Page 1 of 8
Lesson 4
Stream Table Lab
Name ____________________________________________ Date ______________ Period ____________
Student Activity
Question:
How does water flow and slope angle change the surface of the Earth?
Hypothesis:
1.) If the flow of water is:________________ (increased, decreased) then more sediment will be eroded
because________________________________.
2.) If the angle of flow is ________________ (increased, decreased) then more sediment will be eroded
because ________________________________.
Job:
Your group should rotate through the following jobs. Keep track of yours here:
_____ WATER POURER
_____ SAND SCULPTOR
_____ DATA RECORDER
_____ MATERIALS MANAGER
_____ COMMUNICATOR
_____ ANGLE ADJUSTOR
3) Begin Angle of Flow Experiment and write down observations on the next page.
Page 2 of 8
Lesson 4
Stream Table Lab
Name ____________________________________________ Date ______________ Period ____________
Draw the before and after picture of your stream table in the two boxes below.
Plastic Rectangular Blocks
Before
After
What is the pattern of erosion that
your group observed?
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
Where is most of the sediment
load deposited?
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Extension: What is the angle of
elevation?
____________________________
____________________________
Vocabulary word bank: saturation, dynamic, erosion, deposition, sediment, load, meander, runoff, and mass
movement, alluvial fan, rill, and gully.
Page 3 of 8
Lesson 4
Stream Table Lab
Name ____________________________________________ Date ______________ Period ____________
2 Wooden Angles
Before
After
What is the pattern of erosion that
your group observed?
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
Where is most of the sediment
load deposited?
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Extension: What is the angle of
elevation?
____________________________
____________________________
Vocabulary word bank: saturation, dynamic, erosion, deposition, sediment, load, meander, runoff, and mass
movement, alluvial fan, rill, and gully.
Page 4 of 8
Lesson 4
Stream Table Lab
Name ____________________________________________ Date ______________ Period ____________
Flood Cup
Before
After
 What is the pattern of erosion
that your group observed?
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
______________
Where is most of the sediment
load deposited?
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
Extension: What is the angle of
elevation?
____________________________
____________________________
Vocabulary word bank: saturation, dynamic, erosion, deposition, sediment, load, meander, runoff, and mass
movement, alluvial fan, rill, and gully.
Page 5 of 8
Lesson 4
Stream Table Lab
Name ____________________________________________ Date ______________ Period ____________
Experimental Design: Design an inquiry with the following materials. Write down the question you would
like to investigate and collect evidence (experimental observations and measurements) to support your
claim. Then, use your science textbook and lectures to use scientific reasoning to conclude.
Materials
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
Stream Table
1 Dumping Bucket
2 Paint sticks
1 Hand Washing Bucket
3 lbs. of Sand
100 g of Clay
2 Plastic Rectangular Blocks
Tape
Food Coloring
Vocabulary word bank:
saturation, dynamic, erosion, deposition, sediment, load,
meander, runoff, and mass movement, alluvial fan, rill, and gully.
Question:
Claim:
Before
After
Does the channel always stay in the same
place as the water is flowing? What
happens to the channel over time?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Describe the flow of the water and how
the sediment load is carried.
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_____________________
Page 6 of 8
Lesson 4
Stream Table Lab
Name ____________________________________________ Date ______________ Period ____________
Critical Thinking Questions
Directions: Answer using complete sentences Use your vocabulary word banks to write your answers.
Where is the sediment being deposited in your tray?
Explain how adding angles to your stream table affected the results?
How would you change the conditions to better show the relationship between rivers and erosion (for
example, “add more water”)? Come up with 3 revisions, and explain why.
1.
2.
3.
What are limitations of your stream table? Come up with 3 limitations.
1.
2.
3.
Was your first hypothesis supported by your observations?
Was your second hypothesis supported by your observations?
Page 7 of 8
Lesson 4
Stream Table Lab
Name ____________________________________________ Date ______________ Period ____________
Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (C-E-R) – Day 2
Teacher introduces class to C-E-R framework and gives a examples through a YouTube
commercial on “My Dad is an Alien” Then, students discuss the question, claim, evidence and
reasoning that they experienced with all of the activities in that they have participated in to
come up with a scientific explanation. Audi Commercial: My Dad’s an Alien
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQTsue0lKBk
Claim: A statement or conclusion that answers the question asked or the problem posed
Evidence: Scientific data that supports the claim. The data needs to be appropriate and sufficient to
support the claim.
Reasoning: A justification that connects the evidence to the claim. It shows why data counts as evidence
by using appropriate and sufficient scientific principles.
Page 8 of 8
Lesson 4
Stream Table Lab
Name ____________________________________________ Date ______________ Period ____________
River Erosion C-E-R
Question: How does the angle of flow affect river erosion?
(Considered the angle on the stream table)
In order to answer this question, select the ONE claim that
you feel best answers the question.
Claim: (circle 1)
A. The increased speed of water created by a higher
angle causes more erosion.
B. The increased speed of water created by a higher
angle causes less erosion.
C. The increased speed of water means there will be
fewer fish to hit the sides of the river, thus less
erosion.
Now that you have a claim, read the evidence and reasoning choices below and select TWO evidence
statements and one reasoning statement that support your claim.
Evidence: (Circle 2)
A.
B.
C.
D.
Steeper angles carry more sediment.
Steeper angles add more energy of water.
Steeper angles make oxbow lakes
Steeper angles decrease the energy of water.
Reasoning: (Circle 1)
A. When the angle is steeper, the greater flow of water carries more sediment from the
surrounding landscape, forming a straighter river. When the river angle decreases, the water
slows down and begins to meanders.
B. When the angle is steeper, the energy created moves less sediment from the surrounding
landscape. This makes a slow meandering river.
C. With a steeper angle the amount of water absorbed into the soil increases resulting in a slower
river.