South Carolina Aquarium Online Curriculum, 6th

Eighth Grade Indicators

8-1.1	Design a controlled scientific investigation.
8-1.3	Construct explanations and conclusions from interpretations of data obtained during a controlled scientific investigation.
8-1.4	Generate questions for further study on the basis of prior investigations
8-1.7	Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations.
8-3.6	Explain how the theory of plate tectonics accounts for the motion of the lithospheric plates, the geologic activities at the plate boundaries, and the changes in landform areas over geologic time.
8-3.7	Illustrate the creation and changing of landforms that have occurred through geologic processes (including volcanic eruptions and mountain-building forces).
8-3.9	Identify and illustrate geologic features of South Carolina and other regions of the world through the use of imagery (including aerial photography and satellite imagery) and topographic maps.

Key Points
Key Points will give you the main information you should know to teach the activity.

Detailed Information
Detailed Information gives more in-depth background to increase your own knowledge, in case you want to expand upon the activity or you are asked detailed questions by students.

The force that moves the water in streams and rivers is not atomic energy, solar power or hamsters running in exercise wheels. It is gravity. The attraction of gravity pulls water from areas of high elevation to areas of low elevation. For this reason topography, the shape and form of the land, plays a major role in defining the size and shape of watersheds.

Watersheds, the area of land where all the water drains to one stream, river or lake, are surrounded by drainage divides. Drainage divides are areas of relatively high topography that separate two watersheds. Water that falls on one side of a divide will drain to a different basin than the water that falls on the other side. Drainage divides can be as high as the Rocky Mountains or as low as a small rise in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Continental land tends to rise in elevation as one moves inland from the coastline. For this reason almost all river and streams in watersheds across the world flow towards the coast and eventually will discharge into the ocean. There are exceptions, though, such as the Great Basin in the Southwestern United States. This is an area in Utah and Nevada of approximately 210,000 square miles. It contains the Great Salt Lake, a lake with no outlets that is three to five times saltier than the ocean. Its high salt content is caused by the salt and mineral deposits of the rivers flowing into the lake. With no outlets, the Great Salt Lake has been accumulating salt for centuries.

In South Carolina, all of the watersheds flow into the Atlantic Ocean. This is because of the elevation changes in the different regions of the state from the northwest to the southeast. Each region of the state is characterized by its topography. In the northwest corner of the state is the Mountains region. This is part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range and contains the highest elevations in the state, up to 3500 ft. The next region in the state is the Piedmont, which is characterized by rolling hills and valleys and presents a drop in elevation. The next region is the Sandhills, which, as you may have guessed, are sandy hills, the remains of ancient sand dunes and barrier islands. The next region is the Coastal Plain, very flat land that gradually drops in elevation to sea level. The final land region is the Coast, the lowest elevation in the state at sea level.

The watersheds flow from northwest to southeast, from the mountains to the sea. The three major watersheds, the Santee, Pee Dee and Savannah River watersheds, all start in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South and North Carolina and flow downwards toward the Atlantic Ocean. The smaller coastal watersheds, such as the Ashley, Edisto and Ashepoo Rivers, all begin in the Coastal Plain and flow to the ocean.

(Click on map to enlarge) The topography of South Carolina was formed by three major forces: the continental collision that created the Appalachian Mountains, the periodic rising and falling of sea level through the ages and the erosion and deposition of streams and rivers. During the Paleozoic Era, the collision of the North American and African continental plates pushed the rocks upward that formed the Appalachian Mountains. This mountain growth occurred only at a few inches a century, but on the geologic time scale, this is rapid. At their tallest these mountains were as high as the Himalayas are today. This may be hard to believe by looking at the mild mountains we are familiar with in our time, but hundreds of millions of years of erosion have smoothed them down.

Sea level changes occur because the Earth's climate undergoes periodic changes in which the average temperature of the atmosphere will rise and fall. When it rises, the water frozen in the ice caps of the Arctic and Antarctic begins to melt and sea level will rise. As sea level rises, water begins to cover the land. In South Carolina, millions of years ago, the sea covered the Coastal Plain to the Sandhills in the mid-state near Columbia. The Sandhills are remnants of ancient sand dunes. When temperatures lowered, water was again captured in the icecaps and the coastline receded again. The ocean waters flattened most of the Coastal Plain, though ancient sand dunes and barrier islands have formed a few small hills.

