Stimulating Understanding of Computational science through Collaboration, Exploration, Experiment, and Discovery for students with Hearing Impairments
a collaboration of the Shodor Education Foundation, Inc., Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, Barton College, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and Interpreters, Inc.

For Teachers

Surface Water Runoff Modeling

Extension

Science is the exploration of questions. When we find answers, the science stops unless we can find new questions in our answers. If your students have found the amount of runoff from your school in a storm, they can ask how much runoff would there have been in that same storm if the school wasn't here? The streams and rivers developed to handle your area before people moved in and changed the land. What additional runoff has your school or community added to the drainage system? The lesson, "Rain Gardens", helps the students evaluate this effect and explore ways to reverse the development's runoff impact without halting development.

Hydro CAD Storm Modeling System FREE Sampler is a professional model for developers and city planners. Students who have time for extended investigations, Science Fairs, Junior projects, etc, may find this model useful. The model is free. You can only use it for 60 minutes before it closes down. You also can only save 5 nodes. A node is a field or drainage pipe or pond. There are several samples available for investigation. There is a fully functional version without these limitations, but you need to buy it.  The model is powerful which means that the student will need to spend a fair amount of time learning the meanings of the variables that must be set. Learning the system teaches a lot of science and results in the production of a first rate product.

Developed by
The Shodor Education Foundation, Inc.

Copyright © 1999-2001 by The Shodor Education Foundation, Inc.

This project is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Science Foundation.