Book 1

Waterways: How Rivers and Streams Work

Synopsis

Waterways offer us good examples of how the surface of planet Earth has been, and is being, shaped and changed. New Zealand, with its rugged landscape and rainy climate, shows plenty of evidence of the part water plays in the processes that shape our environment.

Rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, and estuaries are all or partly familiar to most New Zealand students, and nearly all schools have access to some kind of waterway. In addition, dramatic demonstrations of the shaping processes, such as violent weather events and flooding, happen relatively often, and such disasters are given nationwide news coverage.

Levels: 2-3

Strand: Planet Earth and Beyond

Achievement aims:
AA1: Investigate the composition of planet Earth and gain an understanding of the processes which shape it.
AA2: Investigate the geological history of planet Earth and understand that our planet has a long past and has undergone many changes.

Concept overview

Use the concept overview, which is also on the inside front cover of the book, as a reference for the concepts that relate to Waterways: How Rivers and Streams Work.

• The concepts are the building blocks for the column: each column is defined by a "big idea".
• The arrows show the links between concepts and how they might build in sequence. Teachers can choose to develop a narrow focus by moving up the template or a broad focus by following arrows across.
• Each "big idea" shows how a fully developed understanding of the supporting concepts might look. Such an understanding might not be achieved until level 7 or 8. The big ideas are included here to help you build appropriate concepts with your students, whatever their age.

Read the concept overview. To view it, you will need Acrobat Reader.

Writer – Pat Quinn
Specialist Advisers - Dr Hamish Campbell, Dr Ian Speden (Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences)

Links with other titles in the series

Book 2: Weathering and Erosion (L3-4, Planet Earth and Beyond: AA1, AA2)
Book 31: Water and Weather (L3-4, Material World: AA3; Physical World: AA1; Planet Earth and Beyond: AA1)
Book 60: The Land Changes (L1-4, Living World: AA4; Planet Earth and Beyond: AA2, AA4)

Assessment resources

Visit the 'Building Science Concept' page on the Assessment Resource Banks (ARB) website to find ARB resources that assess the 'big idea' learning outcomes referred to in the concept overview for this title.