Week 1: Exploring the Four Mile Watershed

Students and Energy Net Interns are checking out the new stream table.

Last week, the Energy Net interns and students explored the new stream table that has been loaned to the program by the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Geology and Planetary Science.  By playing with this table, the students were able to learn about how water carves a path through sediment. They also were able to observe how water travels underneath the ground. The stream table is filled with sand and then water is pumped through a tube onto the table.  After discussing what a model is and how they are useful, this table was a good way for the students to use an interactive model.

The Energy Net Interns are teaching the students how to read a topographic map

Before exploring the Four Mile Watershed on foot, the students and Energy Net Interns looked at a topographic map of the area.  The students learned how to read topographic maps and to identify where the Carnegie Museum is in the watershed. Teens learned to identify features like valleys, ridges, and hilltops. We then went for a walk to to find these features outside.

 

Students taking notes on a bridge in Schenley Park

We walked over to the bridge across Neville Street to explore a part of the Four Mile watershed. The teens took notes explaining any unique features the found in the watershed.  We went back to the museum to compiled their notes and form one big list of what makes our watershed unique. This list of features includes some things we might want to incorporate into our model of the Four Mile watershed.