Teaching with Rivers & Streams Video

The surface of the earth is transformed by water running in rivers and streams. These channels of water are driven by the pull of gravity in a downhill direction. As the fluid courses across the surface, whether made of soil or rock, the erosive power of running water cuts into the earth and carries away sediment and dissolved chemical compounds. This selection of videos demonstrates some of the power of running water on earth. The dynamic activity of rivers and streams is rich with activity for observation, description, and analysis.

Check out the videos in the Rivers and Streams gallery for additional video examples.

Below we present videos and a ready-to-go video tutorial student handout for transforming a passive viewing experience into an active learning one.

Video Tutorial - The Hydrologic Cycle

Rivers and streams wouldn't exist without the continual replenishment of water evaporated from the global oceans. The mass transfer of water from the oceans to the land via the atmosphere is a dynamic system powered by the unequal distribution on earth of energy from the sun.

Here's a video that visualizes a simplified hydrologic system and the mass transfer of water, indicated by a single molecule of H2O. The video tutorial questions require careful observation and analysis.

This animation shows one molecule of water completing the hydrologic cycle. Heat from the sun causes the molecule to evaporate from the ocean's surface. Once it evaporates, it is transported high in the atmosphere and condenses to form clouds. Clouds can move great distances and eventually the water molecule will fall as rain or snow.

Click to download video tutorial shown below.

Video Tutorial - Flash Floods

Video #1. Turn Around, Don't Drown

This important message urges pedestrians and motorists to turn around when they approach a flooded roadway.

Video #2. Flash Flood in the Utah Desert

July 18th 2013. Massive debris flow / flash flood in Southern Utah. Close to 3" of rain fell north of my location and I filmed these shots 6+ hours after the fact. Sharing this video. Email me for permission to air it for editorial purposes (news).