LAB # 10: Weathering and EROSION

Grade 5 Essential lab (Teacher’s Version)

STEM 2.0 (Science, and Math)

(Adapted from Science and Children, Science Shorts, October 2004)

Benchmarks:

SC.4.E.6.4 Describe the basic differences between physical weathering (breaking down of rock by wind, water, ice, temperature change, and plants) and erosion (movement of rock by gravity, wind, water, and ice).

SC.4.N.1.1Rise questions about the natural world, use appropriate reference materials that support understanding to obtain information (identifying the source), conduct both individual and team investigations through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations.

SC.4.N.1.2 Compare the observations made by different groups using multiple tools and seek reasons to explain the differences across groups.

SC.4.N.1.5 Compare the methods and results of investigations done by other classmates.

SC.4.N.1.6 Keep records that describe observations made, carefully distinguishing actual observations from ideas and inferences about the observations.

SC.4.N.1.7 Recognize and explain that scientists base their explanations on evidence.

Florida StandardsConnections:

LAFS.5.SL.1.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

MAFS.5.MD.2.2. Represent and interpret data.

MAFS.K12.MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

Learning Objectives/Purpose:

  • Students will create models depicting various types of weathering and erosion.
  • Students will be able to identify evidence of erosion, and explain the causes of erosion.
  • Students will engage in collaborative discussions (small groups and teacher-led) with diverse partners discussing the topics of weathering and erosion.
  • Students will identify where you might see a similar type of weathering in nature as depicted in the weathering and erosion models.

Background Information:

Weathering isthe name given to the process that breaks up and loosens the rocks and soil. Once weathering loosens the rocks and soil then the natural process of erosion

Takesplace moving the broken rocks or loosen soil to a new place. The agents of erosion are wind, water, and ice. For example, wind can pick up dry soil or sand and blow it to a new location.Wind erosion occurs mainly along the ground surface. Water is by far the most powerful erosive agent. Streams of water roll materials downhill onto the lowlands or out to sea.

Other factors that can erode surfaces are waves, glaciers, and gravity. Glaciers pick up and scrape rocks across the ground as they slowly move along. Waves crashing at the beach carry away sand. Gravity causes rocks and soil to slide down hills and mountains. The very sudden movement of rocks and soil down a hill is called a landslide.

The Grand Canyon is a natural wonder of the world that was created by water and wind erosion. Over millions of years, the Colorado River, which runs through the bottom of the Canyon, has worn down and carried away bits of rocks and soil to carve out the canyon. The Colorado River continues to shape the canyon today, but it has been helped in this process by other factors. These include the type of rock and soil present, the amount of rainfall that occurs, and the type of plants growing in the region, all make the area more prone to erosion. This explains why all rivers do not form canyons.

  • How do you think the Grand Canyon was formed? (The Grand Canyon formed by weathering and erosion. The Colorado River flowed through it over a long period of time and weathered away the rock, and the rock was carried away by the water.)
  • Why do you think it has gotten deeper and wider over time? (It has gotten wider and deeper as the rushing Colorado River continues to flow through it, deepening the canyon by eroding away rocks and soil. Heavy winds and rain continue to weather away the sides of the canyon.)
  • How long do you think it took for the Grand Canyon to form? (The Colorado River took almost six million years to carve the canyon.)

Teacher Notes:

Ahead of time the teacher needs to mix three cups of potting soil with three cups of sand to make sandy soil for three of the station activities.

Grand Canyon photos and multimedia resources:

  • Grand Canyon: A Trail Through Time by Linda Vieira

Engage:

Show students a picture of the Grand Canyon.

Ask the students the following question: How do you think the Grand Canyon formed? Why do you think it has gotten deeper and wider over time? How long do you think it took for the Grand Canyon to form? You can read from the book, Grand Canyon: A Trail ThroughTime or play a video from the Grand Canyon resources to help students answer the questions. The answers are located in the Background Information.

Tell students that in the next activity, you will have a chance to model erosion in action. You will also experiment with a way to keep erosion from happening. Have students consider the essential question, below.

Essential Question:

How do weathering and erosion over time change the surface of Earth?

Materials for all Five Stations:

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  • Potting Soil
  • Sand
  • Rocks
  • Blue trays (Scott Foresman kit)
  • Books
  • Clay
  • Sugar cubes
  • 5 oz. Paper cups
  • Newspaper
  • Black permanent marker
  • Safety goggles
  • Containers for water
  • Paper towels
  • Nose tissue (“Kleenex”)
  • Plastic deli bowls (SF kit)
  • Toothpicks
  • Rulers
  • Graduated cylinder
  • Measuring cup
  • Water
  • Copy Paper Box Lid

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Procedure: Students will work and rotate in small groups through five different stations. Students will collect data, take notes and answer questions in their science notebook or journal.

