Los Angeles River

Place-Based Education for LA's urban youth

Despite its concrete lining and urban setting, the Los Angeles River can be a surprising wellspring of connection for students. By examining the river's ecosystem, students can explore themes of change and resilience, mirroring their own experiences in a dynamic city. Studying the river's history and current challenges allows them to grapple with environmental issues and urban development, sparking conversations about how their community interacts with nature. Even a simple exploration of the plants and animals that thrive in this unexpected habitat can foster a sense of wonder and a newfound appreciation for the natural world existing right in their own backyard.

Pre-Field Trip Investigations

• 1. Urban Heat & Cool Islands - San Fernando Valley / Sepulveda Basin  - This is a satellite view of the South Central San Fernando Valley surrounding Los Angeles River and the Sepulveda Basin.  Move the labels to identify geographic figures.  Develop a model to describe patterns of above and below average temperatures in this urban environment. 

  2. Developing a model of LA River Floods - Develop a model to explain the Los Angeles River floods of 1928, 1938, and 2019.  Describe the system, and include a variety of concepts including, but not limited to, possible causes, river management, river engineering, flood effects, and flow patterns. 

1. Identification and recording of plant & animal species in the CSUN arboretum 

2. LA River - Past & Present

Field Trip Guide

• Overview Map

  • Los Angeles River at Balboa Avenue

  • Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area

  • Lewis McAdams Riverfront Park

  • Steelhead Park, Elysian Narrows

• Slide Show - 2019 Field Trip

Field Trip Investigations

Work in pairs to investigate phenomena of your choice while in the field.  Design an investigation of your choice.  The following a are a few ideas that may help you think of possible investigations. You may use any of the 

• Document phenomena; develop questions

  • • The first NGSS Science and Engineering practice asking questions and defining problems.  Questions and problems arise from careful observations of phenomena.  The camera is an excellent tool for documenting phenomena.  Use the photograph, panorama, video, slow-motion video, and time-lapse video features in your cell phone camera to document phenomena

      • Watch this video on photographing phenomenon 

      • Take photos and videos of phenomena that can lead to science investigations. 

      • Create a digital online photo map of your phenomena- to see where they are found.  Annotate the description of each photo or video to describe how this phenomena can lead to a discussion of specific science concepts.  In the text associated with the photograph, describe (1) phenomenon, (2) patterns observed within the phenomenon, and (3) questions that arise from the patterns.

      • Set your sharing privileges so anyone with the length can view, and post the URL online.

• Temperature variations in the environment

  • • Take photographs of three scenes that include:

      • natural and manmade features (e.g. - concrete channel bottom vs natural stream-bottom)

      • various natural environments (e.g. - grassland vs. woodland)

      • various aspects of manmade environments (e.g. different facing slopes of concrete channel)

    • Use an infrared thermometer gun to detect temperature variations in the environment that you have photographed

    • Annotate your photographs with temperatures detected with the IR thermometer of features in the photograph

    • Upload your annotated photos to the appropriate folder

• Environmental factors

  • • Use  sensors on you cell phone  to determine how various abiotic factors vary in the environment

      • Google Science Journal - Collect data in the field (acceleration, light intensity, sound, magnetic field)

      • PhyPhox - Use a variety of phone-based sensors to record environmental data

    • There are many environmental factors that can be investigated.  The following are just a few of the many investigations you can perform:

      • How does sound volume vary as distance from streets or freeways?

      • How does sound intensity or frequency vary with depth in the LA River?

      • How does light intensity vary with percent canopy cover, direction, slope or other variable?

• Generate models 

  • • Use iNaturalist and Plant Snap to  identify plant and animal species in the field.  

    • Describe how plant and animal species vary with distance from a pond, creek, river, road and other features?

    • Generate models to indicate why species vary with changes in the environment that you have documented

Resources / References

• 1. The Los Angeles River - The story of the channelization of the Los Angeles River

  2. Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area - 

1. LA River Recreation

   1. Sensors 

   2. Sepulveda Wildlife Area - Map with photos (NH)

   3. Photos of Sepulveda Wildlife Area (NH)

   4. LA River Video - Concrete River 

Tutorial Movies

• Photographic tools

  • • Creating a Photo-Map - Post your field trip photos in an online digital map.  Collaborate with colleagues. 

    • Heat Map - Use IR satellite imagery to identify human causes of temperature variation within the city.

    • Marking Up Photos - How to mark up photos on your phone to show temperature variation with a single scene

    • Phenomena-based learning - Identifying Phenomena, seeing patterns, and asking questions

    • Photographing phenomenon - Use your camera to record natural and manmade phenomena.

• Plant & Animal identification

  • • iNaturalist -  Identify plant and animal species in the field.  Contribute to a citizen-scientist database of observations

    • Plant Snap - Plant identification and mapping tool

• Sensors / Collection of Environmental Data

  • • Conducting Field Research - Use phone sensors to collect environmental data related to your field research question

    • Google Science Journal - Collect data in the field (acceleration, light intensity, sound, magnetic field)

    • PhyPhox - Use a variety of phone-based sensors to record environmental data

NGSS Performance Expectations

Los Angeles River Data Sets

• • Mapping resources

    • Google Earth Chrome - Streets, topography, satellite views

  • Aquifer maps; Watershed boundaries

    • USGS Topographic Maps - Topographic Maps, Streams, Flood Control

    • Property Shark Maps - Faults, Liquefaction, Flooding

    • EPA - Enviromapper - Contamination, registered EPA sites

• LA River Data Sets

  • • KML files: watershed boundaries, aquifer boundaries

    • Spreadsheet files: rainfall, bacteria

    • GIF files: graphs of monthly stream flow

• • Data Analysis Tools

  • CODAP

  • Google Sheets

  • Other resources

  • Pollution index (How's my waterway)

    • WaterWatch - water resources - California