Modeling Watersheds

I really enjoyed implementing the Earth science model lesson plan for this week.  Working with students who are genuinely interested in learning science, so much so that they are willing to take time out of playing their video games and riding their bikes during summer vacation, was more like playing then working.  That is what teaching should be, enjoyable. 

I think one of the best parts about using a model with this experience was in allowing the students to create the model themselves.  They had such a great time balling up the foil and using wet newspaper strips to create a landscape.  They had even more fun figuring out where the lows and highs were and where they think the water would flow.  And of course the most fun of it all was actually spraying the colored water and turning their hands into Smurf models when the blue dye got on them. 

Using this model however did have some pitfalls.  In the future I would use actual rocks rather than balled up newspaper and foil in order to get a more natural result.  I would also have students create the landscapes ahead of time and let them dry instead of doing a fast model.  And last, I would remember to not put as much blue dye in the water as MY fingers also turned Smurf blue.

In the end, models are important scientific tools and are highly beneficial when used within the classroom.  I can’t imagine teaching science without them.