Make Your Own Watershed

Engage

20 minutes

Reflect on the field trip, and/or read a book about salmon, then review students’ knowledge of the components of a watershed and the conditions that support salmon in a watershed. Write these on the board, on chart paper, or have students record them in their science notebooks. You may use these items to create a scoring guide for their watersheds. Tell students they will be creating a representation of a watershed that can support salmon. They may choose the manner in which they create the watershed. They might choose to create a 3-D model, painting or drawing, poster, diorama, computer drawing or animation, PowerPoint presentation, or something else. Ask them to be thinking about their creation and to bring any special materials they may need (moss, sticks, gravel, etc).

Explore

60 minutes

Allow 2 class periods for students to create their representation of a watershed that can support salmon. During class or as homework, have them write a story of the journey of a salmon through their watershed.

Explain

30 minutes 

Have the students share their watersheds, explain how they have shown that their watershed can support salmon, and read their story.

Elaborate

Have students share their watersheds with parents, community members, other classes, etc. Explaining the parts of the watershed and the salmon’s journey through it will help strengthen their understanding.

Evaluate

Understanding can be assessed as students explain and present their watersheds and read their story. You can use the requirements brainstormed in the engagement section of this investigation as a rubric.