(Click on map to enlarge) In recent times, the topography of South Carolina has been shaped by the erosion and deposits of streams and rivers. The soils of the Piedmont are composed of sediment eroded from the Blue Ridge Mountains that have been deposited in the area by streams and rivers. The rivers and streams also have eroded the Piedmont region to form the low hills and valleys characteristic of the Piedmont region, and brought the sediment that composes the beaches and barrier islands. The erosion of streams and rivers do more to shape the topography of the land than any other geologic force.

All of these features combine to give the watersheds in South Carolina their size and shape. Mountains, hills and even a small rise in elevation in the Coastal Plain can form the drainage divides that are the boundaries of the watersheds. The drop in elevation from the mountains to the sea causes all of the watersheds in South Carolina to eventually empty into the sea. Knowing about the topography of South Carolina leads to a better understanding of the watersheds of South Carolina.

Materials

Physical map of South Carolina
Map of South Carolina Regions (full-page version)
Map of South Carolina Watersheds (full-page version)
Seedling tray tops (one for each group)
Newspaper
Aluminum foil or plastic wrap
Markers (one for each group)
Spray bottles
Blue food coloring
Drinking straws or pencils
Transparent tape

Procedure
Preparation: The teacher should have the spray bottles full of blue colored water ready prior to class.

The class will review the concepts of watersheds, drainage divides and drainage basins. Ask students to think about what creates the drainage divides in watersheds. Students will discuss their ideas.
The class will be divided into small groups. Each group will receive a tray, marker, newspaper, aluminum foil or plastic wrap and tape. Students will crumple newspaper into small balls and randomly tape them down in the tray. The students will place aluminum foil or plastic wrap over the newspaper so it follows the contours of the crumpled up newspaper to simulate the topography of mountains and valleys. A book will be placed under one end of the tray so that it is elevated to simulate the sloping of land toward the sea.
Using the marker, the students will draw on the aluminum foil where they predict the drainage divides will occur in their models and where water might collect in pools. Bring the spray bottle(s) filled with blue colored water to each group, and have students spray several pumps of water on the model (for management purposes, you may want to do the spraying yourself). Students will observe how the water flows, what direction it moves and where it collects and compare this with their original predictions.
Students will examine the physical map of South Carolina and observe that some drainage divides occur where there do not seem to be any major elevation differences, such as in the Coastal Plain. In their trays, students will tape drinking straws or pencils down to the bottom and cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Students will again predict where they think the water will flow. Again assist students in spraying water and have students observe where the water flows. Students will infer from this that even slight elevation changes can form drainage divides.
Students will create a model of the state of South Carolina in their trays. Using newspaper, drinking straws and aluminum foil again, students will create a topography that simulates each region of South Carolina. The tray will have a definitely recognizable Mountain region, a Piedmont region, a Coastal Plain region and an Ocean. The model will also represent the four major watersheds of South Carolina (Savannah, PeeDee, Santee and Coastal Rivers) and drainage divides will occur in similar positions to those found in South Carolina. When water is poured on their model, the water will flow from the mountains to the sea and major drainage basins will be the same. Students do not need to worry about reproducing the position of rivers, streams, mountains and reservoirs, just watersheds and ecoregions. The model does not need to be the shape of South Carolina, but can fit the shape of the tray.

Follow-up questions

How accurate are these models? When it rains on soil, does all of the water stay on top of the soil and run off like it does on aluminum foil? Would some of the water become groundwater in the natural world? Does any of the water in the model become groundwater?
How do the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains affect the shapes of watersheds and the direction of water flow in the United States?
Is there anywhere in the United States where a watershed does not flow into one of the oceans or the Gulf of Mexico? Where and why?

In their models of watersheds and topography of South Carolina students will:

Show that the elevation of the topography in the northwest of the state is higher than the topography in the southeast of the state.
Show that water flows from the northwest mountains to the southeast sea.
Correctly delineate the major watersheds of South Carolina and place elevation to create drainage divides in the approximate location of where they occur in the state.

