COLORADO RIVER ECOLOGY PROGRAM PLAN FOR DOCENTS

Transcription

1 COLORADO RIVER ECOLOGY PROGRAM PLAN FOR DOCENTS The following is a suggested format for this program. Please feel free to incorporate your own experiences and creativity; however, maintain the Arizona State Academic Standards when you do this program. AGE/GRADE LEVEL DURATION GROUP SIZE DOCENTS LOCATION BACKGROUND ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS This program addresses Arizona science curriculum standards for grades 4 8 and is particularly applicable for grade 7 life science standards. Allow a minimum of an hour and a half for this workshop. 30 students plus one educator/chaperone for every six students 2 docents Branigar Chase Discovery Center Glen Canyon Dam was completed in It was built for the production of hydroelectric power, water storage, flood control, and to extend the life of Hoover Dam by slowing the rate of sediment fill in Lake Mead. Since its completion the changes to the Colorado River through Grand Canyon have been dramatic. This program is designed to help students explore some of those changes and to encourage critical thinking concerning different points of view and considerations over whether or not to decommission Glen Canyon Dam and drain Lake Powell. By the end of the program, students should be able to intelligently discuss the following questions: 1. Why do people build dams? 2. What are some of the negative effects of damming a river? 3. What would be considered a normal annual cycle for the Colorado River before the construction of Glen Canyon Dam? What were the effects of this natural cycle of events on the plants, animals, and beaches in Grand Canyon? 4. How has the river changed since construction of the dam? What is the normal cycle for the river now? Why? 5. What beneficial changes can you observe? What changes do you observe that are not beneficial? Which of these changes are matters of opinion? KEY WORDS Dam Riparian Endangered Hydroelectric power Habitat Extinct Ecology Species Adaptation Ecosystem Native species Stakeholder River basin Exotic MATERIALS NEEDED All materials for the Colorado River ecology simulation can be found in the Ecology trunk supplied by Susan Golightly. MNA s Colorado River Ecology page 1

2 INTRODUCTION ACTIVITIES Greet students and introduce yourself. Using a United States map, locate Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. Be sure to teach or reinforce vocabulary words as needed. Point out that the Colorado River basin drains portions of seven states (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California). The Colorado has had more dams constructed along its course than any other river in the world. Discuss why people build dams (hydroelectric power, flood control, irrigation for farming, water supplies for growing cities, recreation). Ask students to explain what some of the negative effects of damming a river might be (loss and change of habitat, loss of native fish, beach erosion, controlled flow of water). Divide the class to give more hands-on experience. Each of the simulations (both pre and post dam) takes minutes. Materials for the simulations can be found in the ecology trunk. Half class works on Colorado River pre-dam simulation. Other half of class can view slides or video also found in the ecology trunk. When first group has finished pre-dam simulation, the second group can begin pre-dam simulation while first half moves to post-dam. When they have finished, they may have the opportunity to view the slides or video. Colorado River Ecology Simulation This activity was developed by the Grand Canyon Field Institute to be used as part of the Colorado River Ecology trunk. Tell students that they will be participating in a simulation activity that allows them to explore some of the changes and effects resulting from the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, a few miles upriver from Grand Canyon National Park. Pre-dam Colorado River: Using tables or open floor space lay out the red-brown fabric to represent the pre-dam Colorado River. As you work through the activity, fold and unfold the fabric to show how the river changed from a small flow to a raging torrent depending on the time of year and storm activity. Using activity pieces, arrange the beaches, plants, animals and fish to give a visual representation of what lived in the river and along its banks before the dam was built. Allow time for students to read aloud the information on the back of the cards. They will also find the Colorado River Changes chart in the trunk quite useful. Explain that scientists do not have a complete picture of the life before the dam. The cards represent some of the more common species of plants and animals. Pre-dam river was affected by a number of factors including snowmelt, seasonal precipitation, and climate changes. Place the event cards in a pile face down beside the river. Ask a student to draw one and read the event (not the results). Allow students to predict the effects the event will have on the river, its plants and its animals. Use the chart and the results given on the cards to guide discussion of how the event would affect the river, beaches, plants and animals. Make appropriate changes to the model to reflect the effects of the event. Discuss the changes made. MNA s Colorado River Ecology page 2

