A Major Science/Health/Language Unit where students investigate how rivers and lakes affect peoples lives and why we need to maintain them as special and healthy environments. Best suited to Years 4-8 but easily adapted for lower and older age groups Curriculum:   Science: Making Sense of Planet Earth and Beyond Health and Phys Ed: Strong Links to Healthy Communities and Environments Language, Visual and Performing Arts Learning Intentions Investigate easily observable geological features and patterns and consider how these can be affected by people. Understand the interdependence between people and their surroundings and the maintenance of healthy environments Skills Used and Developed: Information and Communication Success Criteria Identify lakes and river systems and in what ways they are used by people Explore the relationships between rivers and lakes and electricity generation Compare the varieties of recreational activities on rivers and lakes Assessment Criteria at Conclusion of Unit. Click here Maori Vocabulary electrical energy/pungao hiko • recreation/parekareka • power/hiko• equipment (sport)/panga takaro ACTIVITY ONE:Drawing on the pupils’ experiences Brainstorm: Pupils in buzz groups. Discuss and list the experiences they and /or members of their families have had on rivers and lakes. Share these with each other and the class. Individual Activity: Have children write down as many words as they can in three minutes that relate to rivers and lakes. Write all these on a master vocabulary sheet, display and add as the unit progresses. Atlas Skills: Have groups find the lakes of New Zealand, using their atlases, identify rivers that feed them. What is the closest river to your school? What is the closest lake to your school? Dictionary Skills: Have each student write a short sentence or paragraph to define the meaning of a river and a lake. Check these against the dictionary definitions. ACTIVITY TWO: Uses of Rivers & Lakes What do we use water from lakes and rivers for? Pose this ques tion and have groups discuss and report back with their answers. Focus pupils discussion by providing headings such as: Agricul ture; leisure; housing; aesthetic; transport; industry; tourism; power generation. Assign each group one area of research. Have children list the uses under each heading and present findings in an illustrated chart form. Pupils to use magazines/newspapers and brochure pictures to aid the visual presentation of their charts. Include headings and short caption statements. ACTIVITY THREE: Focus on Electricity Pose the following questions for discussion and research: • Why do we need electricity? • What would life be like without it? • How would our lifestyle change? • Where is electricity produced in New Zealand? • What lakes have been created especially for electricity generation? (This could lead to a further study of how hydro electricity is produced.) ACTIVITY FOUR : Recreational Uses of Lakes & Rivers Now have pupils focus on the recreational uses of lakes and rivers. Have pupils define and list as many activities as possible that could be carried out on/by/near rivers and lakes e.g. fishing, raft ing, walking, swimming, hunting, skiing, boating, science studies, picnicking, horse and pony trekking, rowing, sailing, paragliding, barbecues...etc. Make a master list. Have pupils share their experiences with each other on all these activities. Maths/Oral Language: Find out how many pupils have taken part in any of these activities. Conduct survey of most popular, least popular. Display as a graph and have them share experiences with the class. Present results using tables, graphs and illustrations. Classify into sports/recreations/hobbies/others. Extend survey to parents and local community: Present results. ACTIVITY FIVE: Investigations Plan and implement a series of visits to the class from parents, teachers, club members, friends to talk to the class/school on their particular favourite river/lake sport, hobby or recreation. Lo cal information centres, telephone directories can provide infor mation for initial contact. Pupils write, phone, issue invitations and prepare questions. Visits to various organisations could also be planned and arranged by the pupils. Pupils write, phone, issue invitations and prepare questions. Have visitors explain: the skills needed; the benefits; the equipment needed; how they became interested. Make a comparison chart under the following headings: • Recreation/sport/hobby. • Where it is carried out. • Number of people that can be involved. • Equipment/clothing needed. • Cost of the recreation. ACTIVITY SIX: Learning New Skills Invite ‘instructors’ to the classroom or visit them to explain and demonstrate some of the following: tying a fly, casting a rod, boating skills, trolling, preparing a picnic, horse riding, tramping, rowing, sailing, fitness level necessary etc. Divide class into interest groups and have each group prepare an information and instruction brochure on their chosen recreation and hobby and present to the class. ACTIVITY SEVEN: Further Directions Written language: Write an imaginative or factual story on any of the following: ‘A Trip Down the Rapids’, The Biggest Trout ever’, How We Won the Rowing Race’, ‘Caring for my Horse’, ‘Cut off by a Flooded River’, ‘A Day on the Lake’, ‘A Jet Boat Race’. Science: Make your own river. Fill a box or tray with sand. Slope it downwards and run tap water in to it. Make a twisting path for the river and observe the erosion and the deposits that take place. Changes with the Seasons Make regular visits to a local river and lake to observe changes over the seasons in leisure activities, changes in plant and animal life, bird life and insect life changes, river flow, lake height. Keep a year round record and seasonal change chart. Stream and Lake Shore Study. Play Pooh Sticks and stone skipping. Run a contest. Boat races. Invent a legend about a local lake or river - a creature/taniwha. Dramatise the legend. Make creature masks. Listen and list all the sounds heard by the lake and river. Make into a sound poem. Trace the journey of a major hydro generation river from its source to the sea. List all recreation possibilities. Prepare an illustrated map and oral presentation. Assessment Criteria Ability to locate and map relevant information when charting the rivers and lakes closest to the school Ability to understand the water resources can be used for both commercial and recreational activities when preparing questions for visiting specialists. Understanding the vast array of recreational activities possible on a well maintained or developed waterway through participation in a 'master list' and discussion. Do you have a lesson you would like to share with other teachers? Simply email us an attached Word, Works or PDF file and we will add it to our library. Don't forget to include your name and school so we can acknowledge your work. Click on the email icon below.