Connected+Curriculum+Estuary+Visit

Crossing a river safely
Reading activity Read the information below before attempting the cloze activity

Rivers are probably the greatest hazard you will encounter in the NZ outdoors.

//"Ask yourself 'Do I need to cross?' No one has ever starved to death by waiting in a hut for a flooded river to subside."//Senior Constable Niall Shepherd

**River levels rise quickly after heavy rain**, but they also tend to go down fast. **Don't cross a river ...**
 * If the river is in **flood**
 * If the river is **moving such as logs or boulders**
 * If the water is so discoloured that **you cannot see the bottom**
 * If the water is **flowing faster than you can walk.** Throw in a stick and walk alongside it as it floats downstream to establish how fast the river is flowing
 * If **you feel uncomfortable** about crossing

**Choose a crossing ...**
 * Where there is an **easy entry point** on your bank and an **easy exit point** on the far bank
 * Where the **river is shallowest**. Looks for **wider** parts of the river or where it **splits** into more than one channel. Rivers are usually deepest and fastest where they narrow or on the outside of bends.
 * Where there is **safe footing** underwater. Avoid large boulders and logs and watch out for slippery algae.
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">That has a **safe run-out**. Look downstream, could you safely swim for at least 200 metres?

<span style="color: #2b364c; font: normal normal normal 24px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Crossing tips <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">**For safe and happy river crossings...**
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Cross on a slight **downstream** angle. Do not try to fight the river
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Take **short steps**, keep your feet a shoulder width apart
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">**Take care**, don't rush
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Take off heavy clothing such as jackets and water proof or baggy trousers. They will drag in the current and also make it hard to swim should you fall
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">**Water-proof your pack**, line it with a plastic bag or some sort of dry liner, and twist off the top of the bag to seal it
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">**Keep your boots ON!** Wet feet won't kill you but loosing your footing and falling in could.
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Ensure that you will **be able to quickly undo your backpack** if you fall in. **Undo your chest/sternum strap** but keep your waist belt snug to help with stability and to prevent your pack riding up over your head if you fall in.

<span style="color: #2b364c; font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Alone <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Use a **pole** on your **upstream side** as a support and face across the current towards the other side. Hold the pole with both hands. If the current is strong lean harder upstream on the pole. The ideal pole is stout and about your own height. If you have two trekking poles you can hold both of them together. Place one pole in front of you and the other upstream of you. **Only move one pole or foot at a time**. If you need to retreat, turn downstream, and carefully move back to the shore. Crossing alone is substantially more dangerous than crossing in a group and should only be done with care in easier crossings (say below knee depth and flowing slower than walking pace, with a safe runout).

<span style="color: #2b364c; font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">In a group <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">**Link yourselves together** by reaching through the gap **between the back and backpack** of your neighbours. Then grab a firm hold of their backpack shoulder strap where it joins the bottom of their backpack on the side opposite you as shown in the photograph. Position your **strongest members at each end** of the group. If a person loses their footing it is essential that everyone **retains their hold** on each other. Keep the group **parallel with the river flow** at all times. If you need to retreat, walk carefully backwards until you are in a safe depth then turn around. The use of ropes is inadvisable and has caused many drownings in the past.

<span style="color: #2b364c; font: normal normal normal 24px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Falling into a river <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you fall or are swept off your feet you need to **react quickly and aggressively**. <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">**If you fall in...** <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Term 4: Estuary Visit In your project book, create an interesting heading 'Mangroves' in the front, under your Estuary section. Check out the following websites and take notes about mangroves. [don't copy and paste, bullet point the notes in your own words]. Record your bullet points under your heading. WALT: extract notes from a webpagemedia type="custom" key="7029871" Mangroves! Environment Waikato Write three stage one questions, two stage two questions and one stage three question to ask while we are on the visit. __Tasks:__ Use the **Get a Life** Life Cycle of the Mangrove as a guide to create your own life cycle of a Mangrove. You can use Kidpix, Adobe Photoshop or Inspiration. I am looking for awesome graphics sketched by YOU!! 2. WALT: apply knowledge we learnt in science could create dye using the natural ingredients. [//Check out your science book for some ideas!]// This can be completed in your book or using a computer program of your choice.
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you are in a group **hold on to each other and lean back onto your backpacks**
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If you are alone **roll onto your back and face downstream**
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">**Keep your feet together and near the surface** to avoid foot entrapment
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">**Lean back** to keep your pack down under you for floatation. **If your pack pushes you underwater, unclip your waist belt and remove the pack**
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">With your feet still facing downstream, point your shoulders towards the closest shore and 'ferry glide' towards it by backswimming with your arms (in a group only the people at the ends of your group can use their arms)
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">**Don't try to stand up until you have run aground in shallow**, safe water. Take your upstream arm out of your pack straps and let the current swing the pack to your downstream side. In a group only one person should try to sand up at a time
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Don't try to re cross immediately. Work out what went wrong and consider again if it is safe to cross
 * iPlay**
 * iThink**
 * iRecord**
 * 1) WALT: create the life cyle of a mangrove.
 * Nga Manawa**: this page tells the uses Maori made of the mangrove. Write a set of instructions for how you

Make sure two sets of eyes see both of your pieces of work before you upload them onto your draft writing wiki. If you are confident that they reflect __**precision of language**__ [clear, accurate communication] upload them onto this page also.

Please go and comment on two students [one boy, one girl] Mangrove entries on their draft writing. You need to work as a class to ensure that every student has two comments.
 * iCelebrate**

__**Pollution Busters:**__ Read the latest magazine from Environment Bay of Plenty, it is full of 'estuary information'.

media type="custom" key="7122569"