l features that are water features. As they are discussed, write the name and definition of each water feature on the chalkboard.
Ask: What is the longest river in the United States? (the Mississippi River) Explain that when we learned about de Soto's discovery of the Mississippi River, we talked about the different parts of the river. Have a student locate the Mississippi River on a U. S. map. Ask the students to recall that the beginning of the river is called its source and the place where the river empties into a larger body of water is called its mouth. Ask: What body of water does the Mississippi River empty into? (the Gulf of Mexico) Have a student locate the Gulf of Mexico on the map.
Explain that another feature they will find as part of large river such as the Mississippi is a delta. Write the word delta on the chalk board. Explain that the delta of a river is where sand and soil are deposited by a river at its mouth. Ask: In which state is the mouth of the Mississippi River located? (Louisiana) Since the mouth of the Mississippi River is in Louisiana, the Mississippi Delta is also located in Louisiana.
Tell the students that large rivers like the Mississippi make it possible to travel by boat in the interior of a country or state. Direct the students' attention to the Mississippi River on the U. S. Map. Trace the path of the Mississippi and name each state that the Mississippi passes through. Tell the students that the Mississippi makes travel by boat to these places possible. Explain that another water feature that makes travel by boat possible is something called a channel. A channel is the deepest part of a river, harbor, or other waterway. A channel can also be a body of water that connects two larger bodies of water. Ask a student to locate the country of England in Europe on the world map. Tell the students to notice that south of England there is a channel called the English Channel. The channel runs between England and France. Point out that if you follow the English Channel towards Belgium and the Netherlands you will notice that the channel narrows and its name changes to the Strait of Dover. Explain that a strait is a narrow channel.
Tell the students that the last water feature they are going to learn about is a reservoir. Explain that a reservoir is a place used to collect and store water. It looks something like a pond or a lake, but is special because its purpose is to store water. Some reservoirs store drinking water for communities. These reservoirs are protected so that we have a supply of clean drinking water. Ask: Why do you think we need to store water? (ready supply of water for drinking, household needs, watering gardens and crops) What would happen if there was a drought, not enough rainfall, and we didn't have a ready supply of water?
Review each of the new geographical water features with the class by stating the definition and calling on students to name the appropriate water feature.