by Kevin Gruenberg, Mountain Yard Teacher
Upper Elementary was on their end of the year trip and Primary and Elementary group were in the yard. The Mississippi River had yet to peak, and there had been much flooding along it’s banks. The premise of my plan was to learn in a practical sense about the flooding along the Mississippi river.
I gathered pictures and maps of the flooding and we discussed some of what was happening currently with the river. Then we decided to dig in the sandpit and recreate a flood. In the process of creating this river and it’s tributaries we discussed and wondered about many things. How close could we build to the river’s edge and have the structures be safe in the flood. How do we dam a river? In the event of a flood, how would we divert the river. Most of the children became involved in the plan in some way, even it was just watching how the flood worked.
We dramatically filled the river up and very little survived!
Student 1: This was fun plan. I learned that flooding is bad for the U.S. and [destroyed] farmland.
Student 2: I learned that you want to run away from the flood and don’t want to stay and kill yourself.
