Lesson Overview:

The students will explore the causes and effects of erosion and how a healthy riparian zone can work. They will test water health based on the aquatic insects they find and compare their water health findings to how the waterway has been eroding.  They will develop a testable replacement riparian zone model based on their research and develop a real-world implementation based upon their designs.

Age Level or Subject:

• Grades 9-12

• Engineering design

• Biology

• Environmental Science

Lesson or Unit Objectives:

Students will be able to:

• predict how different ground covers affect the rates of water erosion and identify how topography influences water movement

• establish a connection between erosion and water health.

• observe biological processes and organisms as a source of design inspiration and form testable hypotheses about which aquatic insects are likely fish prey and their important features.

• design and construct a bio-mimicked “riparian zone” that minimizes erosion and protects biodiversity.

• evaluate the impact of a bio-mimicked “riparian zone” in minimizing erosion and protecting biodiversity based on student-designed and constructed models.

Full Lesson Download

Riparian Zone Replacement Uit Plan

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