Lesson plan

River Restoration

As students explore nature as inspiration for art and engineering, they will engage in a variety of activities that model and explain weathering and erosion.

Grades K–5Engineering
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Overview

Fourth graders explore nature as inspiration for art and engineering while investigating weathering and erosion. They compare photographs of natural landforms and Land Art, then walk around the school to look for art and engineering in nature and collect natural items. In the exploration, groups rotate through stations on sugar cube weathering, the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, wind erosion with sandpaper and a rock, and a brief erosion podcast. Teams then model a river in sand and water, design and test an Engineering with Nature solution that reduces sediment, and use their evidence in a science seminar. Engagement takes 10-45 minutes, exploration two to three 45-minute periods, explanation and elaboration 45-60 minutes each, and evaluation 30-45 minutes.

Lesson Objectives

  • As students explore nature as inspiration for art and engineering, they will engage in a variety of activities that model and explain weathering and erosion. Students will be able to:
  • Run experiments and models how rivers and streams change Earth’s surfaces.
  • Record data about the changes to a stream during weathering and observe how materials are moved during the process of erosion.
  • Use nature as an inspiration to redesign engineering solutions that will reduce the materials carried away by the weathering process.
  • Apply the data collected from the models and provide evidence and explanations for the phenomenon during a science seminar.

Standards

NGSS · 4

  • 4-ESS2-1Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
  • 4-ESS3-2Earth and Human Activity: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.* Engineering -
  • 3-5-ETS1-2Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
  • 3-5-ETS1-3Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

CCSS Math · 5

  • MP2Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
  • MP4Model with mathematics.
  • MP5Use appropriate tools strategically.
  • 4.MD.A.1Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Record measurement equivalents in a two-column table.
  • 4.MD.A.2Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.

CCSS ELA · 1

  • W.4.8Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.