Introduction

Do sugar cubes dissolve when a wet paper towel is placed on it? Do troglobites bite? What happens when water doesn't evaporate? All these curiously curious questions and more will be answered when we explore the world of caves and waterfalls. We go on a WebQuest to locate different caves and waterfalls around the US, and take down facts and pictures so we can all share what we find out about cave life, creation, location, and environment. So, put your thinking caps on and grab your detective spyglass for this classes adventure!

Objectives

-Given a lesson on erosion, each student will be able to answer questions on how it takes place, how to speed up the process/slow it down, and effects of erosion.

-Given a lesson on waterfalls and caves and a chance to search for information, each pair of students will be able to write a page report covering such topics as wildlife, activities, economic impact, and size of the cave they have chosen.

Materials

The materials for this lesson are: computers with Internet access, paper, pencil, 9 sugar cubes, paper towel, small dish, water, and a faucet

Padilla, M. (2000). Science Explorer: Environmental Science. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prince Hall, Inc.

Invitation

EEEP activity. To give the kids an idea of how soil can be firm and then begin to disappear after groundwater starts to soak in, we will conduct an experiment with sugar and water. In a small dish, a pair of students will build a cube out of 9 small sugar cubes. Then they will fold a piece of paper towel until it fits on top of the cube. After wetting this paper towel, they will place it on top of the cube and let it sit for fifteen minutes. While it is sitting, the kids should sprinkle water on the cubes every couple of minutes. When the paper towel is removed we will talk about what happened. I will ask some questions like, What happened to your cube? and How is the effect of water on a sugar cube similar to groundwater eroding limestone? How could we speed up the action? How could we have slowed it down?

During the down time of the fifteen minutes, I will show them:

Waterfalls of the Smokies

Exploration

The kids will be asked to pair up with someone they do not hang out with everyday, choose a cave/waterfall and get on the computers and search the sites listed below for information on their chosen cave/waterfall. They are to find 12 facts on one of the caves/waterfall of their choice that I talked about in class (Alabama: DeSoto Caverns Park, Rickwood Caverns, and Sequoyah Caverns Tennessee: Bristol Caverns, Cumberland Caverns, Forbidden Caverns, Lost Sea, Raccoon Mt. Caverns, Ruby Falls, and Tuckaleechee Florida: Florida Caverns State Park), and they can start with the addresses I give them:

Project Databases

The waterfalls of North Georgia

National Caves Association

Caves:

Cave web site

Cave words defined

Kids Domain: Caves

Journey into Amazing Caves: Caves you can visit

Virtual Cave tour

Waterfalls:

Zion National Park Photo Gallery: Waterfall

Waterfall Facts

Help on taking notes on your waterfall (just use 1-4)

Ask Dr. Science questions about caves and waterfalls

The amazing picture machine lets you find pictures

The Total Yellowstone Waterfalls Page

Have a little fun

Go on a virtual tour of High Falls or try these virtual tour of Ruby Falls.

Explanation

First I will find out what the kids remember about terms like groundwater and stalagmites by asking questions. I will ask them if they have any stories about when they visited caves or waterfalls around the area. While they are telling stories, pictures will be posted for the kids to see examples of waterfalls and caves. After I have an idea of where the kids stand, I will begin to teach them about the concepts listed below.

*Waterfalls will show how erosion takes place. Waterfalls may occur where a river meets an area of rock that is very hard and erodes slowly. The river flows over this rock and then flows over softer rock down stream. The softer rock wears away faster than the harder rock. Eventually a waterfall develops where the softer rock was removed.

*A link to Georgia would be to talk about Anna Ruby Falls. The Falls are located in the Chattahoochee National forest. The water for the falls is supplied by Curtis and Young Creeks. Both creeks start in the Tray Mountains where they are fed by underground springs, rain, and snow. Curtis Creek drops 153 feet and York Creek drops 50 feet.

*Caves: When water is not evaporated, it soaks into the ground. As it fills the openings in the soil, it trickles into cracks and spaces in the layers of rock. This groundwater affects the shape of the land. When groundwater sinks into the ground it combines with carbon dioxide to form a weak acid called carbonic acid that can breakdown limestone. The limestone is carried away with the water and eventually large holes develop that form caves. Stalactites are deposits that hang like an icicle from the roof of a cave. Stalagmites are formed by the slow dripping of water into a cone shape on the cave floor.

*Cave life consists of troglobites (ex. eyeless cave shrimp), troglophiles (ex. mites), and trogloxenes (ex. bats). Some caves contain over 200 species of animals. The temperature of a cave varies with air movement, and the lack of light produces stress in caves because there are limited amounts of food.

*There are many caves around the area. Alabama: DeSoto Caverns Park, Rickwood Caverns, and Sequoyah Caverns Tennessee: Bristol Caverns, Cumberland Caverns, Forbidden Caverns, Lost Sea, Raccoon Mt. Caverns, Ruby Falls, and Tuckaleechee Florida: Florida Caverns State Park.

Taking Action

The students will be asked to complete a report on their cave/waterfall, and they will be told that their report will be turned in and graded for including twelve facts, pictures, complete sentences, at least three developed written paragraphs, and correct grammar. After the reports are complete, we will have an .Around the US in Mrs. Jenkins. class: Special Report on Caves and Waterfalls. segment. The reports will be turned in and graded for including twelve facts, pictures, complete sentences, at least three developed written paragraphs, and correct grammar. The kids will also take:

Cave quiz

http://www.caveofthewinds.com/test/cavequiz.html

Conclusion

I hope my students will take what they have learned in class and get together with their parents and go see one of these neat caves! Hopefully their new knowledge of cave wildlife, how waterfalls and caves are formed, and the environment surrounding these neat places, will enable them to teach their parents while they visit one of the places we studied. The kids should also be able to locate other caves and waterfalls from our WebQuest.