Learning about the weather in Sumatra!
By: PYP 3/4
During our How the World Works unit, the PYP 3/4 class learned why it is crucial to preserve the natural state of the jungle. When trees are cut down and not replaced, the hillsides are left bare. This causes a major problem because heavy rainfall can cause landslides and flooding. This is exactly what happened at the end of November when parts of Sumatra were devastated by massive floods after heavy rainfall (more than 30 cm in one day!)
Our class conducted some erosion experiments using our school sandbox. What we discovered is that a bare hillside provides absolutely no protection from floods and landslides. On the other hand, trees with big root systems and a forest floor that is covered in thick vegetation will block, divert and absorb most of that rainfall. This will protect the homes and villages that are below the hillside.
Lucas noticed that when there were no trees, there was nothing to redirect the water, so the houses got flooded. Rumi observed, “when the trees are covering the hillside, they can help soak up the water before it has a chance to run down the hill.” Alexia was surprised at how fast the water came rushing down and flooded the houses below. Students were asked to place their small cardboard houses in a safe area, so Umar and Ibrahim decided to move them as far away from the slope of the hill as possible. Although their houses still got wet, they were not washed away by the huge rush of water coming down the hill.
In addition to learning about the effects of deforestation, we also tracked the amount of rainfall at MIS throughout parts of January and February. We observed a strange pattern in the amount of rainfall that we received. At first, there was no rain for several days. Then, all of a sudden on January 30th, we received 38mm of rain in one night! This is significant because a sudden downpour of rain can cause the dangerous floods that we previously learned about.
Overall, this past unit of inquiry about the weather was very informative and our students were able to witness first hand, the effects of severe weather when connected with deforestation in our community. Please feel free to ask a PYP 3/4 student about the things they have learned this year and they would be happy to share!
