Woodland Stream Measuring

Woodland Stream Measuring
Explore the meanders of Hillwood Stream and then, using fieldwork equipment, collect measurements from different sections along a stream including height, depth, width and speed, to draw up a cross-sectional diagram and label the different features of a meander.

The full day option would include more thorough measurements and a walk to the source and confluence, linking the geology and geography of the land to the amount of water in the stream. A field sketch of a meander will also be drawn. 

Learning objectives 

• To understand how features on a meander are formed using geographical vocabulary: erosion, transportation, and deposition.
• To undertake fieldwork to measure a channel cross section and the speed of the water.
• To record findings on a graph.
• To recap the water cycle.

National geography curriculum links
KS2
Locational knowledge

• Name and locate geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills and rivers), and land use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time.

Physical geography

• Describe and understand key features of rivers and the water cycle.

Geographical skills and fieldwork

• Use fieldwork to observe, measure, record, and present the physical features in the local areas using a range of methods, including sketch maps and graphs.

National geography curriculum links 

Y5
Number

• Round decimals with 2 decimals to the nearest whole number and to 1 decimal place.

Measurement

• Convert between different units of metric measure (centimetre and metre).

Statistics

• Complete, read and interpret information in tables.
• Interpret and construct line graphs.
• Calculate and interpret the mean as an average.