Erosion Explained at the South of Burdur Lake: Practical Field Study with Students

Within the scope of TÜBİTAK 2209-A University Students Research Projects Support Program, a practical field study was conducted with the participation of 24 sixth-grade students from Burdur Şeker Middle School as part of the project titled “Investigation of Erosion Movement in the South of Burdur Lake: A School Experience Application”.

The field study was carried out on Neogene units located in the south of Burdur Lake, which have the characteristics of an ancient lake bed. During the study, project advisor Dr. Faculty Member Onur Yayla provided students with on-site information about the erosion processes in the environment and lake bed. It was explained through concrete examples how erosion rapidly developed in these areas during rainy periods following dry and semi-arid periods, influenced by wind and surface flow.

In the event led by project coordinator Yaren Çetin and project participant Cenk Kömürlü, students placed measurement sticks approximately 50 cm long and marked with colors at designated points to observe the time-dependent movement of erosion. With this application, it is aimed to comparatively examine soil accumulation and erosion amounts in the second field study to be conducted in the coming months.

Mehmet Acar, the Social Studies teacher of Şeker Middle School, and Özgür Turan, the Mathematics teacher, also accompanied the field study, supporting students' active participation in the process. While students had the opportunity to observe the causes, effects, and relationship of erosion with human activities on-site, they made evaluations regarding why erosion continues on sensitive slopes despite afforestation efforts.

At the end of the event, semi-structured interview forms were applied to students to assess their knowledge levels regarding the concept of erosion and their environmental awareness. With the second field study to be conducted in the spring, it is aimed for students to observe erosion processes comparatively over time.

This application highlights the importance of out-of-school learning environments in environmental education and social studies teaching, contributing to students developing a scientific and inquisitive perspective towards their living environment. In this regard, we thank TÜBİTAK, the Burdur Provincial Directorate of National Education, and the Şeker Middle School Directorate for their financial support in carrying out this application.