Discuss how rivers carry sediments and explain how this impacts the land during a flood. Debate the merits of building dams upstream to prevent flooding thereby making former floodplains available for development. Discuss why hydrologists scientists who study the water cycle track snow accumulation as a part of long-term flood forecasting. Debate whether or not people should be allowed to rebuild homes in an area prone to serious flooding. Back to Top Cities and Floods Have students use either a map of the United States or a large local map to locate and label major rivers on the map.
Students can then label major cities near the rivers.
Divide the class into groups to research a particular city and the river associated with it. The research students gather should include historical, geographical, geological, and meteorological information on their river and city. Measure Flood Velocity Use a stream table to explore with your students the impact of slope on water velocity. Arrange your equipment so that students can vary the height of the container and thereby change the slope. Fill the container with sand, potting soil, or clay.