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  • Did They Make the Gradient? Climate and Stream Temperatures Now and Into the Future
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Did They Make the Gradient? Climate and Stream Temperatures Now and Into the Future

  • Article
  • Middle School
  • 1 Classroom Period
  • Climate
  • Water
  • Groundwater
  • Habitat
  • Rainfall
  • Streams
  • Temperature
  • Watershed
The cover of "Did They Make the Gradient?" featuring a black and white photo of a flume installed in a stream to measure streamflow.
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If the temperature of a stream rises too high, the animals that live in the stream may find it difficult to survive. Big changes in a stream’s daytime temperature as compared with its nighttime temperature may also cause a problem for aquatic animals. The scientists in this study were interested in answering three questions: (1) How does the shape of a stream affect its daytime water temperature? (2) How does the shape of a stream affect the difference between its daytime and nighttime water temperatures? (3) How might a rise in average air temperature over time affect a stream’s water temperature?

Did They Make the Gradient? Climate and Stream Temperatures Now and Into the Future

Part Of

Natural Inquirer - Vol. 14 No. 1

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  • In this FACTivity, you will answer the following question: Does the movement of water affect its temperature?

    FACTivity – Did They Make the Gradient?

    • Activity
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Climate
    • Water
    • Experiment
    • Hypothesize
    • Outdoor Activity
    • Water Temperature
    • Watershed
    In this FACTivity, you will answer the following question: Does the movement of water affect its temperature?
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    Did They Make the Gradient? Climate and Stream Temperatures Now and Into the Future

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Glossary

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  • aquatic

    (ǝ kwä tik): Growing or living in or often found in water.

  • average

    (av (ǝ) rij): A value that is computed by dividing the sum of a set of terms by the number of terms.

  • ecosystem

    (ē kō sis tǝm): A system made up of an ecological community of living things interacting with their environment especially under natural conditions.

  • flume

    (flüm): A sloping channel for carrying water.

  • geology

    (jē ä lə jē): A science that deals with the history of the Earth and its life, especially as recorded in rocks.

  • gradient

    (grā dē ənt): (1) Slope; upward or downward slant or inclination or degree of slant; (2) a continuous graded change in measure, activity, or substance.

  • groundwater

    (grau̇nd wȯ tǝr): Water within the earth, especially that which supplies wells and springs.

  • habitat

    (ha bә tat): The place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows.

  • invertebrate

    (in vər tə brət or in vər tə brāt): An animal (such as a worm, clam, spider, or butterfly) that lacks a backbone.

  • piedmont

    (pēd mänt): An area of land lying at or near the base of a mountain range. In the Eastern United States, the Piedmont area lies between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic coastal plain.

  • solar radiation

    (sō lər rā dē ā shən ): Energy, radiated in the form of waves or particles, that is produced or operated by the action of the Sun’s light or heat.

  • variable

    (ver ē ə bəl): (1) A factor, trait, or condition that can be changed or controlled; (2) a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values.

  • Mr. Johnny Boggs standing between two posts in the snow

    Johnny Boggs

    Biological Science

    My favorite science experience is having the opportunity to continuously explore how and why our environmental system works the way it does. Growing up as a kid, I used to...
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  • Dr. Steve McNulty with two colleagues

    Steve McNulty

    Ecology

    My favorite science experience is when I am analyzing data and learn something that no one else has ever known before. It’s sort of like being the first person to...
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  • Mr. Will Summer kneeling by a stream

    Will Summer

    Hydrologist

    My favorite science experience is being outside during a rainstorm. As a forest hydrologist, I study what happens to water from the time it falls from the sky until it...
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  • Dr. Ge Sun standing in front of rapids and trees

    Ge Sun

    Hydrologist

    My favorite science experience is getting my ideas and study results published in scientific journals. That way, they will be recorded and hopefully used by future generations to understand their...
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  • Mr. Emrys Treasure wearing safety gear

    Emrys Treasure

    My favorite science experience happens almost every day. I learn something new by testing my beliefs about how the natural world works. These are often quite simple observations about the...
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Jump To

  • Education Standards
  • Educator Guide
  • Lesson Plans
  • Education Files

Standards addressed in this Article:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • People, Places, and Environments
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Time, Continuity, and Change

Note To Educators

The Forest Service's Mission

The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.

USDA and Forest Service Logos

What Is the Natural Inquirer?

Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.

Natural Inquirer bee sitting at a desk with paper and pencil

  • Meet the Scientists

    Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.

  • What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?

    Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.

  • Thinking About Science

    Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.

  • Thinking About the Environment

    Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.

  • Introduction

    Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.

  • Method

    Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.

  • Findings & Discussion

    Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.

  • Reflection Section

    Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.

  • Number Crunches

    Presents an easy math problem related to the research.

  • Glossary

    Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.

  • Citation

    Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.

  • FACTivity

    Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.


Science Education Standards

You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.


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    Jessica Nickelsen
    Director, Natural Inquirer program

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Lessons

  • Give each student or group a copy of the THIEVES chart reproduced at the end of the lesson plan PDF. You may either write the questions on the board, or...

    Lesson Plan – THIEVES Chart Guided Reading

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    • Middle School
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    • Reading for Information
    Give each student or group a copy of the THIEVES chart reproduced at the end of the lesson plan PDF. You may either write the questions on the board, or...
    • Explore Lesson Plan
    • Download Lesson Plan (PDF)
    • Explore Lesson Plan
    • Download Lesson Plan (PDF)

    Part Of

    Natural Inquirer - Vol. 14 No. 1

Education Files

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The Natural Inquirer program produces a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. Natural Inquirer products are produced by the USDA Forest Service, FIND Outdoors, and other cooperators and partners.

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