How Mountains Are Made

A Journey into Earth's Amazing Geography Year 3 Geography Lesson

What Do You Already Know About Mountains?

Have you ever seen a mountain? What do mountains look like? How do you think they got so tall? Where can we find mountains?

What Are Mountains?

Very tall landforms that rise high above the land around them Much taller than hills Can be covered in snow, trees, or rocks Found all over the world Take millions of years to form

Three Ways Mountains Form

Fold Mountains: When Earth's Plates Push Together

Imagine pushing two pieces of paper together The paper wrinkles and folds up Earth's rocky plates do the same thing They push together very slowly The Himalayas formed this way

Volcanic Mountains: Built by Lava

Hot melted rock (lava) comes up from deep inside Earth The lava cools and becomes hard rock More and more lava builds up over time This creates a cone-shaped mountain Mount Etna is a famous volcanic mountain

Make Your Own Mountain!

Work in pairs with modeling clay Choose: Fold, Fault-Block, or Volcanic Create your mountain type Add colors and details Prepare to explain how it formed

What Have We Learned?

Mountains form in three main ways Fold mountains: plates push together Fault-block mountains: earth breaks and moves Volcanic mountains: lava builds up All take millions of years to form Mountains are amazing examples of Earth's power!