River Studies Fieldwork and Follow Up Activities

AimFieldwork represents a vital and valuable part of learning and provides an opportunity for children to be immersed in their environment. It enables pupils to better develop subject knowledge and gain a range of skills that are difficult to develop in the classroom alone.

Both geography fieldwork and ‘working scientifically’ National Curriculum objectives can be safely met by having a clear visit purpose and well-planned river studies fieldwork.

Additional guidance for managing groups at a water margin can be found at:https://oeapng.info/3288-group-safety-at-water-margins

Planning Your Visit:What Makes the River Suitable for Fieldwork Investigation?In choosing a river fieldwork location, you are looking for a safe, accessible location where children can investigate the river first-hand under direct adult supervision.

Drainage ditches and streams can also be used to provide children with opportunities for river studies fieldwork.

This site will help you identify and find out about your local river and the condition it's in:https://www.wwf.org.uk/uk-rivers-map

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Things to consider: Is the site accessible for all students with parking nearby if needed? Are there places where the river is quite easy to reach? Are the hazards manageable eg Is the river not too deep – no higher than

wellington boot depth? Avoid steep banks, turbulent water, soft mud and places where it is

impossible to see the bottom. Avoid swollen rivers or streams. If in doubt, stay out! Is it a spate river (meaning that the river can rise quickly following a

storm?) If so, you will need to look at the weather forecast before you visit to make sure the river will not suddenly become too deep.

What lies upstream and downstream, or around the corner from your planned work area eg outflows, fallen tree, weir, waterfall, etc?

Consider water quality. Are there any obvious signs such as froth on the surface, cloudy water etc. Bacteria may derive from chemicals, sewage, dead animals or other causes.

Is there a safe place for the children to be based, in order to conduct the field work?

TidesIf you are going near the sea or an estuary, check tidal conditions so you know when high tide is, how high it will reach, and whether there are any strong local currents.At all tide times there should be an easy exit point and mud flats should be avoided at all times.

Are there examples of natural river processes? Are there examples of human management and how they affect natural

processes?

Supervision Ensure you will have enough competent leaders to provide

effective supervision for your particular group, activity and site. Check the staff/adult to pupil ratio needed for the age group. (Hampshire

CC minimum supervision ratios: Reception: 1:6; Key Stage 1: 1:8; Key Stage 2 and above: maximum 1:12.)

It is highly recommended that staff leading the visit and accompanying have attended the Outdoor Leader training courses and or have transferable competencies in managing groups at water margin and in shallow water.

Ensure prior to the visit taking place all staff are clear as to what their roles are on the day of the visit especially in and near the water.

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Pre-Visit:It’s important to know the area you will be studying. Even if you are familiar with the river section, visit it just prior to the field trip to check that nothing has changed and to inspect the site for hazards.

Pay particular attention to the following:

Depth of water and flow rate Trip hazards, pathways, uneven ground Access and exit points to the river Flora and fauna eg thorny shrubs, stinging nettles etc. Any livestock nearby that could enter the area you are working in.

Where are the toilets and what are the toileting considerations for the site?

Ensure you know what emergency assistance is available if needed, where the nearest hospital is, and where vehicles can access any walking route alongside water. Remember your mobile phone may not work in remote areas.

Identify a Plan B should conditions not be appropriate when you arrive. Plan B might consist of doing the same activity at a different location, or a different activity altogether and should be planned in the same way as plan A. Be prepared to move to Plan B before or even during the activity.

Carry out a risk assessment (A risk assessment template can be found on Evolve www.hampshireoutdoors.com Resources/Forms).

Weather Forecast It is important the day before the planned

fieldwork, to check the weather forecast. If there has been heavy rain and/or heavy rain is forecast, you may need to consider cancelling.

Some rivers are quick to respond to weather events. If there is persistent heavy rain, then it will take only a couple of hours for the river to become unsuitable for field studies.

Conversely once the rain has stopped then the river will return to a more normal flow rate within a few hours.