3 What would be considered a normal annual cycle for the Colorado River before the construction of Glen Canyon Dam? Explain that annual flooding caused by spring snowmelt alternated with low water levels through the winter months and in low precipitation years. Temperatures of the water changed dramatically with the seasons. What were the effects on this natural cycle of events on the plants, animals and beaches of Grand Canyon? Explain that annual flooding scoured the plant life from the beaches allowing for little stable streamside habitat for animals. Flooding also cleared out driftwood, moved rocks, and rearranged rapids. Beaches were re-formed as floodwaters deposited sediments. Muddy water and temperature variations determined the kinds of fish that thrived there. Post-dam Colorado River Using tables or open floor space, lay out the red-brown fabric to represent the pre-dam Colorado River. Place the dam across the river. Lay out the blue-green fabric to represent the post-dam Colorado River below the dam. The pink colored cloth represents the soft sedimentary rocks in Grand Canyon. The black fabric represents the metamorphic rock in the bottom of the canyon. The hard rock called Vishnu Schist causes a constriction rapid shown by the current marks and white water. The brown felt fabric will be used to overlay the green when storms flood the Little Colorado River and other tributaries carrying a sediment load into the Colorado River. Place the blue fabric to represent Lake Powell, the reservoir created behind the dam. Explain that Glen Canyon Dam is one of many dams on the Colorado River. In fact, in the geologic past there were a number of natural lava dams that affected the river s flow. The dam was completed in It took until 1980 for Lake Powell to reach its full depth. How much water is released, and when, is determined by the demand for electric power. When power is needed, water is released through eight tunnels located beneath the surface of Lake Powell, turning eight giant turbines at the base of the dam. This water flowing into the river downstream from the dam is a constant 48 degrees and is blue-green in color. Ask students to explain the change in color and temperature. The sediment is trapped behind the dam and settles to the lake bottom. Water is released from deep within the lake and runs clear and cold. Arrange the beaches, plants, animals, and fish to give a visual representation of what now lives in the river and along its banks. Explain that streamside vegetation is now abundant due to the absence of scouring floods. This in turn has allowed many birds, insects, and other animals to thrive. Because the water is now clear most of the time and cold all of the time, some native fish are extinct or struggling to survive while non-native species of trout and carp flourish. Place the event cards in a pile face down. Draw one and read aloud. Discuss each event and how it would effect the river, beaches, plants, and animals, as well as human activity. Make appropriate changes to the model to reflect the effects of the event. How has the river changed since construction of the dam? What is the normal cycle of the river now? Why? What beneficial changes can you MNA s Colorado River Ecology page 3

4 observe? What changes do you observe that are not beneficial? Which of these changes are matters of opinion? Explain that flooding, both planned and unplanned, has occurred since the construction of the dam. The reasons given for these floods are unexpected high runoff from over-filling the lake or experimentation to see if beach erosion can be counteracted. Since the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, two other dams in Grand Canyon have been repeatedly proposed. Many people actively opposed these dams and they have not been built. POSSIBLE EXTENSION Conduct a debate on the problems and advantages of draining Lake Powell or on the building of the dam in the first place. There are stakeholder information cards in the Ecology trunk that can be used for this. Other suggestions included in the trunk are for students to write a persuasive essay taking the pro or con side of constructing Glen Canyon Dam or draining Lake Powell, to write a letter to the Glen Canyon Dam Commission stating their points of view and the reasons for them, to write a song or poem describing the pros and cons of Glen Canyon Dam or to create a poster or mural depicting the ecological changes they have learned about. ARIZONA ACADEMIC STANDARDS SCIENCE Strand 1: Inquiry Process Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses Grades 5 8: Formulate predictions, questions, or hypotheses based on observations. Locate appropriate resources. PO 1. Formulate questions based on observations that lead to the development of a hypothesis PO 2. (Grade 4): Formulate a relevant question through observations that can be tested by an investigation. PO 3. Explain the role of a hypothesis in a scientific inquiry. PO 4 (Grade 4): Locate information related to an investigation. 1. Why do people find it necessary to build dams? 2. What do you think would be some the negative effects of damming a river? 3. How has the Colorado River changed since construction of Glen Canyon Dam? Could these changes have been predicted? 4. What would be considered a normal annual cycle for the Colorado River before the construction of Glen Canyon Dam? Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions Grades 5 8: Analyze and interpret data to explain correlations and results; formulate new questions. PO 2. Form a logical argument about a correlation between variables or sequence of events PO 5. Formulate a conclusion based on data analysis 1. What effect did snowmelt, seasonal precipitation and climate changes have on the river, the plants and the animals before Glen Canyon Dam was constructed? MNA s Colorado River Ecology page 4

