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Name: Date:
Student Exploration: River Erosion
Vocabulary: cutbank, discharge, erosion, flood,
floodplain, meander, meandering river, oxbow lake,
point bar, river speed, sediments, slope,
streambank, streambed, tributary, weathering
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE
using the Gizmo.)
1. The image above shows a raging mountain river in full flood. What do you think is making
the water brown in color? The dirt being moved and picked up with the water.
2. What impact do you think the flooding river will have on the surrounding landscape?
The flooding river will cause the landscape to shift
Gizmo Warm-up
If you stand by the bank of a river, it may seem that very little is
happening. But over thousands and even millions of years,
rivers can have a profound effect on the landscape. In the River
Erosion Gizmo, you will see how rivers move materials and how
they affect landscapes.
To begin, check that Mountain stream and Short-term erosion are selected. The Gizmo
shows a typical stream that is moving through a hilly area.
1. The two movie cameras ( ) allow you to observe different parts of the stream up close.
Click on the left movie camera. What do you see? I see fish swimming and rocks at the
bottom of the stream,
2. Sediments are small rock fragments such as sand or pebbles. What evidence do you see
that sediments are being transported? The flow of the water picking up the sediment and
taking it to a new location.
, 3. Now select the right movie camera to see the bank of the mountain stream. What is
happening to sediments on the bank? The sediments are eroded and distributed itself into
the water.
Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A: Check that Mountain stream and Short-term
erosion are selected.
Mountain streams
If necessary, click outside the circle to close the
zoomed-in view.
Introduction: Erosion occurs when sediments and other materials are moved from one place
to another. Along with weathering, which is the breakdown of large rocks into smaller
sediments, erosion can have a profound impact on the landscape.
Question: How does river erosion affect landscapes in the mountains?
1. Label: First, get to know some of the
different parts of a mountain stream. Turn
on Show labels. Label the image to the
right, then fill in the word that goes with
each description.
A small stream that flows into a larger
stream: Tributary
A place along a stream where water drops
straight down: Waterfall
A letter that describes the shape of a typical mountain valley: V shape
The side of a stream: Streambank The bottom of a stream: Streambed
2. Observe: Turn off Show labels. Next to “Release barrel,” click Play ( ). Observe how fast
the barrel moves as it floats down the stream.
What happens when the barrel goes over the waterfall? The speed of the barrel increases
as it goes down the waterfall.
3. Calculate: The two red flags are 100 meters apart. The time at which the barrel passes the
flag is shown. Remember, there are 60 seconds in a minute.
Name: Date:
Student Exploration: River Erosion
Vocabulary: cutbank, discharge, erosion, flood,
floodplain, meander, meandering river, oxbow lake,
point bar, river speed, sediments, slope,
streambank, streambed, tributary, weathering
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE
using the Gizmo.)
1. The image above shows a raging mountain river in full flood. What do you think is making
the water brown in color? The dirt being moved and picked up with the water.
2. What impact do you think the flooding river will have on the surrounding landscape?
The flooding river will cause the landscape to shift
Gizmo Warm-up
If you stand by the bank of a river, it may seem that very little is
happening. But over thousands and even millions of years,
rivers can have a profound effect on the landscape. In the River
Erosion Gizmo, you will see how rivers move materials and how
they affect landscapes.
To begin, check that Mountain stream and Short-term erosion are selected. The Gizmo
shows a typical stream that is moving through a hilly area.
1. The two movie cameras ( ) allow you to observe different parts of the stream up close.
Click on the left movie camera. What do you see? I see fish swimming and rocks at the
bottom of the stream,
2. Sediments are small rock fragments such as sand or pebbles. What evidence do you see
that sediments are being transported? The flow of the water picking up the sediment and
taking it to a new location.
, 3. Now select the right movie camera to see the bank of the mountain stream. What is
happening to sediments on the bank? The sediments are eroded and distributed itself into
the water.
Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A: Check that Mountain stream and Short-term
erosion are selected.
Mountain streams
If necessary, click outside the circle to close the
zoomed-in view.
Introduction: Erosion occurs when sediments and other materials are moved from one place
to another. Along with weathering, which is the breakdown of large rocks into smaller
sediments, erosion can have a profound impact on the landscape.
Question: How does river erosion affect landscapes in the mountains?
1. Label: First, get to know some of the
different parts of a mountain stream. Turn
on Show labels. Label the image to the
right, then fill in the word that goes with
each description.
A small stream that flows into a larger
stream: Tributary
A place along a stream where water drops
straight down: Waterfall
A letter that describes the shape of a typical mountain valley: V shape
The side of a stream: Streambank The bottom of a stream: Streambed
2. Observe: Turn off Show labels. Next to “Release barrel,” click Play ( ). Observe how fast
the barrel moves as it floats down the stream.
What happens when the barrel goes over the waterfall? The speed of the barrel increases
as it goes down the waterfall.
3. Calculate: The two red flags are 100 meters apart. The time at which the barrel passes the
flag is shown. Remember, there are 60 seconds in a minute.