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Pre-work In the Classroom: Locate the river on maps https://www.wwf.org.uk/uk-rivers-map Look at where it rises and where it meets the sea. Provide the children with a base map of the area and mark the source and

mouth on the map, and point where they are going to visit. Look at photographs of the river - what do the children think it will be like

there? If you have historical photos, these can be used as a comparison as to what

the river looks like now.

During the Visit: On arrival at your river studies site, assess the key issues that were

raised in your pre-visit. Has anything changed that means you should change to Plan B?

During the visit, dynamically risk assess and be prepared to adapt plans or cut short the activity.

Always have at least one throw line and first aid kit with you - have you checked they are functional and you are confident in their use before you need them – if in doubt practice. However, remember that taking a throwline is not a reason to take a risk. Using Plan B is preferable to using a throwline.

Use a stick/pole to test the water depth before entering. If in doubt it is better not to enter the water and risk an accident.

Set up boundaries as to where pupils can sample the river. Carry a spare set of clothing and some spare socks – just in case (for staff

too)!

Group BriefingAn important part of ensuring a safe and productive fieldwork session is to ensure that children and supporting adults are fully briefed before the field study session.

Safety topics to cover, in addition to introducing the activity and the expected learning outcomes, include:

Expectations of appropriate behaviour, eg no running or misuse of equipment – get the students to create their own risk assessment and management actions.

Make them aware of any particular hazards. Check if any students or adults have any open cuts or wounds. These would

require first aid dressing (or wearing of a rubber glove) prior to the activity, to avoid infection from the water.

Students need to be aware that infections can occur via the mouth, nose, ears and eyes. Therefore, they should not put their hands/fingers near any

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of these areas if they can avoid it. You should ensure that all hands are washed with soap or anti-bacterial gel applied directly after the activity and particularly before eating.

Clear instructions on where the river is to be accessed and exited from; what slip, trip and fall hazards have been identified and where these are.

Clear instructions should be given as to the area in which students will be operating in, so that they are always within sight of an adult supervisor and are able to call immediately should they get into any kind of difficulty.

Instructions on any hazardous plants (if identified) and where these are and to avoid them.

Ensure that the group is properly clothed for the activity and the time of year. If access to the water is planned, they should all wear wellies and bring dry socks and shoes to change into. They should never go into the water in bare feet as there may be sharp stones or even broken glass.

Demonstrate how to use the guide pole (or metre stick) to test the river bank and river bed. The guide poles are to act as the children’s eyes beneath the water and also to aid balance. The children can use the pole to carefully and slowly probe the underwater surfaces for obstacles, unexpected drops and/or irregular surfaces prior to wading forwards.

Fieldwork Investigations:What Lives in the River?

Two common techniques for catching the animals living in the river can be used are kick sampling and dipping.

You will need: sampling nets; plastic trays – preferably white to empty sample into. 4-6 children per tray; stopwatch; magnifying pots and viewers pots; plastic spoons; identification guides / keys; recording sheets.

Kick Sampling A useful technique for sampling the creatures that live amongst the stones in shallow stony riverbeds.

Support children in deciding upon a sample area that has easy, safe access and which represents the typical conditions.

Decide on the sample time – e.g. 3 minutes. Prepare the white plastic trays by filling with a few cm of river water and

stand them ready somewhere level with enough space to gather round them to identify the creatures.

The children carrying out the sampling should carefully enter the water with their nets and spread out across the river width. They should get into

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position as gently as possible as some creatures will swim away if they sense vibrations.

The children should face downstream with their nets held in the water downstream of their feet.

One child on the bank can be the timer and on their “start” signal the sampling children use one foot to kick the stones, sand and sediment on the bottom of the river at their feet. The kicking needs to be firm enough to move the river bed material but not so energetic as to topple the child! Invertebrates dislodged will flow downstream into the net.

The children continue kicking until the timer signals “stop”. They can then lift their nets from the water, carefully exit the river and

transfer their catch into the white plastic trays. Invertebrates can then be identified, observed and recorded using magnifying pots and viewers. When ready return the catch and water to the river.

If you wish to carry out more than one kick sample, perhaps to allow all children to have a turn, each subsequent group’s sample area should be upstream of previous sample areas where the river will be undisturbed by previous kicking.

