River Cuttersl Teacher’s Guide Gr. 6 – 8

Geologic time is collapsed into observable, tabletop evolution in this unit on the dynamic life of river systems.

In this second edition of River Cutters the sequence and educational impact of the activities has been significantly transformed and deepened. Based on extensive teacher feedback, and on a collaborative effort between GEMS and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Project 2061 (the group that developed Benchmarks for Science Literacy), the new River Cutters has been expressly designed to better meet several major benchmarks and more strongly align with the National Science Education Standards. We’ve added a new session focusing on improving student comprehension of geologic time, and placed greater emphasis on key environmental issues.

Creating river models using a dripper system and diatomaceous earth, students acquire geological terminology and begin to understand rivers as dynamic, ever-changing systems. They investigate the concepts of erosion, pollution, toxic waste, and human manipulation of rivers, and gain understanding of controlled experimentation.

Time: Eight 45- to 60-minute sessions