Drawing a water catchment

Focus

The aim of this activity is to have students draw a water catchment.

Science

Life and Living

3.3 Students describe some interactions (including feeding relationships) between living things and between living and non-living parts of the environment.

SOSE

Systems, Resources and Power

SRP 3.1 Students make inferences about interactions between people and natural cycles, including the water cycle.

English

Written explanation of water catchment drawing.

Materials

paper (butcher’s, A3, etc)
definition of a water catchment (see current scientific conceptions in the Background section)

Teaching considerations

Some students may not be confident with their own drawing ability. If so, reassure these students and you could also provide a simple key to assist these students with representing trees, wildlife, buildings etc. A demonstration of how to create the end product will help. Go over things like planning the drawing, how to sketch, use of colour etc.

Set a task for students to do if they finish early, e.g. start a written explanation of their drawing.

Students will see a poster of a water catchment later in the unit. They could compare their attempt at drawing a water catchment with the poster, noting the similarities between their drawing and the poster.

Science processes

creating a diagram/picture

SOSE processes

understand
think
communicate

Sequence

Time: 45 minutes

Orientating

Display a definition of a water catchment, "A catchment area or basin is land which is bounded by natural features such as hills or mountains, from which all run-off water flows to a low point". Read and list the components of a water catchment.

For example,

vegetation
waterways (stream, creek, river etc)
rainfall
run-off
ground/soil
wildlife
farms
towns and cities

Read through them and check students understanding of them (through questioning).

Reinforce there is no one correct/best type of drawing, and that any attempt is valued. Let the students know there will be an opportunity to share work at the end.

Enhancing

Ask the students to draw and label a water catchment.

Let students work on their drawing. Monitor students’ progress, suggest options and encourage students.

Synthesising

Given enough time, draw the class together and share drawings.

Discuss how a change in an element in the cycling of water (e.g. more/less precipitation or evaporation) would affect a water catchment, and our lives.

Display examples of student work.

Additional learning

Students write an explanation of their drawing for a younger and/or older audience.

Gathering information about student learning

Sources of information could include:

anecdotal notes on any student alternative conceptions
example of student work - water catchment drawing

Last reviewed 3 September 2010
Last updated 16 June 2008