Dipping Pond nets can be used to sweep the aquatic vegetation to sample the

creatures living there. (See also Trailblazer Pond dipping Activity Sheet)

What Does the River Look Like?Look and Listen to the River.Children can write down words to remind them of the visit to their river.

You will need: clipboard, paper and pencil

Descriptive words: eg wide Sounds: eg gurgle Colours in the water or near the river

eg murky brown The river makes me feel…: eg

relaxed

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Field Sketch You will need: pencil, paper and clipboard, compass, camera.

Children can draw a brief field sketch of their river, looking either up or down stream.

Use a compass, to record the direction they are looking at whilst sketching and also which direction the river is flowing.

They should label their sketches using key physical features of the river and use appropriate geographical terms e.g. bank, channel, meander etc.

They can also label human features. Photographs can also be taken to use in the classroom.

From: https://www.rgs.org/schools/teaching-resources/primary-fieldwork/

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Fieldwork Enquiries:Depending on the ability of the children, children can be supported with the following enquiries or you could provide them with equipment and ask them to design a repeatable method that will allow them to investigate:

How wide is the river? How deep is the river? How fast is the river flowing?

Encourage children to offer ideas as to how this may be done. You could show them the equipment they are going to use as a prompt or show it as the children mention it in their suggestions. Encourage the children to suggest the distance that they will measure eg 2 metres, 5 metres, 10 metres (the “best” distance will depend on the particular location).

How Wide is the River?Measuring the distance across the river channel at different points along a river’s course, can demonstrate shows how the river changes in width as it gets nearer the mouth. You can also use the width measurement for other calculations.

You will need: tape measure, pencil, paper and clipboard.

Extend a tape measure from the point where the dry bank meets the water on one side of the river to the same point on the other side (hold it taut about 20cm above water level).

Record the length, viewing the reading from directly above the tape measure.

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How Deep is the River?Taking depth measurements at intervals across a section of the river shows how the riverbed changes shape, due to material on the riverbed.Take measurements at different locations along the course of a river to see how it changes in size and shape. (Sampling on a meander should provide interesting results due to erosion and deposition).

You will need: Tape measure, metre ruler, pencil, paper and clipboard.

Stretch the tape measure from one bank to the other. This can be used as a guide to ensure that you take measurements in a straight line. It is also a convenient way of measuring the intervals between readings.

Use the metre ruler to record the depth of water from the river bed to the surface of the water. Start from one river bank and move at equal intervals across the river.

Tip: If the bed is rough and bumpy, you will need more measurements at closer intervals to get an accurate result.

River Cross Section

Interval no.

Distance from River Bank cm)

Depth (cm)

1.2.3.4.5.

Back in the classroom:Mean Depth:

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Add the depths together and divide by the number of recordings taken to calculate the mean depth of the river at that point of the river.

Cross Sectional Area (CSA):This is a simple calculation to measure the amount of water at each site (the cross-sectional area of the water).

CSA (cm2) = width (cm) x mean depth (cm)

River cross profiles show a cross-section of a river’s channel and valley at certain points in the river’s course.

The depths can be plotted on a graph to show the cross-sectional profile of that section of the river.

Comparisons can be made between the profiles created from different stages of the river.

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How Fast is the River Flowing?Measuring how fast the water is flowing over a measured section of river shows how speed varies both across a channel (eg around a bend) and along the course of a river. The speed of a river determines which plants and animals can live there, whether the bed will be rocky or muddy. Water velocity can be measured by timing how long it takes for an object to travel a known distance.

You will need: Floats (dog biscuits are a cheap source of floats and will degrade safely or make paper boats); tape measure; stop watch; two metre rulers (to mark a start and stop point); map of the river (investigated area) and/or old photos; clipboards, data collection sheet, pencils and clipboard.

