River Rollercoaster

What Is This Video?

Uh-oh–Plum just dropped her Skismo in the river, and the Earthlings are on a mission to find it. Follow along as they race down the river, plunge over a waterfall, and bump and bounce over rapids–only to be confronted by a fork in the river. How will they figure out which way the Skismo went?

Conversation Starters

Ask:
  • What rivers or other bodies of water are near where you live? Where do they flow to?
  • How did the Earthlings figure out which fork in the river to follow when they were looking for the Skismo? What did their experiment tell them?
  • Have you ever seen leaves, twigs, or other things floating on the surface of a river? How far do you think these objects might travel?
  • If Plum dropped her Skismo into a river or stream near you, how would you be able to tell her which way it went?

Explore Some More

Watch the Water

Visit a local river, stream, or lake. Make note of how the water moves. Do you see any pattern to the water's movement? Find a few leaves on the ground and carefully place them on the surface of the water. What happens to them? Do they all move in the same direction? Try the same thing with twigs, pine needles, or seeds that you find on the ground. Take care at the water's edge so that you do not slip in!