Scoring Rubric
(Out of five points) In their models of South Carolina:

The elevation decreases from the Mountain region to the Coast region: 1 point
Water flows from the Mountain region to the sea: 1 point
When water is sprayed, four separate watersheds can be observed on the model: 1 point
One to two of the watersheds are in the correct position and roughly the same shape as they appear in the state: 1 point
Three to four of the watersheds are in the correct position and roughly the same shape as they appear in the state: 1 points

Cross-Curricular Extensions
Art Extension
Pass out one piece of art paper and a straw to each student. Have students lightly crumple the paper and then flatten it out again. Put a few drops of ink or paint at the edge of the paper. Have the students come down level with the paper and blow through the straw at the drop of ink. The ink will branch out as it moves over the paper to create a shape that is similar to that of a watershed. After the ink has dried have students compare the pattern of their blown ink with the patterns of watersheds in South Carolina. Are any of them similar? Have them think about how differences in elevation on the paper might have the same effect on flowing water as differences in elevation on land.

Art Extension
Have the students design a T-shirt to promote awareness of one of South Carolina's watersheds. Have them depict aquatic habitats found in the watershed and show some of threats that may be affecting the health of that watershed.

Social Studies Extension
Have the students plot the location of schools that share their watershed, preferably one for each geologic region (Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain, and Coast). Through e-mails or letters students from each school will communicate with each other to describe their local topography and aquatic habitats and how they are used (do students hike to see waterfalls, go white-water rafting, go surfing, etc.). Students may exchange artifacts from their region such as shells or pressed mountain flowers.

Teacher Reference Books
Cvancara, Alan M. A Field Manual For The Amateur Geologist: Tools and Activities for Exploring Our Planet, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York,1995.
This field guide contains information on the physical environment.

Kovacik, Charles F. and John J. Winberry. South Carolina: the Making of a Landscape, University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, 1989.
This wonderful reference book provides information on the abiotic factors that determine the habitats of South Carolina.

Murphy, Carolyn Hanna. Carolina Rocks!: The Geology of South Carolina, Sandlapper Publishing Co., Inc., Orangeburg, 1995. Information on the geology, topography and formation of all of the regions in South Carolina.

Plummer, Charles C. and David McGeary. Physical Geology, Wm. C. Brown Publishers, Iowa, 1991.
Though admittedly college textbooks are often a little too dry and in-depth, with their text, photographs and illustrations they are often the best resources for finding information on a particular subject. This college textbook is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know more about geology.

Watercourse Publications: Discover Ground Water & Springs, Conserve Water, Big Rivers, and the Water Story, The Watercourse, Montana.
These publications provide information and games on a variety of topics. For additional information visit www.montana.edu/wwwwater

Teacher Reference Websites
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Environmental Education
http://www.cbf.org/education/index.htm
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has put together an exemplary watershed protection program that encompasses many states. This site includes information on what they have done in this program as well as curricula and other education related items.

EPA Office of Water: Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
www.epa.gov/owow/
Provides information on watersheds, wetlands, water quality plus much more.

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control: Bureau of Water
www.scdhec.net/water
This site offers information on drinking water, water pollution control, watersheds plus much more.

Southern Appalachian Watershed Conservation Clearinghouse
http://sunsite.utk.edu/samab/proj/watershed.html
This site offers links to a number of websites related to watershed conservation in the Southeastern United States.

Surf Your Watershed: A Service to Help You Locate, Use, and Share Environmental Information About Your Place
www.epa.gov/surf
This site allows you to learn specific information related to the watershed your town is located in.

U.S. Geological Survey
www.usgs.gov/
This site offers valuable earth science information on a variety of topics.

Water Science for Schools
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/
Background information on water and watersheds is provided on this site.

Student Reference Books
Eyewitness Books: Earth, Susanna Van Rose. Dorling Kindersley, London, 1994.
These very attractive books use photographs, illustrations and text to teach the reader about the earth.

