Making Rivers

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In this outdoor water activity, learners explore how to change the direction of water flow. Learners make puddles in dirt or use existing puddles and sticks to make water flow. Learners will use yarn to measure who can make the longest "river." Learners will also investigate how they can change the direction water flows by digging paths or building walls and dams. This activity is part of the curriculum Explore Water, related to Peep and the Big Wide World, a preschool science series on public television. The activity starts on page 10 of the PDF. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 4 - 6
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • water containers (plastic buckets, bottles, and cups)
  • yarn
  • digging tools or sticks
  • clipboards
  • paper
  • markers
  • garden hose connected to water source
  • camera (optional)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Earth Structure
      • Oceans and Water
  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Environmental Engineering
  • Mathematics
    • Measurement
  • The Nature of Technology
    • The Design Process
  • Physical Sciences
    • Motion and Forces
    • States of Matter
      • Liquids
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • About Inquiry
      • Asking Questions
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Gathering Data
      • Formulating Explanations
      • Communicating Results

Informal Categories

  • Nature and Environment
  • Outdoor Activity
  • Physical Activity

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • be mobile
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves teamwork and communication skills
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Source Collection

  • PEEP and the Big Wide World

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, WGBH, 2005

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation