Exploring Landforms and Continents

Curriculum Area:

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) – Grade 3

• ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions
• ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
• Geography (National Council for Social Studies - NCSS): Spatial Thinking

Lesson Duration:

60 minutes

Lesson Objective

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

1. Identify and describe major landforms (mountains, valleys, plateaus, plains, rivers, and lakes).
2. Locate and name the seven continents on a world map.
3. Explain how natural forces (water, wind, and earthquakes) shape landforms over time.
4. Create a hands-on landform model to demonstrate understanding.

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Lesson Structure

1. Engaging Introduction (10 minutes)

Interactive Warm-Up:

• Start with a mystery box containing objects representing landforms (e.g., a small rock for mountains, a water bottle for rivers, a flat piece of cardboard for plains).
• Ask the student to reach in, describe the object, and predict what landform it represents.
• Show real-world pictures or videos of various landforms to connect with their predictions.

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2. Exploring Landforms (15 minutes)

Discussion & Visual Learning:

• Use a globe or map to show where different landforms exist in the U.S. and around the world.
• Introduce the terms mountain, valley, plain, plateau, canyon, river, lake with simple definitions and real-life examples.
• Relate landforms to places the student has visited (e.g., local rivers or hills).

Tactile Learning (Mini-Experiment):

• Demonstrate erosion using sugar cubes:
  • Stack sugar cubes to resemble a small mountain.
  • Drip water over it to show how water slowly breaks landforms down over time.
  • Discuss how rivers form valleys and canyons (e.g., the Grand Canyon).

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3. The Seven Continents (10 minutes)

Hands-on Map Work:

• Provide a blank world map.
• Guide the student in labeling each continent.
• Use a catchy mnemonic to help remember the continents (e.g., "Asia, Africa, North and South, Europe, Australia, Antarctica - Wow! That’s a Mouth!").
• Discuss simple facts:
  • Largest continent (Asia)
  • Smallest (Australia)
  • Where the U.S. is located (North America)

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4. Creative Hands-On Activity (15 minutes)

DIY Landform Model:

• Provide clay or playdough to create a mini 3D model of different landforms:
  1. Mountains (pinch clay upwards)
  2. Valleys (press fingers between two raised areas)
  3. Rivers (use a finger to carve a path)
  4. Plateaus (flatten an area on top)
• Ask the student to verbally describe their model and explain how each landform was created over time.

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5. Wrap-Up and Review (10 minutes)

Game: Landform Riddles

• Give clues about different landforms (e.g., "I am a landform surrounded by water on all sides. What am I?" → An island!).
• Help the student summarize one new landform they learned about and one continent that surprised them.

Exit Question:

• Ask: “If you could visit any landform in the world, where would you go and why?”
• Write their response in their science journal to build reflection skills.

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Assessment & Extension

Assessment:

• Verbal check-in: Have the student name and describe three landforms and their effects on Earth’s surface.
• Hands-on check: Observe their landform model and how well they explain its features.
• Map labeling: Check accuracy in continent placement.

Extension Ideas:

• Take a neighborhood walk and identify local landforms.
• Research one major landform in the U.S. (e.g., the Grand Canyon or Rocky Mountains).
• Use sand or kinetic sand at home to shape different landforms again.

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Materials Needed

• Map or globe
• Clay/playdough
• Sugar cubes & water
• Blank world map
• Markers or colored pencils

This interactive and hands-on lesson will engage the student in both scientific exploration and creative modeling, making geography and landforms a memorable experience!