| Have a close look at an entire river system from source to sea….all within just 10 metres! This activity starts off with a classroom discussion about river processes and the names of the parts of a river, and leads into going and making their own mini river in the adjoining nature reserve. Children carry a bottle of rainwater each a short distance to the source of the mini river, and when all these bottles are emptied simultaneously it results in a mini river flow down a slope. All of the main features of a river can be seen, and children are asked to spot them, from meander to mouth to tributary to waterfall. On a good day the river will make it all the way to the sea, sorry pond!
Is the River Idle idle? Children design an experiment to measure the speed of flow of the River Idle. A comparison between the flow at the sides and in the middle is made using dog biscuits! Children are encouraged to make it a fair test, and must work in teams to fulfil the many roles required to collect the data, from stopwatch technician to chief biscuit thrower! Results are discussed and speed of flow is related to erosion and deposition.
*PLEASE NOTE…The River Idle is located approximately 1.5 miles away from the centre in nearby Newington, so please note it must either be reached in your hire bus or it is a 40 minute walk each way.*
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