Again, we looked at the reason population density is higher around rivers. Here are the reasons I give, and the ones I want the students to know:
- Drinking water
- Agriculture (water for crops and animals)
- Transportation and trade
- Silt
Many students were still struggling to understand the difference between population and population density, so I did an activity I do every year. I boxed off two sections of my room, and made them the same size. I asked for a volunteer that was wearing blue. This person became our river, flowing through one of the boxes. They had to make a delta with their arms and hands - and the delta was formed around the mouth of the river.
I then placed several students in the box with the river, and a single student in the other box.
We found the total population - of both boxes together. And then I asked students to point to the area that had the highest population density in the country. Of course, it was by the river.
Last year, 6th hour set a record by having 31 students plus the river in the box. This year, a new 6th hour broke the record by having 32 students plus the river in the box. There were lots of cheers.
If you want extra credit for reading and discussing the blog today, explain what population density is. Tell what you thought about the boxes. And (without looking back up at the top of the blog) give the reasons population density is higher around rivers.
Then, draw a quick picture of your class in the boxes and have the parent or adult you discussed the blog with sign it. Seriously, a quick picture. Don't you have language arts homework tonight?
I would like to add that the DeBrieon River is actually in all three of these pictures, but you can only see him in the last one.
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