Station #1: What happens when it rains on a sandy soil plain?

Materials: plastic deli bowl, sandy soil, toothpick, 5oz. paper cup, 100 mL water, graduated cylinderor measuring cup, ruler, blue tray

Directions:

  1. Label a page in your journal/notebook as Station # 1.
  2. Fill a small deli bowl completely full with sandy soil and pat it down.
  3. Place a blue tray over the top of the deli bowl and hold it in place. Then turn it over so that the tray is on the bottom sitting on a table or desk and the deli bowl is on top and upside down.
  4. Remove the deli bowl and smooth the sand flat if needed to form a “plain.”
  5. Measure the beginning width of the plain at its base in centimeters and record.
  6. Measure the beginning height of the plain in centimeters and record.
  7. Use a toothpick to make 9 small holes in the bottom of the paper cup.
  8. Use a graduated cylinder or measuring cup to measure l00mL of water.
  9. Hold a ruler vertically next to the “plain”.(one student)
  10. Holdthe paper cup with holes 30 cm above the “plain”. (second student)
  11. Pour the 100 mL of water into the cupwith holes as second student moves the cupover the “plain” to simulate rain. (third student)
  12. Observe what happens.
  13. Measure the ending width of the base of the plain and itstallest ending height.
  14. Record observations and measurements on the Station # 1 page.
  15. Answer the following questions:
  1. What happened when it “rained” on the “plain”?
  2. How does the data collected support what happened?
  3. How was this related to weathering and erosion?

Erosion Station#2: How does water erode a sandy mountain with no grass?

Materials:8 oz. tall clear cup, sandy soil, 5oz. paper cup,150mL water, graduatedcylinder or measuring cup, ruler, pencil tip, string/yard, tape measure

Directions:

  1. Label a page in your journal/notebook as Station # 2.
  2. Fill an 8 oz. tall clear cup full with sandy soil. Pat the sandy soil down and add more if needed to shape the sandy soil into a “mountain.”
  3. Place a blue tray over the top of the tall clear cup holding the sandy soil “mountain”and hold it in place. Then turn the tray over so that it is on the bottom sitting on a table or desk at the station and the clear tall cup forming a mountain shape is on top and upside down.
  4. Remove the clear cup and mound the sandy soil if needed to form a “mountain.”
  5. Measure the beginning height of the “mountain” in centimeters and record.
  6. Measure the beginning distance around (circumference) the base of the “mountain” in centimeters and record.
  7. Use a pencil tip to make 9 small holesin the bottom of the paper cup.
  8. Measure l50mL of water in a graduated cylinder or measuring cup.
  9. Hold a ruler vertically next to the “mountain” from the base of the tray. (one student)
  10. One student: Hold the cup with holes 20 centimeters above the mountain.
  11. Second student: Gently pour the 150 mL of water into the cup with holes.
  12. Pour the 150 mL of water into the cup with holes as second student moves the cup over the “mountain” to simulate rain. (third student)
  13. Observe what happens and record observations on your Station # 2 page.
  14. Measure the ending height of the “mountain” in centimeters and record.
  15. Measure the ending distance around (circumference) the base of the “mountain” in centimeters and record.
  16. Answer the following questions:
  17. What happened when it “rained” on the “mountain” with no grass?
  18. How does the data collected support what happened?
  19. How was this model simulation related to weathering and erosion?

*Data Table for Station #2 and #3 is at the end of this document.

Station#3 How does grass affect water erosion on a mountain?

Materials: 8 oz. tall clear cup, sand, pencil tip, 5oz paper cup, 150 mL water, 2 sheets of MDCPS toilet paper, string/yard, tape measure

Directions:

1.Label a page in your journal/notebook as Station # 3.

2.Fill an 8 oz. tall clear cup full with sandy soil. Pat the sandy soil down and add more if needed to shape the sandy soil into a “mountain.”

3.Place a blue tray over the top of the tall clear cup holding the sandy soil “mountain” and hold it in place. Then turn the tray over so that it is on the bottom sitting on a table or desk at the station and the clear tall cup forming a mountain shape is on top and upside down.

4.Remove the clear cup and mound the sandy soil if needed to form a “mountain.”

