Land and Water
Lesson 13
Exploring Slope
Students will investigate how changing the slope of the stream table will affect the amount of soil collected in the graduated cylinder. Students will compare these results with the results of Lessons 4 and 10.
3. Lesson set up and Management
INQB: Scientists plan and conduct different kinds of investigations, depending on the questions they are trying to answer.
INQC: An experiment involves a comparison. For an experiment to be valid and fair, all of the things that can possibly change the outcome of the experiment should be kept the same, if possible.
INQD: Investigations involve systematic collection and recording of relevant observations and data.
INQF: A scientific model is a simplified representation of an object, event, system, or process created to understand some aspect of the natural world.
INQG: Scientific explanations emphasize evidence, have logically consistent arguments, and use known scientific principles, models, and theories.
ES2C: Erosion is the movement of Earth materials by processes such as wind, water, ice, and gravity.
- Students will plan an investigation about how slope affects the amount of soil collected in the graduated cylinder.
- Students will compare the amount of soil collected with a small-hole cup, the large-hole cup and large slope investigations.
- Students compare the land formations caused by a stream with a small slope to a stream with a large slope.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
- Use the same string from previous lessons.
- When cleaning up the graduated cylinders, it may be necessary to soak the graduated cylinders in soapy water. This is especially true if there is a large amount of clay in the sediments collected.
Student Management:
- When students do an investigation comparing Lesson 10 and 13, it may be helpful to have the class work together to write out the procedure. The procedure will need to include both characteristics of the changed variable (the slope). Students may have difficulty seeing that the slope changed unless you specifically talk about what the slope of the land was in Lesson 10.
- Have the student discuss in their groups what the flow of water was in Lesson 13 compared to Lesson 10.
- Have the students do an investigation. (See the next teacher tip.) However, it is very difficult to compare Lesson 4, Lesson 10 and Lesson 13. Lesson 4 has the changed variable of the size of the hole in the cup, while Lessons 10 and 13 are changing the slope from small slope (Lesson 10) to large slope (Lesson 13).
- Lesson 13 (in combination with Lesson 10) can be done using the investigative process.
- Students could answer the following investigative question, "What is the affect of different slope (small slope in Lesson 10, large slope in Investigation 13) on the amount of soil collected in the graduated cylinder?"
- Students could write a prediction.
- Students could make a materials list.
- Students could plan an appropriate procedure including the changed variable (small slope, large slope), measured variable (amount of soil collected) and variables kept the same.
- Students would also need to have repeated trials.
- The procedure would also need to be detailed enough to be logical and repeatable.
- Finally, students can finish collecting the data on Record Sheet 4-A and write a conclusion.
- On Record Sheet 4-A, have the students check which group member collected the "length of stream" data, "width of stream" data and the "width of soil dropped at the end of the stream" data. This will help different students do these tasks in Lesson 13.
- Discuss with the students whether the flow of the water is greater in Lesson 10 or Lesson 13 (Lesson 13) and where the force of the water came from (gravity).
- Extension 1: This extension could be done using the investigation process.
- Students could answer the following investigative question, "What is the affect on contours in the soil compare to no contours on the amount of soil collected in the graduated cylinder?"
- Students could write a prediction.
- Students could make a materials list.
- Students could plan an appropriate procedure including the changed variable (contours or no contours), measured variable (amount of soil collected) and variables kept the same.
- Students would also need to have repeated trials.
- The procedure would also need to be detailed enough to be logical and repeatable.
- Finally, students could collect the data and write a conclusion.
- Extension 3: This extension could be done using the investigation process.
- Students could answer the following investigative question, "What is the affect of different materials (plastic sheeting, soil) on the time needed for water is collected in the graduated cylinder?"
- Students could write a prediction.
- Students could make a materials list.
- Students could plan an appropriate procedure including the changed variable (different materials), measured variable (time needed for water to collect in the graduated cylinder) and variables kept the same.
- Students would also need to have repeated trials.
- The procedure would also need to be detailed enough to be logical and repeatable.
- Finally, students could collect the data and write a conclusion.
Writing Support:
- Have the students write out the investigation in their science notebook, including all the parts. OR just focus on one of the parts of the investigation, such as the prediction or the materials list.
- Use the data from Record Sheet 4-A, back of page 3: write a conclusion using the data from the test tubes in Lesson 10 and Lesson 13.
- Have the student make a labeled drawing of the parts of the investigation. Include labels of when the water slowed down or sped up. Also, note which earth materials were exposed.
Math Support:
- Students could use a protractor to determine the angle of the clear plastic box. Have the student record the angle on their diagram in their science journal. Even though all the groups had about 18 cm (7 in) of books, why were the angles different? What was the angle of the clear plastic box in Lesson 10? (180°)
- Create a class chart comparing the angle of each group’s clear plastic box compared to the amount of soil collected in their graduated cylinder.
Last updated 07/08/2009