Measure a 10 metre stretch of the river (or other appropriate distance). If you have a number of groups, they could do this at different points along

the river and subsequently compare their results. Mark the start and end of your 10 metre stretch with the metre rulers. Site a pupil downstream at the 10 metre mark with the stopwatch. Countdown and start timing when another pupil drops a dog biscuit into the

river at the upstream 10 metre mark. Once the biscuit passes the 10 metre mark down-stream, stop the stop

watch. Repeat this exercise three times to calculate a mean time. If you have a number of groups making different recordings at different

points along a river, such as in straight sections or around a meander, do their recordings indicate any differences in the speed of the water along the different sections?

eg

Reading Number Distance (m) Time (s)

1 10 29

2 10 34

3 10 36

Total 99

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To find the average time, add the times together and divide by the number of readings:

Average Time = Sum total times ÷ Number of recordings

Average Time= (29+34+36) / 3 = 33 seconds

Now that we have an average time of 33 seconds, we can work out the velocity of the river in metres per second.

The float travelled 10m in 33 seconds, so to find the time to travel 1m, we divide the distance travelled by the time taken:

Speed (Velocity) = Distance = 10 = 0.303 m/s Time 33

So, we have a surface velocity of 0.303 metres per second.

Another technique for looking at the flow of the river is to use Fluorescein. This dye is safe to use in water and presents no threat to fish, other fauna or human health. It is used to trace the flow of water and is available to purchase online.

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How does the Sediment Size Change From Side to Side? Children collect samples of five

pebbles at, for example, 50cm intervals across the width of the river.

Take the five sediment samples to the side of the river bank and using a ruler, measure the length and width of each of the five sediment samples.

Using a calculator work out the mean average length and width of the sediment size for each site.

Sediment particle size usually decreases along the long profile of a river.

Site Sample Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Sample 4

Sample 5

Site A50cm from bank

Sediment length (mm or

cm)

Site B100cm from bank

Sediment width (mm or

cm)

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How Clear is the River Water?Water in rivers may be clean but not very clear because there may be particles suspended in the water such as particles of silt and clay; particles of dead plant material and algae (microscopic plants) and microscopic animals. The clearer the water, the further sunlight can penetrate into the water. This is good for aquatic plants which need sunlight to be able to photosynthesise. Photosynthesis produces oxygen which is released into the water and becomes available to aquatic animals.

Water clarity can be measured using an Opalometer (See the Complete Water Survey Pack www.opalexplorenature.org/watersurvey).

The OPALOMETER shows the OPAL logo in a scale of decreasing blackness (100% to 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%). It is more difficult to see the lighter OPALs when there is a higher amount of suspended particles and dissolved substances in the water.

Copy and cut out the disc using the weblink above. Laminate and trim the plastic to a circle, keeping a plastic rim around the disk to keep it waterproof.

Weight the disk with a 1p coin, or similar, secured to the reverse side (to keep it the opals facing up as the water is added). Insert it into the empty drinks bottle.

Water samples could be collected when on the field trip and taken back to school to carry out this activity as a classroom exercise. Comparisons could then be made with tap water, and perhaps pond water if the school has a pond.

You will need: Empty a 2 litre clear plastic drinks bottle; weighted water clarity disc card (Opalometer disc); jug/bucket and rope/funnel (whatever is needed to fill the bottle safely from the water source); 30cm rule or sheet of A4 paper/card.

Fill the bottle with water from the pond or lake to the height of an A4 sheet of paper.

Look in the top of the bottle (A in the diagram) and count the number of OPAL logos you can see.

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Note: Clarity of water is not necessarily an indicator of cleanliness as some chemical pollutants are colourless.

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Back in the Classroom: Projections - Using the data you collect, draw sketches of how the river

would have looked in the past. Make predictions about what it might look like in the future. Annotate

Flood management - Tie your data into the issue of flooding, suggest possible management strategies based on your findings about the channel and velocity.

http://flood.firetree.net See what happens to UK and global locations when the water level rises.

Create a Rope RiverYou will need: A length of rope, preferably blue, 2–2.5 metres long; river words (eg wide, shallow valley, river bank etc); a camera.

Ideally carry this activity out on a slope to simulate the course of the river from source to mouth.

Lay out the rope on ground and add a few bends in the lower end of the rope.

Each child, or pair, takes a river word card and in turn reads it to the rest of the group, explains to them what the word means and where the feature can be found on the river. They then place it on the rope river. eg a wide, shallow river valley is found on the lower parts of the river’s course.

