Rivers, floods and management

[Victoria Ellis]

For all things rivers/floods/management related...

[Mark OLLIS]

LEDC Flood? tired of Bangladesh and the kids confuse the data from subsequent years. Thought maybe of Mozambique but has anyone else got good ideas or resources. Loads I can swap.

[Victoria Ellis]

I've used both Bangladesh and Mozambique with Yr12 this year - nothing brilliant in terms of resources as the students did the work! But agree that they confuse different years - particularly when they search the BBC for "bangladesh flood" and use the first few reports that come up...

[Matthew]

I am teaching AS Level for the first time this year. Planning for Rivers at the moment. Does any one have any ideas (help) when it comes to delivering this topic?

I am trying to make exciting lessons for teaching the processes (Erosion, Transportation etc) and I cant seem to avoid lecturing them.

Any help out there?

[Mark OLLIS]

Start by looking at Richard Allaways site - geography all the way. HE has some excellent power points and resources, try also geointeractive and slideshare. The key is fieldwork. I have lots of resources but no time at present - off to Gaping Gill tomorrow for two weeks. Can help when I get back; e-mail.

[Matthew]

I am off to Spain for two weeks, so will be in touch when I get back. I am also working with another school on this so if we produce anything good I am willing to share.

Thanks!

[Emma Johns]

I'm a little confused, can anyone help?! Never had to teach about the water balance before so always addressed it quickly in passing. I'm fine with the equation, but the tye of graph shown in the Nelson Thornes AQA book is different to one in Essential AS Geography (Ross and co. as authors) - this one compares precipitation with streamflow through the year (ignoring evaporation) and looks at factors like geology, land use, gradient etc. and their effects on the water balance. Should I address both? Or just stick with the standard one I'm familiar with in the NT book?

[Graham Goldup]

Hi Emma

I would tend to look at both- there is also one in David Waugh 'Integrated Geography'.( I find this useful for the students as one of the reference books rather than a set text).I get the students as a starting point to think about the equation and then more importantly to look at what happens when the system gets out of balance- too many imputs (e.g. floods) and too many outputs (e.g. possible drought) and then the consequences.

The water balance will depend also on other factors such as land use, vegetation cover, geology, etc. and will of course vary over the year. In David Waugh there are examples of the water balance in different climatic zones and also I think one from the Southern Hemisphere (seasonal reversal). There are also 10 questions to interpret the water balance, which do test the students understanding.

Hope this helps a bit. I will start with the more basic one and get them to think about the additions.

[Emma Johns]

River regimes - yes or no? They used to be explicitly mentioned on the old spec, but they have vanished now - does that mean we can leave them out? Will be looking at hydrographs obviously and could quickly go over them I suppose, just in case! Just don't want to be teaching too much.

[Emma Johns]

Rivers Lessons 1-6 (Intro, keyterms, expectations, hydrological cycle, water balance, river discharge, hydrographs, river regimes - optional lesson!) plus resources. Hope you find it useful!

[Jayne Tomkinson]

Hi Emma

Perfect timing as I'm just starting my rivers planning - is your stuff here? I can't see it.

Not taught for 3 years so am starting from scratch, will post my version of events in due course.

[Emma Johns]

I'm trying to upload it but its taking forever! 4shared is working hard to bring it to you... will post the link ASAP!

[Jayne Tomkinson]

Brilliant!!

I've just been looking at the hydrological cycle. Going to start mine off with a classification ex - inputs, outputs, stores, flows. Give them all the terms on pieces of paper in an envelope. Classify under a heading.
Then to rearrage their terminology cards into a flow diagram to illustrate what might happen ina drainage basin.
Not fantastic but a bit more exciting than just filling in a cycle diagram from the text book. Also will hopefully encourage them to think as most shouold knopw this stuff from GCSE. I can guarantee that 10mins into the lesson I'll be exasperated at their forgetfulness!!!!