| The Stream (FULL read) |
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    Print these posters and assemble into a larger, 4-part posterThe Stream - A Little Bit More
I grew up on a farm in western Ohio that had a small creek running through the property. All summer long, each year, I spent most of my time at the creek enjoying what it had to offer. Most of the creek was shallow and the deep places had no dropoffs so my parents allowed my two brothers and me access, on our own, whenever we wanted to be there.
Hours spent on and in the creek introduced me to all kinds of animals and plants. Hours spent turning over rocks, building dams, and splashing around in the waters acquainted me with the natural history of the area. In fact, I attribute my love of nature as an adult to the times I spent on Mosquito Creek near Sidney, Ohio as a child. One of the interesting features of a stream is the fact that you’re able to see several habitats all in one place – the water, the shallow, rocky areas, the stream banks and the surrounding forest, meadows, or other landscape through which the stream flows. As a result of these diverse habitats, your chances of seeing a much greater range of plants and animals is much higher than would otherwise be possible – streams are definitely great places to enjoy nature. The Stream – See For Yourself
Activity: Science – Wade In The Water
Objective: Become better acquainted with a local stream Materials: Old sneakers and shorts Not everyone has access to a shallow creek area but if you do, this can be an extremely pleasant and instructional activity. Take your students to a shallow portion of a nearby stream where you can all get into the creek bed and walk along. Old sneakers work well although even some sandals will suffice if they stay on your feet. It’s always best if you walk upstream (the mud you stir up will obscure your view otherwise). You’re going to get wet, at least below the knees, so wear old clothes.
As you walk slowly along, have students look for various creepy crawlies and whatever else they can find in and on the water, around the rocks, along the bank, or even under rocks (you may need to supervise this). You’ll find lots and lots of interesting critters to view and discuss. If you have a point-and-shoot camera with you this would be helpful to take pictures of anything you’re not sure of for later viewing and identification. It’s always important to display appropriate behavior on any kind of outing so be sure to replace objects that are moved (put overturned rocks back just as you found them), leave NO trash, and be as non-disruptive as possible. INQUIRY: Here’s a question you may want to challenge your students with. (This makes a good earth science question for your students to discover) See if your students can discover whether your nearest stream is all the same depth from one side to the other – check several locations on stream. If not, see whether the curves (outside of the curves or inside of the curves) of your stream (natural streams have many curves) has any effect on depth as compared to straight stream areas. |