When everyone has taken a turn and all the labels have been placed then a photograph can be taken as a permanent reminder for later use in class.

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Create a Micro-river System.

You will need:

Plastic sheet Watering can or hosepipe (the latter is best) Large bucket of mixed pea gravel, sand and peat Large ball of garden string or garden rope 20 – 25 hardboard or cardboard signs – suggest 0.5 metre x 20 cm Marker pens Digital camera if available Dictaphones if available Playground slope or steps or seat to run plastic sheet from

What to do:

Place the plastic sheeting down your natural/created slope. Place the mixture of pea gravel, sand and peat at the top of the slope. Divide the class into three groups. Each group: Decides which route they think the water will follow when you run water

through the mixture and down the slope and places string/rope down their selected course.

Take a digital image for comparison and discussion after the river has been made. (The three pieces of string/rope are removed before the river is made.)

Takes the role of one of the sediments in the mixture What will happen to them when the water starts to flow? Will they move or not? How might they move? How far might they travel? Where might they end up? What might happen to them if the water is flowing slowly or quickly?

During the making of the river the pupils watch what happens to their own sediment really carefully – this can be recorded either on a Dictaphone or as notes. They will have to describe the journey of their sediment during the debriefing session.

The pupils can use one of the boards and a marker pen to indicate where their sediment might end up.

Introduce a set of pre-prepared labels to the pupils, halfway through the making phase with markings on e.g. start, end, arrow for direction of flow, bend, eat away, drop, move, big river, little river.

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Pupils place these labels onto the river course and give reasons for their choices. Take pictures. Record findings.

Additional labels can be added with words that pupils wish to use to describe features that are forming as the river runs.

Pupils replace the first set of labels with new ones giving their reasons for doing so. Introduce river terminology e.g. source, mouth, meander, erode, deposit, transport, main channel, tributary and other river terms.

Take pictures, record findings.

See also:https://www.3dgeography.co.uk/river-models

Create a Mini-Delta and Flood Plain

A very visual way to think about flood planes and deltas. This could be used in relation to the Egyptians and the Nile.

You will need: Slope – if you don’t have a slope could you use a board, piece of guttering Building blocks to make houses and some toy animals or use natural materialsWaterJug / bucket

What to do: Explain to the children that this the dry season and that the farmers need

to decide where to graze their animals and build their houses. Children decide on grazing land and where to build their houses, point out where the river used to flow down the slope.

Discuss with the children why they have chosen to graze and build where they have.

Using a small amount of water pour down the slope to simulate it raining up-river. Look where the water flowed. Did all the animals and homes survive? Do we need to have a rethink about where we place things?

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Unfortunately, there has been more rain up-river and the river is now flowing faster and is fuller. Pour more water down the slope. Did everything survive? Where would the richer people put their houses? Where would the poorer people be forced to go? What can the people do to protect their homes? Can they reroute the river? Build a dam? Dig channels?

It has rained very hard up-river and now there is a lot of water in the river. Pour a large amount – full jug or bucket, down the slope. What happens now? Have the children made the right decision?

Look at where the water has been and see how the dirt has been moved. This is what makes the soil so fertile on these flat plains and why plants grow and animals live here. The rich people live on the higher grounds because they can afford the land whereas the poorer people live on the flood plains.

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HousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHousHous

Websites The Canal Trust - -the charity who look after 2,000 miles of waterways.

www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

Canal & River Trust Explorers is the Trust's education programme aimed at children aged 5-11.www.canalriverexplorers.org.uk

See what happens to UK and global locations when the water level rises.http://flood.firetree.net/

3D Geography - River worksheets and facts and images of UK and worldwide rivers.www.3dgeography.co.uk/river-worksheets

Opal Water Survey Whilst data entry for the OPAL Water Survey is now closed, survey resources and identification guides can still be downloaded for free below.https://www.opalexplorenature.org/watersurvey

An American website but has a great hands-on activity and resources for flood plain modelling.https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_natdis_lesson07_activity1

World Water Day resources.www.wateraid.org.uk

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