5.Pretend to grow grass all over the mountain by covering it with two sheets of MDCPS toilet paper. Pat the toilet paper down so that it is touching the sandy soilalmost everywhere.

6.Measure the beginning height of the “mountain” in centimeters and record.

7.Measure the beginning distance around (circumference)the base of the “mountain” in centimeters and record.

8.Use a pencil tip to make 9 small holes in the bottom of the paper cup.

9.Measure l50 mL of water in a graduated cylinder or measuring cup.

10.Hold a ruler vertically next to the “mountain” from the base of the tray. (one student)

11.One student: Hold the cup with holes 20 centimeters above the mountain.

12.Pour the 150 mL of water into the cup with holes as second student moves the cup over the “mountain” to simulate rain. (third student)

13.Observe what happens and record observations in your science journal.

14.Measure the ending height of the “mountain” in centimeters and record.

15.Measure the ending distance around (circumference) the base of the “mountain” in centimeters and record.

16.Answer the following questions:

  1. What happened when it “rained” on the “grassy mountain”?
  2. How does the data collected, support what happened?
  3. How was this model simulation related to weathering and erosion?

*Data Table for Station #2 and #3 is at the end of this document.

Station#4:How does flowing water weardown and move rocks?

Materials: sugar cubes, blue tray, clay, water, cup, book

Directions:

  1. Label a page in your journal/notebook as Station # 4.
  2. Pat the clay into a pancake and place it in the tray to represent a river bottom.
  3. Measure and record the width and height of the sugar cubes.
  4. Place six sugar-cube “rocks,” three each in two rows, on the clay river bottom.
  5. Prop one end of the tray on a book to elevate it.
  6. Gently pour half of the cup of water from the elevated end of the tray so that the water flows like a river through the rocks.
  7. Observe what happens and record observations in your science journal.
  8. Measure the width and height of the sugar cubes again.
  9. Answer the following questions:
  1. How were the “rocks” changed?
  2. What is your evidence?
  3. Where did the “rock” fragments go?
  4. How does this model simulation represent weathering and erosion?
  5. Where might you see a similar type of weathering in nature?

Station # 5: How can wind cause changes in rocks?

Materials: safety goggles, sheet of newspaper, paper box lid, cup of sand

Directions:

  1. Label a page in your journal/notebook as Station # 5.
  2. All group members put on safety goggles.
  3. Open a sheet of newspaper in the center of the table.
  4. Place a paper box lid on the center of the newspaper.
  5. Pour of a cup of sand into one end of the lid.
  6. Have one member put his or her hand inside the other end of the box, open palm facing the pile of sand.
  7. Have another member blow gently on the sand, and then blow harder until the sand hits the other member’s open palm.
  8. Repeat until all team members have felt the sand hitting their palms.
  9. Describe how the sand felt blowing against the palm of your hand in your journal.
  10. Observe and compare the original pile of sand with the pile blown to the other

end of the box by rubbing some of the sand between your fingers.

  1. How are the textures of the sand different?
  2. Answer the following questions:
  1. How were the “rocks” changed?
  2. What is the evidence?
  3. Where might you see a similar type of weathering in nature?

Explain / Evaluate:

Follow up questions:

  1. What is weathering?
  2. In which part(s) of the stations did you observe weathering?
  3. What is erosion?
  4. In which part(s) of the stations did you observe erosion?
  5. What is the most interesting discovery you made from these station activities?

Students discuss in their groups followed by a teacher led whole class discussion.

The following resources can be read and/or viewed and discussed with students:

Weathering Resources:

Scott Foresman Gr. 5 pp. 272- 273 What is weathering?

WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE Step 1: Breaking Rocks Apart:

Discovery Video: Weathering

Erosion Resources:

Scott Foresman Gr. 5 pp. 276-281 What is erosion?

WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE Step 2: Sediments on the Move!

Discovery Video: Erosion

Discovery Video: Weathering and Erosion

Claim - Evidence – Reasoning (CER)

Question: Comparing results from stations 2 and 3, what is a way to keep erosion from happening? (Students can also use evidence from the weathering and erosion resources listed above.)

Claim:

Evidence:

Reasoning:

Extension: Expository Writing Prompt:

Weathering and erosion change the Earth’s surface over time. Write a multi-paragraph essay describing the various ways that weathering and erosion change the Earth’s surface. Choose a location such as Florida’s coastline or the Grand Canyon.

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DATA TABLE

STATION 2 DATA:STATION 3 DATA:

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