Processes Shaping Landforms

Overview

Lesson 4 of 27 continues the unit “Exploring Australia’s Diverse Landscapes” by focusing on how geomorphological processes create and change landforms. Students will connect key processes (weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, and tectonics) to the landscapes they have seen in Australia and globally.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• explain how weathering and erosion shape landforms over time
• describe how transportation and deposition build features in different environments
• investigate how tectonic activity relates to major geological features
• make connections between natural processes and the types of landscapes people experience

Success criteria

Students can:

• use correct terms (weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition) to describe what happens to rock and sediment
• give an example of a landform and explain which processes contribute to its formation
• sketch a simple process chain (cause → process → landform) and justify it with evidence
• answer questions that compare at least two processes and their effects on landscapes

Curriculum links

• Geography 7–10 Year 8: explains geomorphological processes that produce different landscapes and significant landforms - Geography 7–10 Year 8: explains how erosion, transportation and deposition of water and wind shape places - Geography 7–10 Year 8: explains the effects of tectonics/volcanism/faulting/folding on landforms - Science Year 8: investigates tectonic activity at divergent, convergent and transform plate boundaries and describes evidence for plate tectonics ## Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Activate prior knowledge. Teacher shows three quick images (river bend, desert sand dunes, mountain range) and asks students to name one process they think could be involved. Students think-pair-share their ideas and record one process per image in their notes.

2. 5–12 min · Mini teach: from rock to landform. Teacher draws a simple flow diagram: rock → weathering → erosion → transportation → deposition → landform, explaining each step in student-friendly terms. Students complete a teacher-provided “Process in order” worksheet matching terms to short descriptions.

3. 12–24 min · Case study rotation: water, wind, tectonics. Teacher divides the room into three groups and provides each group with a short scenario card (water-driven coastal or river processes; wind-driven desert coastal/aeolian processes; tectonic activity and features). Students rotate every ~4 minutes, adding one “process evidence” sentence for each scenario to a shared group sheet using sentence starters:

• “This landscape likely formed because…”
• “Evidence we could look for is…”

4. 24–36 min · Modelling activity: build-a-landform chain. Teacher gives each pair a small set of cards (weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, water, wind, tectonic uplift/faulting, and “landform” options such as dunes, deltas, cliffs/coastal headlands, mountain ranges/valleys). Students work in pairs to construct one chain that links process to landform, then label their diagram with arrows and at least two justifications (why those processes fit).

5. 36–48 min · Scientific evidence focus: plate boundaries. Teacher briefly explains that tectonic features relate to plate boundaries and asks: “What would we expect to see at each boundary type?” Students complete a quick table: divergent, convergent, transform—listing one expected geological feature and the type of evidence that would support plate tectonics (e.g., patterns of earthquakes/volcanoes, matching coastlines, and seafloor mapping ideas discussed earlier in the unit).

6. 48–56 min · Whole-class synthesis and misconceptions check. Teacher selects three student pairs to share one landform chain, then uses targeted prompts to correct common misconceptions (e.g., “erosion vs deposition”, “weathering can be chemical or physical”, “tectonics shapes long-term structure”). Students refine their own chains, adding or correcting one step.

7. 56–60 min · Exit ticket. Teacher distributes an exit ticket with two prompts. Students respond individually:

• “Choose a landform from today and explain the main processes that shape it.”
• “Write one similarity and one difference between erosion and deposition.”

Resources

• Image cards: river/valley, coastal scene, desert dunes, mountain range (teacher-prepared)
• Scenario cards for the three rotations (water, wind, tectonics)
• Process term cards and landform option cards (laminated or printed)
• Process chain worksheet with arrow diagram
• Plate boundary quick table (divergent/convergent/transform)
• Exit ticket slips and pens
• Teacher diagram on board or interactive display

Assessment

• Formative checks during rotations: teacher observes group reasoning and listens for accurate use of terminology
• Process chain review: teacher collects or spot-checks pairs’ diagrams for correct sequencing and justification
• Exit ticket: assesses whether students can explain processes and distinguish erosion from deposition, plus connect tectonics to landforms

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters, word banks, and a partially completed process chain diagram for students needing scaffolding
• Support: offer a “process sorting” version where cards have more descriptive prompts rather than just labels
• Extension: challenge students to compare two landforms (e.g., dune vs delta) and explain how different processes dominate in each case
• EAL/SEN: allow use of diagrams first, then short written sentences; encourage oral rehearsal with a partner before writing
• Manage group work: assign roles (reader, recorder, evidence checker) to keep students on task and reduce off-topic discussion