Science Fenns K-5Grades K to 5
A shallow tray of sand with a small stream channel cut by trickling water.

Science / All lessons / Water, Weather and Slow Change

Stream Table Model

Model a river with a pan of sand.

Lesson 28 of 40

Try this first

Before we start

Today’s story

Stream Table Model

You cannot watch a real river for a thousand years. But you can build a small one in a tray.

A stream table is a model. Sand stands for land. Water stands for a river. The model shows erosion and deposition in minutes.

A model is not the real thing. It leaves things out. But it helps you see the idea. Follow the steps.

See it

Five steps. Every time.

    Hands on

    Build a Stream Table

    30 minutes · Do this with a grown-up nearby

    You need

    • Large tray or pan
    • Sand
    • Plastic cup with a hole
    • Water
    • Books to prop one end
    • Ruler

    Do this

    1. Prop one end of the tray on a book.
    2. Pack sand into a smooth slope.
    3. Fill the cup with water and let it drip near the top.
    4. Watch the channel form.
    5. Draw the stream path.
    6. Tilt the tray higher with another book and repeat.
    7. Compare channel depth with a ruler.
    Write or draw: Two drawings, one per slope, with the channel depth.

    Watch for: A steeper slope makes faster water, a deeper channel and more sand moved.

    Safety: Work over a tray and wipe up spills so no one slips.

    Same every time

    Three rules

    Rule 1A model shows part of the story.

    It simplifies the real world.

    Rule 2Change one variable at a time.

    Then you know what caused the change.

    Rule 3Say what the model leaves out.

    Real rivers are much bigger.

    Grandpa Fenn’s notebook

    Say it like a scientist

    model
    A tool that shows how something works.
    channel
    The path a stream follows.
    slope
    How steep the ground is.
    delta
    Land built where sediment drops.

    Poppy’s quiz

    Six questions

    Tap an answer. Green means right. You will see why.

    Talk about it

    Say it out loud

    • How do you know the slope changed the stream?
    • Where in Texas could you see a stream cut a canyon?
    Did you know

    Palo Duro Canyon in Texas was carved by a river over a very long time.

    Someone who does this

    A civil engineer uses models to plan bridges and levees.

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