ANALYZING A DRAINAGE BASIN TO UNDERSTAND FLOODING AND EROSION PROBLEMS: K-16 STUDENT LEVEL

Students in geologic courses at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs spend a considerable portion of their time in field experiences and investigations throughout their undergraduate careers. Many of the courses have students spending more than 50 percent of the scheduled contact time completing field investigations. The topics of flooding and erosion along flowing water systems often are difficult for the students to develop a true understanding of the concepts and processes associated with drainage basin morphology. A week long assignment was designed to allow the students to obtain a real world experience by completing an engineering analysis of drainage basins in Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas. The use of hydrologic and civil engineering data to analyze the selected drainage basin helps the students to obtain an increased understanding of the mechanisms of flooding and erosion within the drainage basin. The use of appropriate equipment, internet searches, previous photographic data, and the actual field investigation lead the students to a thorough understanding of the many complex aspects of flooding and erosion. This assignment is used in several courses: Physical Geology, Environmental Geology, Geomorphology, and Engineering Geology. Different aspects of the assigned problem are focused on in each of the courses. In addition, the assignment has also been used in the Science Challenge program, with appropriate modifications, that incorporates geologic knowledge during field investigations completed by gifted and talented students at the fourth through eighth level in local public school districts during the regular school year. Whether at the university or public school level, the final evaluation of the knowledge gained by the students completing the assignment has shown considerable success in improving their knowledge of the problems of flooding and erosion.