National and
Long-term Changes in Stream Channels
Purpose: Long-term monitoring of changes in the stream habitats and geomorphology (erosion and deposition in the stream channel) in Kings Creek. Students will add to a photo history of three permanent locations on the stream.
* Items marked with an asterisk, are particularly applicable to this activity.
This activity will help meet the following National Standards:
Standard A- Science as Inquiry- As a result of activities, all students should develop abilities to do scientific inquiry and understandings about scientific inquiry
· Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations
· Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
· Use appropriate tools and technology to gather, analyze and interpret data*
· Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence
· Communicate scientific procedures and explanations*
· Understandings about scientific inquiry
Standard B- Physical Science- As a result of activities, all students should develop an understanding of motions and forces and the transfer of energy.
·
Motions and Forces
o Unbalanced forces will cause changes in the speed or direction of an objects motion*
Standard D- Earth and Space Science- As a result of activities, all students should develop an understanding of the structure of the earth system and the history of the earth.
· Structure of the Earth System
o Land forms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces. These include deposition of sediment and weathering and erosion*
o Water circulates through the crust, oceans and atmosphere. (Water Cycle)*
o Water is a solvent. As it passes through the water cycle, it dissolves minerals and gasses and carries them in streams and rivers to the oceans.
o
Standard G- History and Nature of Science- As a result of activities should develop understanding of:
·
Science as a Human Endeavor
o
Women and men of various social and ethnic
backgrounds engage in the activities of science, engineering and related fields
o
Science requires different abilities, depending
on such factors as the field of study and type of inquiry
·
Nature of Science
o
Scientists formulate and test their explanations
of nature using observations, experiments, and models. All ideas are tentative, though most major
ideas are supported by experimental and observational confirmations
o
It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate the
results of scientific investigations, experiments, observations, models and explanations
proposed by other scientists*
This
activity will help meet the following Kansas State Standards
Standard 1- Science as Inquiry- As a result of activities, all students will develop the abilities to do scientific inquiry, be able to demonstrate how scientific inquiry is applied, and develop understandings about scientific inquiry.
· Benchmark 1: The students will demonstrate abilities necessary to do the process of scientific inquiry.
o 1. The student will identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
o 2. The student will conduct a scientific investigation.
o 3. Use appropriate tools, mathematics, technology, and techniques to gather, analyze and interpret data*
o 4. Think critically to identify the relationship between evidence and logical conclusions
o 6. Communicate scientific procedures and explanations*
· Benchmark 2: The students will apply different kinds of investigations to different kinds of questions.
o 1. The student will differentiate between a qualitative and quantitative investigation
· Benchmark 3: The students will analyze how science advances through new ideas, scientific investigations, skepticism, and examining evidence of varied explanations.
o 1. After doing an investigation, students will generate alternative methods of investigations and/or further questions for study.
o 3. Students will identify faulty reasoning or conclusions that go beyond evidence and/or are not supported by data.
Standard 3: Life Science- As a result of activities, all students will apply process skills to explore and understand structure and function in living systems, reproduction and heredity, regulation and behavior, populations and ecosystems, and diversity and adaptations of organisms.
· Benchmark 3: The students will describe the effects of a changing external environment on the regulation/balance of internal conditions and processes of organisms.
o 1.Understand the effects of change in environmental conditions on behavior of an organism by carrying out a full investigation.
Standard 4: Earth and Space Science- As a result of activities, all students will apply process skills to explore and develop an understanding of the structure of the earth system, earth’s history, and earth in the solar system.
· Benchmark 1: The students will understand that the structure of the earth is constantly changing due to the earth’s physical and chemical processes.
o 1. Predict patterns from data collected.*
o 2. Identify properties of the solid earth, the oceans and fresh water and the atmosphere. (Water causing erosion and deposition)*
o 5. Understand water’s major role in changing the solid surface of the earth such as the effect of the oceans on climate and water as an erosion force. *
Standard 6: Science in Personal and Environmental Perspectives- As a result of activities, all students will apply process skills to explore and develop an understanding of issues of personal health, population, resources and environment, and natural hazards.
· Benchmark 2: The students will understand the impact of human activity on resources and environment.
o 1. The students will investigate the effects of human activities on the environment.
· Benchmark 3: The students will understand that natural hazards are dynamic examples of earth processes which cause us to evaluate risks
o 2. Recognize patterns of internal and external earth processes that may result in natural hazards. (Flooding and it’s effects)
Standard 7: History and Nature of Science- As a result of activities, all students will examine and develop an understanding of science as a historical human endeavor.
· Benchmark 1: The students will develop scientific habits of mind.
o 4. Students will base decisions on evidence
· Benchmark 2: The students will research contributions to science throughout history
o 1. Recognize that new knowledge leads to new questions and new discoveries.
* Items marked with an asterisk, are particularly applicable to this activity.