Four reproducible lessons are or will be available through this site. Each consists of four student pages and corresponding teacher pages. Each is designed to be printed out on popular printers and may be copied. Complete instructions and INDEX follow.
| 1 | These lessons are freely given2 | They are a printable series which you are welcome to copy3 | They are universally relevant4 | A four-part series |
| 1 | In order to reproduce these lesson pages you will need a suitable printer and the ability to output to it from your screen. Most laser and bubble-jet printers should function acceptably.* |
| 2 | To reliably print each page on a separate letter-size sheet of paper, you may need to enter a page setting of 90% or a reduced image size. |
| 3 | The four pages that comprise the lesson set are placed in separate files linked at the bottom of each. In this way they should not overflow the length of your page. |
| 4 | If you desire to reproduce copies of the lesson, be sure to include the copyright notice and source credit on the bottom of each. |
| 5 | Teacher instructions are also on separate printable pages linked at the bottom of each. In these you will find the student text (in italics) and comments on it. On printing they will flow into multiple pages. |
| * | If unable to reproduce these pages as is, you may try selecting 'all' and copying the text to a word processing page. Otherwise send your postal address and a complimentary set will be mailed to you. |
1 Rivers & GeographyJanuary-MarchWhat does a river do? (Honestly now, what does it do?) | We open the study series by examining the function of rivers. We define their geographic features and describe key terms that apply. Students will distinguish source from mouth, delta from tributary, creek from stream, rapids from falls, current, from course, portage from ford, lakes from reservoirs, valleys from canyons and flood plains, etc. They will also learn about drainage basins and divides in preparation for the lessons that follow. 2
Rivers & Exploration | April-JuneWhy were rivers important to exploration? | By better understanding the geographic features of rivers, students will appreciate their role in New World exploration and settlement. In this lesson they see how rivers enabled explorers to penetrate the unknown frontier and served to lead them back. They will see how drainage basins became the basis of land claims and largely defined three geographic regions of America for European explorers that claimed them. They will relate rivers to trade, trails, and frontier settlement. 3 Rivers & Settlement | SummerHow did rivers affect the colonization of our continent? | Now that they understand the impact of rivers on exploration and trafficking of goods, they will better understand their role in colonizing, especially in placement of pioneer communities. We see how the routes explorers chose and various geographic features impacted settlement and the location of towns. For example, we see how falls and rapids offered a source of energy that led to mill sites. We see how fords and portages became logical river crossing points and gathering points for transportation. We see how lakes, deltas, river junctions, flood plains, and many other features influenced migration, agriculture, industry, and settlement. We see why river mouths became ports. We also see how these factors took on military significance resulting in fortifications and the placing of army garrisons. 4 Rivers & Modern Society | Fall
While modern highways, airplanes, and railroads have supplanted rivers as our most essential providers of transportation, many major rivers still afford the most practical means of shipping large volumes of freight. We will view canals and their function in support of this role. We will also examine rivers and modern agriculture and power generation as we view irrigation, dikes, dams, reservoirs, and water conservation. In this context we also look at rivers in connection with flood control and see how modern era programs have reduced damage caused by flooding and improved year around supply of water in many areas. |
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