Wash away your troubles! This advice sounds possible but where do your troubles really go? If you follow the path of the water, you will find that they end up at a stream or river or even spilling into the ocean. It is easy to think that the water will just take things conveniently away, but we mustn't be fooled - those things are still with us. Sadly, many watersheds do have troubles that have washed into their waterways and created a problem for many including plants, animals, and of course, people. This six-week curriculum unit is designed for students in the sixth grade. It guides the young scientists through the steps to understanding the structure of a watershed, investigating human impact, learning about their own watershed, and the designing and building a model of that watershed. Through inquiry and experimentation the students will discover the dynamic operation of their hometown waterways.

(Developed for Science, grade 6; recommended for Science, grade 6)