Ditch

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ditch

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the engineering function?Linear excavation designed for controlled water flow via gravity
2. What is the primary applications?Drainage of agricultural land and urban areas; irrigation for crop cultivation
3. What is a ditch and why do we build them?A ditch is a straight cut in the ground that lets water flow away or in. We build them to keep fields from flooding or to bring water to crops.
4. How do ditches help farmers grow crops?Ditches drain excess water so plant roots get enough air, and some ditches bring water to dry fields, making it easier to grow food.

Polder: A low-lying tract of land enclosed by dikes that forms an artificial hydrological entity.
Gradient: The rate of inclination or declination over a given distance; slope.
Stormwater Runoff: Water from rain, snowmelt, or irrigation that flows over the land surface.
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS): Approaches to managing surface water runoff to reduce flood risk and improve water quality.