Flooding
What is a “flood”?
A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land which is normally dry. Floods occur when there is more water in a river, lake, or stream than the body of water can hold. The excess water then floods onto the land. Floods occur frequently when there is excess rain and when the ground is saturated and cannot hold more water. Flooding is the most common natural disaster worldwide. Flooding occurs in rural and urban areas. We are currently experiencing flooding across much of Iowa. Heavy rainfall has contributed to saturated soils and high water levels in streams, rivers, and lakes.
Real Life Events
Show students news clips or documentaries about floods that have occurred, or flooding in general. Ask your students about their experiences with flooding and/or have them interview people who have experienced flooding. Review statistics about damages, losses and environmental impact of flooding.
Poor Land Management Practices Contribute to Flooding
Draining of Wetlands
Wetlands act as natural filters to clean and slow the absorption of water on the land. When wetlands are drained or tiled the water that would otherwise slowly be absorbed by the land flows directly to rivers, streams, and lakes.
Deforestation/Exposed River and Stream Banks
Vegetation holds soil in place and soaks up excess water. When large areas of vegetation are removed water washes over the land (instead of being absorbed) and into rivers and streams. This excess water contributes to the flooding of these bodies of water.
Erosion
Soil erosion due to poor farming practices, improper construction sites, draining of wetlands, and deforestation all contribute to flooding. Excess soil in lakes, rivers, and streams raises the water level (as well as washing away valuable topsoil and muddying the water).
Improper Damming of Rivers and Streams
Improper damming of rivers and streams causes flooding upstream. During periods of excess rain the extra water has no other place to go except out of the river banks and over the land. Improper damming can also cause flooding downstream when excess amounts of water are released to compensate for excess water upstream.
Make a Rain Gauge
Materials:
Clear Jar
Ruler
Paint
Process:
Place jars outside in an open area before it rains. After it has rained measure the amount of rain in each jar.
Create a chart for your class to track the amount of rain you receive at your school. Compare your amounts to your local news station.
Make it Rain in a Jar
Materials:
Clear jar
Plate
Hot water
Ice cubes
Index cards
Process
Pour about two inches of very hot water into the glass jar. Cover the jar with the plate and wait a few minutes before you start the next step. Put the ice cubes on the plate.
Explanation:
What happens? The cold plate causes the moisture in the warm air, which is inside the jar to condense and form water droplets. This is the same thing that happens in the atmosphere. Warm, moist air rises and meets colder air high in the atmosphere. The water vapor condenses and forms precipitation that falls to the ground.
Book Lists
Grades PreK-2
Berger, M., R. Sullivan, and G. Berger. 1999. Can It Rain Cats and Dogs?: Questions & Answers about Weather. Scholastic, Inc.
Capeci, A., and S. Haefele. 2003. Flash Flood (Magic School Bus Series – To The Rescue. Scholastic, Inc.
Cosgrove, B. 2004. Weather (DK Eyewitness Book Series). DK Publishing, Inc.
Evans, L., and C. Jabar. 1997. Rain Song. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Fourment, T. 2004. My Water Comes from the Mountains. Roberts Rinehart Publishers.
Gibbons, G. 1992. Weather Words and What They Mean. Holiday House, Inc.
Johnson, J., and B. Johnson. 2011. The Little Toad And The Big Flood. Two Peas Publishing.
Locker, T. 2003. Cloud Dance. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
McGuire, B. and D. Quake. 2007. Natural Disaster. Kingfisher.
Simon, S. 2006. Weather. HarperCollins Publishers.
Grades 3-5
Cosgrove, B. 2004. Weather (DK Eyewitness Book Series). DK Publishing, Inc.
Capeci, A., and S. Haefele. 2003. Flash Flood (Magic School Bus Series – To The Rescue. Scholastic, Inc.
Cremins, R., and T.B. Griswold. 2001. My First Pocket Guide: Weather. National Geographic Society.
Day, T. and C. Watts. 2006. Natural Disasters (DK Eyewitness Series). DK Publishing, Inc.
DePaola, T. 1985. The Cloud Book. Holiday House, Inc.
Gibbons, G. 1992. Weather Words and What They Mean. Holiday House, Inc.
Johnson, J., and B. Johnson. 2011. The Little Toad And The Big Flood. Two Peas Publishing.
Lauber, P. 1996. Flood: Wrestling the Mississippi. National Geographic Society.
Simon, S. 1992. Storms. HarperCollins Publishers.
Spilsbury, L., and R. Spilsbury. 2010. Raging Floods. Heinemann-Raintree.
Grades 6-8
Cosgrove, B. 2007. Eyewitness Weather. DK Publishing, Inc.
Dwyer, H. 2010. Floods. Cavendish, Marshall Corporation.
Kahl, J.D. 1998. Weather (Audubon Society First Field Guides). Scholastic, Inc.
Lauber, P. 1996. Flood: Wrestling the Mississippi. National Geographic Society.
Silverstein, A., V. B. Silverstein, and L. S. Nunn. 2009. Floods: The Science Behind Raging Waters and Mudslides. Enslow Publishers, Inc.
Spilsbury, L., and R. Spilsbury. 2010. Raging Floods. Heinemann-Raintree.
Grades 9-12
Allaby, M., and R. Garratt. 2003. Floods. Facts On File, Inc.
Barry, J. 1998. Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing.
Kahl, J.D. 1998. Weather (Audubon Society First Field Guides). Scholastic, Inc.
McCullough, D. 1987. The Johnstown Flood. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing.
Parker, S., and D. West. 2011. Violent Weather. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Silverstein, A., V. B. Silverstein, and L. S. Nunn. 2009. Floods: The Science Behind Raging Waters and Mudslides. Enslow Publishers, Inc.
Links
BrainPop: Floods
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/floods/preview.weml
Weather WizKids: Rain & Floods
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-rain.htm
Weather WizKids: Flood Safety
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-safety-flood.htm
Helping Your Child Cope After a Natural Disaster
http://www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil/family/support/youth/floodinformation/Documents/childrencope.pdf
Helping Your Teenager Cope After a Natural Disaster
http://www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil/family/support/youth/floodinformation/Documents/teenagercope.pdf
Are you looking for more nature-based activities for young children? Be sure to check out the Outdoor Explorations for Early Learners blog at: http://outdoorexplorationsforearlylearners.blogspot.com/
Are you looking for information about fishing and outdoor recreation activities with kids? Then check out the Take It Outside: Fish Iowa! blog at:
http://takeitoutsidefishiowa.blogspot.com/