5 2. Why has the color and temperature of the Colorado River changed since the construction of Glen Canyon Dam? 3. Since the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, what effect has the absence of scouring floods had on the river, the plants and the animals? Concept 4: Communication Grades 4 8: Communicate results of investigations PO 1 (Grade 4): Communicate verbally or in writing the results of an inquiry. PO 5 (Grades 5 8): Communicate the results and conclusion of the investigation 1. Based on the results of the Colorado River simulation, present verbally or in writing the position of a stakeholder who would benefit from the Glen Canyon Dam and the changes it has brought. 2. Based on the results of the Colorado River simulation, present verbally or in writing the position of a stakeholder who would not consider the Glen Canyon Dam and the changes it has brought to be beneficial. Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Concept 1: Changes in Environments Grades 4 8: Describe the interactions between human populations, natural hazards and the environment. PO 1 (Grade 4): Describe how natural events and human activities have positive and negative impacts on environments (e.g., dams) PO 1 (Grade 7): Analyze environmental risks (e.g. destruction of habitat) caused by human interaction with biological systems. PO 2 (Grade 7): Analyze environmental benefits of the following human interactions with biological systems: habitat restoration construction of dams Strand 4: Life Science Concept 3: Populations of Organisms in an Ecosystem Grades 6 8: Analyze the relationships of various organisms and their environment. PO 2 (Grade 6): Describe how the following environmental conditions affect the quality of life: water quality PO 3 (Grade 7): Analyze the interactions of living organisms with their ecosystems PO 4 (Grade 7): Evaluate data related to problems associated with population growth (e.g., invasion of non-native species) and the possible solutions. PO 5 (Grade7): Predict how environmental factors (e.g., floods, droughts, temperature changes) affect survival rates in living organisms. PO 6 (Grade 7): Create a model of the interactions of living MNA s Colorado River Ecology page 5

6 organisms within an ecosystem. Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation, and Behavior Grades 5 8 Identify structural and behavioral adaptations. PO 2 (introduced in grade 3): Describe ways that species adapt when introduced into new environments. PO 3 (introduced in grade3): Cite examples of how a species inability to adapt to changing conditions in the ecosystem led to the extinction of that species. PO 1 (Grade 8): Explain how an organism s behavior allows it to survive in an environment. PO 4 (Grade 8): Compare the symbiotic and competitive relationships in organisms within an ecosystem. Strand 5: Physical Science Concept 3: Transfer of Energy Grades 5 8 Understand that energy can be stored and transferred. PO 1: Identify various ways in which electrical energy is generated using renewable and nonrenewable resources (e.g., dams). MNA s Colorado River Ecology page 6

7 COLORADO RIVER ECOLOGY OVERVIEW FOR TEACHERS/PARENTS AGE/GRADE LEVEL This program addresses Arizona science curriculum standards for grades 4 8 and is particularly applicable for grade 7 life science standards DURATION LOCATION BACKGROUND ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS KEY WORDS USED IN THE PROGRAM ARIZONA ACADEMIC STANDARDS ADDRESSED BY THIS PROGRAM Allow a minimum of an hour and a half for this program Branigar Chase Discovery Center Glen Canyon Dam was completed in It was built for the production of hydroelectric power, water storage, flood control and to extend the life of Hoover Dam by slowing the rate of sediment fill in Lake Mead. Since its completion the changes to the Colorado River through Grand Canyon have been dramatic. This program is designed to help students explore some of those changes and to encourage critical thinking concerning different points of view and considerations over whether or not to decommission Glen Canyon Dam and drain Lake Powell. By the end of the program, students should be able to intelligently discuss the following questions: 1. Why do people build dams? 2. What are some of the negative effects of damming a river? 3. What would be considered a normal annual cycle for the Colorado River before the construction of Glen Canyon Dam? What were the effects of this natural cycle of events on the plants, animals, and beaches in Grand Canyon? 4. How has the river changed since construction of the dam? What is the normal cycle for the river now? Why? 5. What beneficial changes can you observe? What changes do you observe that are not beneficial? Which of these changes are matters of opinion? Dam Riparian Endangered Hydroelectric power Habitat Extinct Ecology Species Adaptation Ecosystem Native species Stakeholder River basin Exotic SCIENCE Strand 1: Inquiry Process Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses Grades 5 8: Formulate predictions, questions, or hypotheses based on observations. Locate appropriate resources. PO 1. Formulate questions based on observations that lead to the development of a hypothesis PO 2. (Grade 4): Formulate a relevant question through observations that can be tested by an investigation. PO 3. Explain the role of a hypothesis in a scientific inquiry. PO 4 (Grade 4): Locate information related to an investigation.

