INCREASING THE FLOW: BRINGING NCED FIELD AND LABORATORY RESEARCH TO K-12 AND UNDERGRADUATE CLASSROOMS

The National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED) uses field data and experimental methods from multiple disciplines to develop predictive models of channels and channel networks. NCED conducts formal and informal education programs closely integrated with our research. Our most compelling educational tools and activities are those that derive directly from ongoing NCED research. These include a table-top model of dam removal on the Elwha River, in which students experiment with multiple scenarios of dam removal, comparing qualitative and quantitative observations of the effects of river downcutting on the delta behind the dam. Other examples include a classroom-scale flume in which students investigate the impact of vegetation on river morphology, and exercises for using web-based images and movies of NCED's experimental stratigraphic basins.