White-Water Rapids

Ever go kayaking? It’s a thrilling water sport. Create your own river course and imagine navigating white-water rapids!

• 1.

  A kayak is a narrow canoe, with only one or two openings where kayakers sit. The kayakers, or paddlers, usually use a paddle with a blade on each end of the handle. Find pictures of kayaks and canoes. Discuss the differences between the two types of watercraft.

• 2.

  Using Crayola® Colored Pencils, design and draw your own kayak.

• 3.

  Kayakers can paddle on a lake, river, or ocean. White-water rivers are classified according to their difficulty. Rivers may be anything from a Class 1, or easy, to a Class 6, nearly impossible. Research a white-water river, such as Alaska’s Sustina River, British Columbia’s Stikine River, or South America’s Orinoco River. What would it be like to go kayaking on these rivers? Imagine what the rapids would look like.

• 4.

  Cover your art area in newspaper. Dip Crayola Colored Pencils in white Crayola Washable Paint. On black paper, draw a section of the white-water river you researched. Draw the river as if you were a kayaker navigating the white-water rapids. What interesting effects can you make? Swirls? Dots? Splashing water? Be sure to label the name and location of the river.

• 5.

  Air-dry your rapids before displaying with your kayak.

Benefits

• Children learn about the sport of white-water kayaking, including equipment needed.
• Children research international rivers that are popular because of the white water.
• Students create their own imaginary kayak and white-water course.

Adaptations

• Draw the kayak on poster board or a recycled file folder. Decorate it. Attach it to a craft stick. Make a slit along the river drawing you created. Insert the kayak. Move your kayak along the river.
• On a roll of black paper, you and your classmates can create a larger version of the river using the same techniques.