8 5. Why do people find it necessary to build dams? 6. What do you think would be some the negative effects of damming a river? 7. How has the Colorado River changed since construction of Glen Canyon Dam? Could these changes have been predicted? 8. What would be considered a normal annual cycle for the Colorado River before the construction of Glen Canyon Dam? Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions Grades 5 8: Analyze and interpret data to explain correlations and results; formulate new questions. PO 2. Form a logical argument about a correlation between variables or sequence of events PO 5. Formulate a conclusion based on data analysis 4. What effect did snowmelt, seasonal precipitation and climate changes have on the river, the plants and the animals before Glen Canyon Dam was constructed? 5. Why has the color and temperature of the Colorado River changed since the construction of Glen Canyon Dam? 6. Since the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, what effect has the absence of scouring floods had on the river, the plants and the animals? Concept 4: Communication Grades 4 8: Communicate results of investigations PO 1 (Grade 4): Communicate verbally or in writing the results of an inquiry. PO 5 (Grades 5 8): Communicate the results and conclusion of the investigation 3. Based on the results of the Colorado River simulation, present verbally or in writing the position of a stakeholder who would benefit from the Glen Canyon Dam and the changes it has brought. 4. Based on the results of the Colorado River simulation, present verbally or in writing the position of a stakeholder who would not consider the Glen Canyon Dam and the changes it has brought to be beneficial. Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Concept 1: Changes in Environments Grades 4 8: Describe the interactions between human populations, natural hazards and the environment. PO 1 (Grade 4): Describe how natural events and human activities have positive and negative impacts on environments (e.g., dams) PO 1 (Grade 7): Analyze environmental risks (e.g. destruction of habitat) caused by human interaction with biological systems. PO 2 (Grade 7): Analyze environmental benefits of the following human interactions with biological systems: habitat restoration

9 construction of dams Strand 4: Life Science Concept 3: Populations of Organisms in an Ecosystem Grades 6 8: Analyze the relationships of various organisms and their environment. PO 2 (Grade 6): Describe how the following environmental conditions affect the quality of life: water quality PO 3 (Grade 7): Analyze the interactions of living organisms with their ecosystems PO 4 (Grade 7): Evaluate data related to problems associated with population growth (e.g., invasion of non-native species) and the possible solutions. PO 5 (Grade7): Predict how environmental factors (e.g., floods, droughts, temperature changes) affect survival rates in living organisms. PO 6 (Grade 7): Create a model of the interactions of living organisms within an ecosystem. Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation, and Behavior Grades 5 8 Identify structural and behavioral adaptations. PO 2 (introduced in grade 3): Describe ways that species adapt when introduced into new environments. PO 3 (introduced in grade3): Cite examples of how a species inability to adapt to changing conditions in the ecosystem led to the extinction of that species. PO 1 (Grade 8): Explain how an organism s behavior allows it to survive in an environment. PO 4 (Grade 8): Compare the symbiotic and competitive relationships in organisms within an ecosystem. Strand 5: Physical Science Concept 3: Transfer of Energy Grades 5 8 Understand that energy can be stored and transferred. PO 1: Identify various ways in which electrical energy is generated using renewable and nonrenewable resources (e.g., dams).