They transfer the information from their model to a grid and draw maps of the model using the grid as a guide. Students then indicate a spot on the map, which other students attempt to find on the school site. They run water through the system and note the landforms resulting from the processes of erosion and deposition. Students then investigate several variables that effect land forms, including land slope and floods. Each group designs and conducts its own stream table investigation over time.
Students study maps for a discussion of their local and state river systems.
They make a mountain profile, using their own mountain map. Such mapping experiences help students understand the physical relationships found on the earth's surface. They interpret images on the photographs and compare them to landforms and human structures found on maps. In lesson 5, Mapping the Watershed , students construct a model of their watershed. They compare topographic maps and aerial photographs of their watershed to their three-dimensional models.