Note: Teacher’s notes are in red.

Students will understand their connection to rivers through watersheds; will understand the importance of watersheds; and will learn how people affect rivers. (This activity will take one or two class periods.)

Your Mission
Whether you live near or far away from a river, you probably rely on that river for fresh water. No matter where your nearest river is located, you are definitely connected to it through a watershed. To get the connection, keep reading.

Subjects: Geography, Science

Relevant U.S. National Geography Standards 1, 7, 15

Materials

Students will break into three groups. Each group will need:

• Blue enamel paint
• Miniature objects to simulate a model river system: e.g., Monopoly® houses or hotels, small plastic animals, trees, boats, cars
• Modeling clay
• Tempera paint
• Toothpicks and construction paper
• Sheet of plywood, or plastic or metal trays
• Water

A Defining Moment
With students, examine the river system diagram. Review each component. Have students speculate where they are located in their own watershed. Where is the nearest river? The nearest tributary? Remind students that the drawing is a generic representation of elements of rivers, but that every river system is unique. Does a local river resemble the river in the diagram?

Explain that rivers connect to land, and that people connect to rivers either directly or indirectly, via their watershed. (The terms “watershed” and “drainage basin” are used interchangeably; the use of one term over another usually depends on the context in which it's being used.) (Note to Teacher: If appropriate, explain that one watershed can be part of another watershed. For example, the Missouri River watershed is “nested” within the Mississippi River watershed. Water that enters a watershed always flows within that watershed—but it may also flow to another watershed.)

Ask, How do people use rivers? (drinking water, other fresh-water needs, agriculture, industry, manufacturing, power, transportation, recreation) How does wildlife use rivers? (food, habitat) Write students’ answers on the board.

Online, students can learn more about the physical aspects of rivers (erosion, volume, velocity). (ThinkQuest)

If students don’t have access to a computer, print a poster listing uses of rivers; compare students’ earlier answers to the poster. (Michigan State Department of Environmental Quality)

Having trouble getting the picture? Look at a river system to see common characteristics of rivers. The diagram shows a watershed, a region of land within which all of the water—from tributaries, rain, snowmelt, or glacial melt—eventually flows to a single body of water. All the water that enters a watershed always flows within that watershed. That means that what people put into the water, and how people use the water available to them, is very likely to affect the quality of the water—and its users—both locally and in other areas of the watershed.

Not every river looks like the one in this drawing. In fact, each river is unique. But the picture can help you understand how rivers function, and that means you can better understand your connection to rivers.

Check out more about rivers, and travel along a river from mouth to source. (ThinkQuest)

Model Watersheds
Divide students into three groups. Each group will build a model watershed from clay, either on a sheet of plywood, or on a plastic or metal tray. Have students label parts of the river: source, tributary, floodplain, meander, wetland, main river, mouth. Have students paint “river” areas with blue enamel paint; paint the land with tempera paint. Have students place miniature objects on the model to simulate a model river system, or make figures from construction paper and back them with toothpicks.
(See discussion questions to guide students in placing the figures.)

Allow the model to dry overnight. As students pour water, discuss flooding and drought.

A one-dimensional river system can’t tell the whole story, so you’re going to make a 3-D watershed model! In a group, create a model watershed with clay. Start upstream and build up enough clay to represent mountains. Downstream, the land should flatten out and lead to the mouth of your river. Use the river system diagram as a guide, or ThinkQuest. (ThinkQuest)

Who and what uses rivers? How are rivers used? Use miniature models to simulate things you might find along a river (cows, buildings, houses, etc.). Let the model dry overnight.

The next day, pour a slow, steady stream of water from the top of the mountain. Watch how the “river” runs from its source to its mouth. How might people and animals in your imaginary watershed use the river?

Take Action—Geography Action!
“Give Water a Hand” involves young people in local environmental service projects. (University of Wisconsin-Extension)

Now that you know how important rivers are, it’s important that you take care of rivers!

Start at home by figuring out how much water your family uses or by making an easy model watershed. (National Geographic Society)

Do other people in your school know how much people and wildlife rely on rivers? Display your painted watershed, and other drawings or photographs of rivers, to let everyone know how important rivers are.

Whatever you decide to do, tell us about it! Fill out the Geography Action! survey, and learn what other students are doing for rivers!

Activity adapted from “The Comprehensive Water Education Book,” page 151, courtesy of the International Office for Water Educations, Utah State University. For additional activities, please contact us at 800 922 4693.

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Photographs (left to right): Amazon River, Brazil, by George F. Mobley; Puget Island, Columbia River, Washington, by David S. Boyer

Illustration (right): Dragonfly, copyright Corbis

© 2001 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.