Introducing catchments

Focus

This activity looks at the nature and structure of water catchment areas. It reinforces students’ understanding of a water catchment area, and gives them the opportunity to hypothesise the human impact upon a catchment.

Science

Earth and Beyond

3.3 Students collect information that describes ways in which living things use the Earth and the sun as resources.

4.1 Students recognise and analyse some interactions (including the weather) between systems of Earth and beyond.

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

Place and Space

PS 2.2 Students predict possible consequences for an ecological system when an element is affected.

Systems, Resources and Power

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

English

Writing an explanation of a catchment.

Give an oral presentation about catchments.

Materials

Teaching considerations

For definitions of a water catchment area, see "Current scientific concepts" in the background information.

Science processes

  • gathering information
  • listening and questioning
  • describing

SOSE processes

  • understand
  • think
  • communicate

Sequence

Time: 45 minutes

Orientating

Students in your class may have prior knowledge and experience with water catchment areas and catchment area management at a community level. Let these students share with the class their knowledge and experience.

Let students study the poster quietly. Read together information printed on the poster.

Enhancing

Ask students to identify the catchment boundary. Trace around the boundary.

List what can happen to rainfall. i.e.

Identify and compare areas of water run-off for the total catchment area. Trace the water run-off from rainfall to arrival at the lowest point. e.g. "The rain that fell on the mountains above the dam has drained/flowed to the dam."

List the natural resources illustrated in the poster (forest, developed and undeveloped land, waterfall, creeks, beach, shore line, ocean) and who uses them. See information provided on Resource Sheet 4 (PDF, 62K)*.

Discuss the impact on the catchment if there were to be a change to the environment. For example, an increase in urban development, introduced plant or animal, increased farming/ fishing etc.

Synthesising

As a whole class or in groups write an explanation/description of a water catchment area, its components and the fact that they are interdependent. e.g:

Depending on student capabilities, written explanations can be replaced by drawings and or labelling.

* Requires Adobe Reader

Last updated 3 September 2010

Water cycles and catchments