Earth Science - Erosion, wind, ice, water

Overview
Science content
Science inquiry and process
Resources and materials
Pedagogical ideas
Definitions
Activity sequence
Lessons and activities detail

Overview

The Earth's surface features can be changed over time. The agents that act to mold and wear down the Earth's surface include wind, water, and ice

Wind water and ice move sediment from one place to another. Wind, water and ice sort and transport. Wind, water, and ice carve the Earth and move particles.

Science content - what science says (enduring understanding, big ideas, generalizations)

Earth Science - The Earth's surface features can be changed over time. The agents that act to mold and wear down the Earth's surface include wind, water, and ice

Supporting ideas from unpacking the big idea (facts, concepts, generalizations)

  • Erosion,
  • mechanical/chemical weathering,
  • glacier, glaciation,
  • friction,
  • particles,
  • melting,
  • freezing,
  • wind,
  • water,
  • transport,
  • redistribution,
  • deposit,
  • sediment

Science inquiry and processes - how science knows

Use of observation as evidence to reason and understand interactions in our world.

Supporting ideas from unpacking the big idea

  • Observations of sand with water, ice, and wind;
  • Connection of these ideas into cause and effect sequence.

Resources and materials

Sand, water, ice, blow drier, Safety goggles, containers

Pedagogical ideas

Focus questions - What effects do wind, water, and ice have on land?

Exploration - Demonstration and questioning

Invention -

Bridges - I think the wind lifted and scattered the sand. It seemed that the little particles lifted and moved more often because they were lighter.

Some of the sand stuck to the ice. Some of the ice melted and the water picked up and moved sand particles. As more ice melted and the sand below it was moved the ice began to slide. As it gradually slid down the pile of sand it collected more particles and dropped off others.

Water eroded the sides and the bottom of the pile and carried particles down to the bottom of the pile where they were deposited. The removal of sand created a trench and as more water flowed through it and it became both deeper and wider.

Discovery, application, extension -

Value Claims - This activity lets people experiment with soil erosion on a smaller scale than in nature to understand what happens in nature on a larger scale.

Definitions

  • erosion
  • particles
  • wind, ice, water

Activity sequence

Put piles of sand into three containers (one dry sand and two wet sand).

  1. Blow air through a straw onto the dry sand to simulate wind.
  2. Put an ice cube on top of one of the wet piles to simulate a glacier.
  3. Form a small valley down the side of the other wet pile to create a riverbed. Pour water down the channel to simulate a river.

Lesson and activity details

Ask what will happen when...

Air — lifted and scattered sand

Ice — sand stuck to ice, moved with ice, and some fell off. When water melted, dripped and flowed away it took some sand with it.

Water some of the sand moved with the water, stopped, and sometimes moved again.

Dr. Robert Sweetland's Notes ©