A Model of the Middle Rio Grande Valley

Setting Up the Rio Bravo Model

1. Initiate the activity by explaining to students that they will be building a model of the river and the bosque.
2. Lay out the basin (blanket, sheet or other material) with raised edges along the two longest (opposite) sides. Since you want the students walking on the model without shoes, you might suggest they place their shoes under the edges to create the raised edges (valley); lunch boxes or books work, too. Students may raise all four sides of the basin at first. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss closed basins and explain that long ago, before the Rio Grande was a river, it was a series of lakes in closed basins. Then adjust the model so the two shortest sides are not upraised to emphasize that it is a valley, with the river coming in one end and out the other end.
3. Have students place the river down the center of the basin. Explain that since they are laying out Rio Bravo, the river should have:
   • large meanders or turns
   • oxbows -old abandoned channels separate from the river that are marsh areas (use small pieces of cloth)
   • braids - loop the fabric or make slits in the river material to represented the braided river
4. Hand out only the Rio Bravo (pre-alteration) envelopes to the students. Teams can be given the larger number of items.
5. Ask students to read the card in the envelope and figure out where in the basin their pieces should be placed, and then place them. Pay close attention to the limitations for each of the items in the bags.
6. Go around the class with each student/group discussing why their item was placed where it was.
7. Explain that this is what the river was like before humans made changes to the river.

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At this point,you may want to proceed on to Section B, Transitioning to Rio Manso, or you many want to do the first parts of "Cottonwood Creation,"; "Who Lives Where? Spanish Version, "Who Grows Where? Spanish Version "; and/or "Bosque Chaos"; at this time.