Haslam, Andrew. Make It Work! Rivers, World Book Inc./ Two-Can, Hong Kong, 1996.
Readers will explore the rivers of the world and determine how they affect Earth.

Levete, Sarah. Closer Look At: Rivers and Lakes, Copper Beech Books,Connecticut,1999.
This book uses photographs, illustrations and text to teach the reader about rivers and lakes.

Taylor, Barbara. Earth Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Our Planet, Henry Holt and Company, New York1997.
This book uses photographs, illustrations and text to teach the reader about the earth.

Curricula
JASON Project
The JASON Project is an interdisciplinary curriculum for K-12 teachers focusing on the geology, climate, biology and biodiversity of specific regions in the world. The activities cover a broad range of topics. For information on signing up for workshops, call Karen Talbert at (803) 738-1876.

SC MAPS
SC MAPS is a standards-based interdisciplinary curriculum for middle school teachers that focus on the geology of the five regions of South Carolina using aerial photographs, images and topographic maps. For information on signing up for workshops call (864) 656-1560.

Field Trip Sites
South Carolina's Ecoregions
Each of South Carolina's ecoregions contains many parks and preserved land that make watersheds and landforms accessible to school groups. Below is listed one example from each region.

Mountains
Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area (Jones Gap and Caesars Head State Natural Areas) - The Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area covers more than 10,000 acres of exceptional mountain habitat including Jones Gap and Caesars Head state parks. Education at this site strives to foster an understanding and appreciation of the Mountain Bridge, the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Through expert instruction and hands-on field experiences, students can investigate the ecology, hydrology and geology of the area. (Greenville County - Caesars Head 864.836.6115; Jones Gap 864.836.3647)

Piedmont
Landsford Canal State Park – Offers teachers activities to use to guide their students investigations of the unique natural communities found in and near the rocky shoals of the Catawba River. Students will explore uniquely adapted plants and animals while investigating the geology and natural communities found in this area of the Catawba River. (Chester and Lancaster counties - 803.789.5800)

Coastal Plain
Cypress Gardens – Cypress Gardens is a preserved blackwater swamp habitat located between Goose Creek and Moncks Corner. Trails, boats, a butterfly garden and freshwater aquariums can all be found here. The garden is opened seven days a week and offers environmental education programs for school groups. For more information call (843) 553-0515.

Coast
ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve – This reserve, located between Edisto Beach and Hunting Island, contains 12,000 acres of tidal marshes and estuarine waters. The area is rich in wildlife: fish, crustaceans, birds and even mammals can all be found here. Boat tours are available through this area for high school and college students. For more information call (843) 762-5032.

Ocean
Huntington Beach State Park – With its marshes, maritime forest and beach, the educational focus of Huntington Beach will foster understanding of how natural communities are interdependent on each other and dependent on us. To protect our natural heritage, we must learn that we are part of, not apart from, the natural world. Through observation and hands-on activities, students gain an understanding of the importance of the resources found on this park and enhance their appreciation of environmental issues facing their own communities. (Georgetown County - 843.237.4440)

Grade Level	Standards
6th Grade	6-1.2, 6-1.4, 6-1.5, 6-4.2
7th Grade	7-1.2, 7-1.6, 7-1.7, 7-4.5
8th Grade	8-1.1, 8-1.3, 8-1.4, 8-1.7, 8-3.6, 8-3.7, 8-3.9
* Bold standards are the main standards addressed in this activity.

6-1.2	Differentiate between observation and inference during the analysis and interpretation of data.
6-1.4	Use a technological design process to plan and produce a solution to a problem or a product (including identifying a problem, designing a solution or a product, implementing the design, and evaluating the solution or the product).
6-1.5	Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations
6-4.2	Summarize the interrelationships among the dynamic processes of the water cycle (including precipitation, evaporation, transpiration, condensation, surface-water flow, and groundwater flow).

7-1.2	Generate questions that can be answered through scientific investigation
7-1.6	Critique a conclusion drawn from a scientific investigation.
7-1.7	Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations
7-4.5	Summarize how the location and movement of water on Earth’s surface through groundwater zones and surface-water drainage basins, called watersheds, are important to ecosystems and to human activities.