Big Flooding Fun

Question: What is best the best thing about studying ancient civilizations?
Answer: Recreating.... AND DESTROYING THEM!

Today I gave the (qualified) little rascals:
2 aluminum pans
two types of dirt
4 index cards
a handful of straws
10 inches of tape
two handfuls of pebbles


They recreated a stretch of China's Yellow River bed, then built levees on either side. After that, when they were certain of their brilliance, I sprinkled tiny bits of blue construction paper on the "land."

And then? I dumped a glass full of water into their water canal. WHOOSH! OH GOD! MISS J NOOOOOO!

HAHAHAH! DESTRUCTION!

The test? If the paper shifted or got wet, their levee failed, their crops flooded, their homes were lost, and everybody died horrible deaths.
If not? They saved the world.

The best part was hearing their discussion afterwords.
"The topsoil worked well, but the land that was sand was a problem-- all of the water was held back at first, but then it sank under the levee and was sucked up by the sand."
"How could we fix that?"
"We have to contain the water better.... or make sure we don't build our houses on sand."


Then,
"Miss J, you were right. Today was way fun."
"What'd I tell you? If you work hard, that's what happens."
"I guess we have to trust you, huh?"
"It's not a bad plan."