Claewen dam
Activity

Will It Dam Water? Yes, No, or Slow?

Activity for students who are blind or visually impaired to lean about what materials stop water from flowing.

A class from the Secondary Program at Perkins School for the Blind wanted to know what materials would stop water from flowing.  Each student helped pick the nine materials that they would test.  This what they found… 

Hypothesis:

We believe the rocks will dam the water best.

Materials in bags
Materials in bags

Materials

A boy holds a piece of gutter and a block.
A boy holds a piece of gutter and a block.

Procedure

1.  Set up the gutter for experiment.  

2.  Fill the bags with each material.  

3.  Examine all materials.

4.  Student chooses which material to trial next.

5.  Student sets up the trial by placing a cloth bag into the gutter.

6.  Pour water into the gutter.

7.  Collect data on each trial.

Conclusion:

Our hypothesis was incorrect.  The Oasis styrofoam block was the only material that dammed the water.

NGSS Standards:

ESS3.C: Human impacts on Earth systems:

Collage of Will it dam water

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