Grade Levels

2nd – 6th Grade (Adapt activities per grade level as needed)

Duration

90 minutes

Class Size

3 students

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Learning Objectives & Standards

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Describe the process of weathering and erosion and identify examples in their environment.
• Explain how water, ice, wind, and living things contribute to changing Earth’s surface.
• Conduct a simple hands-on experiment demonstrating erosion using water and soil.
• Record observations and data in a science journal to practice scientific reasoning and communication.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.1 / RI.3.1 / RI.4.1 / RI.5.1 / RI.6.1 : Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8 / W.3.8 / W.4.8 / W.5.8 / W.6.8: Recall information from experiences or gather information to answer a question.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.D.10 / 3.MD.B.3 / 4.MD.A.2: Draw and interpret data from measurement-related experiments (e.g., volume, length).
• NGSS integration:
  • 2-ESS2-1: Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.
  • 4-ESS2-1: Make observations and measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.

(Note: Though Common Core is generally English/Math standards, this science instruction references NGSS for science content alignment to maintain rigor and grade-appropriate content.)

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Materials Needed

• Reference excerpts from Earth Science and Astronomy for Grades 1–4 (from provided PDF, Unit 8: The Weather Makes Rocks Weather).
• Clear plastic containers (to simulate erosion environment)
• Soil or sand
• Water dropper or small watering can
• Small rocks or pebbles
• Ice cubes
• Small toy plants or grass clippings (to simulate living things)
• Paper towels
• Science journals / notebooks and pencils
• Rulers or measuring tape (optional)
• Visuals from Earth science book (prepared printouts/slides of erosion examples)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & Engagement (15 minutes)

• Hook: Show pictures/examples of landscapes in different seasons or after storms (e.g., hillsides with rocks, eroded riverbanks). Ask, “What has happened to this land? What do you think caused these changes?”
• Connect to students’ experiences with weather: rain, wind, ice, plants growing around them.
• Briefly introduce key vocabulary from Unit 8 (weathering, erosion, deposition) using kid-friendly definitions:
  • Weathering: Breaking down rocks into tiny pieces
  • Erosion: Moving those pieces somewhere else
  • Deposition: Dropping those pieces and making new land shapes

2. Read-Aloud & Discussion (15 minutes)

• Read together selected passage from Unit 8 entitled “Water Weathers Rock” and “Ice Weathers Rock”.
• Pause to ask guiding questions:
  • “How does water change rocks?”
  • “What happens when ice forms in cracks of rocks?”
• Use visuals from the book to illustrate concepts. Encourage students to point to parts of the pictures as you read.

3. Hands-On Erosion Experiment (35 minutes)

• Objective: Watch erosion in action and understand the forces that change Earth’s surface.
• Setup: Fill one plastic container with soil, small rocks, and plants (toy or real) to mimic a small landscape.
• Steps:
  • Use a water dropper or a small watering can to gently pour water in a steady stream on one side of the container, simulating rain runoff.
  • Observe and describe what happens to the soil and rocks (e.g., soil washing away, rocks shifting).
  • Place an ice cube on a small rock, watch it melt and explain how ice affects rocks in nature.
  • Use wind simulation by blowing gently with straws or fans and observing if dust or small particles move.
  • Discuss how plants (roots) help protect soil from washing away.
• Data Recording: Have students draw and write their observations in their science journals, describing changes they see and explaining why.
• Measure the amount of soil displaced (if possible, using a ruler along container edges) and record the data.

4. Group Discussion & Reflection (15 minutes)

• Discuss results: Which causes erosion fastest? How did plants affect erosion?
• Talk about ways humans can help reduce erosion in real life (planting trees, building barriers).
• Compare experiment to natural examples students may have seen or learned about in the reading.

5. Creative Extension: Erosion Story (10 minutes)

• Ask each student to write or dictate a short story imagining they are a tiny grain of sand moving through erosion and deposition processes.
• Encourage them to describe how water, wind, or ice moves them and how they end up changing the land.
• Share stories with the group to reinforce understanding and build science vocabulary.

6. Closing & Assessment (10 minutes)

• Review key vocabulary and have students answer simple oral or written questions aligned with CCSS RI standards:
  • What is weathering?
  • How does water cause erosion?
  • Why do plants matter in preventing erosion?
• Check journals for observations and explanations to assess comprehension and ability to record scientific data.

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Differentiation & Accommodations

• For younger or struggling writers, provide sentence starters or allow oral journaling.
• For advanced learners, challenge them to design an experiment to test how slope angle affects erosion speed (e.g., tilting the container).
• Visual supports and hands-on materials support all learners’ engagement and comprehension.

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Teacher Notes & Tips

• Safety: Ensure water spills are managed to avoid slipping and that materials used are non-toxic.
• Preparation: Pre-fill containers with soil/plants to save time.
• Cross-Curricular: Link erosion/time changes to math by measuring soil displacement or timing water flow.
• Real-World Connection: Encourage students to observe local erosion (e.g., in gardens, parks) and bring photos or drawings to next class.
• Science Journals: Keep these throughout the unit for cumulative learning and reflection.

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Reference to Earth Science Textbook (Pandia Press)

This lesson plan integrates content and lab activities adapted from Unit 8: The Weather Makes Rocks Weather, pages 177–201 from the Earth Science and Astronomy Level 1 textbook (Grades 1–4) by Terri Williams. The hands-on approach mirrors the recommended “Water Weathers Rock,” “Ice Weathers Rock,” and “Living Things Weather Rock” labs, designed to foster scientific inquiry and understanding of surface changes due to weathering and erosion.

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End of Plan