geographic barriers where precipitation flows downstream, into larger river tributaries. The uppermost boundaries of a watershed are mountain ridges. Gravity moves water downhill into small headwater streams which join larger streams at confluences and form tributaries to larger waterways. Sub-watershed come together to form watershed which come together to form sub-basin. Multiple sub-basins join to for river basins which eventually flow out to the ocean.
Materials:
· Regional maps (road maps and atlases)- shared among small groups (2-4 students)
· Photocopy of a river basin map- each student
· Description of “A Tale of Three Raindrops”- each student
· Grading rubric- each student
Procedure:
Key questions: What defines a watershed and river basin?
Day 1- Brainstorming and Outline
· Begin a class discussion reviewing the aspects of what defines a watershed.
· Ask the class what are the boundaries of watersheds, what watershed do we live in, which watershed come together to form the Yakima Basin, and what regional basin is the Yakima Basin a part of.
· Use the attached lesson description of “A Tale of Three Raindrops” to provide the premise for this interdisciplinary writing exercise.
· Students will brain storm as a class as to what geographical features need to be included in their story to thoroughly describe the journey of a raindrop from the top of a mountain out to the Pacific Ocean. This should include all the elements listed on the attached rubric.
· Students will use the regional maps to determine the route their raindrop travels.
· During the first class period students should create an outline identifying all the key components of their story and trace on their photocopied map the route their rain drop will follow.
· As homework students will write a creative essay entitled “A Tale of Three Raindrops”, allow one week for the completion of their rough drafts.
Day 2- Peer Review
· Working in pairs students will read each other’s story out loud and peer edit their stories using the grading rubric.
· Allow one week for the typed final copy.
Day 3- Group sharing/ critiquing
· Divide students into groups of 3-5. Have each student read their story out loud to the group.
· After each story students will have a short discussion commenting on the geographical accuracy, creativity, and things that could have been improved on. Encourage students to provide positive feedback and not to just focus on missing elements
Extension(s):
Discuss different writing styles, scientific publications and field journals.
Teaching Tips:
Encourage students to get creative with their stories. Students could write their story as journal entries, first person narrative or third person narrative.
Supplements: Attached documents
Author: Amber Palmeri-Miles, Yakima WATERS Project, CWU, Fall 2010
Name ______Block ______
Imagine raindrops landing side by side on top of Bald Mountain, which is part of the Clemans Mountain Range that separates the Naches Watershed from the Upper Yakima Watershed.
By chance, one falls just to the south of the ridge top into the Naches Valley, another falls just across the ridge top to the north into the Manastash Valley and yet another falls slightly east into the Wenas Valley.
Though they began their journey only inches apart, they have fallen into different watersheds. They will not meet again for many days and after a journey of many miles.
Write a story describing the journey of one of the raindrops. Identify the streams, rivers, towns, watersheds, dams and natural features that it passes by until they meet again near Yakima. Continue the story about their journey together down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.
Be Creative!!
Name______Block #______Date______
A Tale of Three Raindrops
Scoring Rubric
Points Points
Possible Earned
Required Elements:
· Direction raindrop falls 2 ______
· Identifies creek into which raindrop falls 2 ______
· Identifies the watershed the creek belongs to 2 ______
· Along the way….. (at least four, 8 pts. max)
o Animals 2 ______
o Landforms 2 ______
o Pollution 2 ______
o Aquatic life 2 ______
o Other 2 ______
o Other 2 ______
· Where the raindrop enters the Yakima River 2 ______
· Where the raindrop enters the Columbia River 2 ______
· Dams encountered (at least three)
o ______2 ______
o ______2 ______
o ______2 ______
· Where the raindrop enters the Pacific Ocean 2 ______
Peer edited by ______2 ______
(Name of editor)
Organization 10 ______
(Does the story ‘flow’? Does it have a recognizable beginning and end?)
Conventions 10 ______
(spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar)
Map 2 ______
(attached to final copy with raindrop route identified)
Total Points 50 ______