Stream Table
Get hands on with river science and conservation with our Emriver Stream Table! Experience this unique teaching tool first hand by renting it for your classroom or during a Stream Ecology field trip to the VINS Nature Center.
What is a Stream Table?
VINS School Programs, with generous support from the Butler Foundation, has added an Emriver Stream Table (Em2) to its repertoire of teaching materials. The Stream Table is optimized for ease of setup, use and portability. It is perfect for demonstrating river science and conservation principles to audiences of all ages and educational backgrounds.
Stream tables can realistically and dynamically simulate a wide range of river processes, including sediment transport, meander development and movement, floodplain formation, flow around structures and fluid dynamics.
Our stream table is made with durable engineered aluminum boxes and uses recycled plastic modeling media, which is much lighter than sand. The media contains different colors which help to demonstrate sediment transport in river systems.
Stream Table Field Trip
In this hands-on lesson, students will use our StreamTable to experience the effects that a changing river can have on an ecosystem. We will examine the consequences of erosion and learn why deposition and turbidity can alter the river habitat. By building and adjusting a river system with our own hands, we can look closely at how human influences such as dredging and flood control can negatively affect the river and corresponding ecosystem.
In addition to the programs described, collaborate with a VINS Science Educator to design a Stream Table program to anchor to your classroom curriculum.
NGSS:
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4-ESS1-1
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4-ESS2-1
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4-ESS3-2
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4-ESS1-1
Stream Table is suitable for teaching grades 3-8. Each presentation can be adapted to accommodate different age groups.
All VINS educators have extensive experience in environmental education, the natural sciences and science instruction. Every instructor works with a certified teacher in NH and VT to ensure their content and methods align with the Next Generation Science Standards and the best practices for outdoor education. All instructors are First Aid and CPR certified.
The portability of our Stream Table makes it a great, temporary addition to your classroom! Included in your rental is a brief VINS staff lead introductory lesson designed to excite your students in stream ecology. After the one to two-week rental period, a VINS staff member will return to pick up the Stream Table.
Book your rental today!
Enhancing Classroom Curriculum with On-Site, Place-Based Education
Explore the natural world with hands-on lessons aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards.