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Earth’s Changing Surface
Science Companion Field TripsA “Science in Real Life” Series
Science Field Trip
A Trip to Hawaii
“Looking at Landforms”Selections from the digital
Teacher Lesson Manual
Come on a virtual field trip matching module sample lessons with special places or current events!
www.sciencecompanion.com
Join our author Belinda Basca and her family on a journey to the islands of Hawaii...
Costa Rica
Like this.
Hawaii is made up of many islands. There are eight main islands: Kaho’olawe, Kaua’i,
Lana’i, Maui, Moloka’i, Ni’ihau and O’ahu.
But there are actually many more islands and reefs that make up the
Hawaiian Island Chain.(Many of them are under water.)
Both the big and small islands were created by volcanoes.
The Hawaiian Islandsare over 2,000 miles away!
And cliffs with amazing waterfalls.
Turn the page to find out how you can learn about different ways that land forms!
And mountains.
Volcanoes create beautiful, dramatic landforms that Belinda and her family looked at from a helicopter.
Like craters.
Sometimes lava (rock so hot it’s liquid) makes crazy shapes when it cools...
Beaches.
Earth’s Changing SurfaceStudent Reference Book
Writers
Belinda Basca, Rachel Burke, Lance Campbell, and David Sherman
Developers
Colleen Bell, Diane Bell, Cindy Buchenroth-Martin, and Catherine Grubin
Editor
Wanda Gayle
Pedagogy and Content Advisors
Jean Bell, Max Bell, Stephen Harlan*, and Marlyn Payne*
*Scientists or teachers who gave advice but are not part of the Chicago Science Group.
Book Design and Production
Happenstance Type-O-Rama; Picas & Points, Plus (Carolyn Loxton)
www.sciencecompanion.com
2009 Edition
Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group.
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act, no
part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in a
database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher.
SCIENCE COMPANION®, EXPLORAGEAR™, the CROSSHATCH Design™ and the WHEEL Design™ are
trademarks of Chicago Science Group and Chicago Educational Publishing.
ISBN 1-59192-398-0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10-P001-17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08
�
Landscapes, Landforms, and Time
Landscapes and Landforms Surround Us
Word Connectionlandscape—A large
area of land, or scen-
ery, that can be seen
from one place. Land-
scapes usually have
a variety of surface
features, such as hills,
valleys, and rivers.
Land is all around us. The way it looks is different from place
to place. In some places, tall mountains tower into the sky. In
others, rivers cut through valleys and canyons. Many places
are flat, or nearly so, without any mountains, valleys, or hills.
Wherever you live or travel, a landscape surrounds you.
�
Chapter ��
Just like a jigsaw puzzle, landscapes are made up of many
parts. Tall mountain ranges may be carved with steep can-
yons. Large areas of prairie may be divided by rivers. A desert
may be dusted with sand or scattered with stones.
Since the parts of a landscape can take many forms, these
parts are called landforms.
�Landscapes, Landforms, and Time
Word Connectionlandform—A part of
the earth’s surface that
has a unique shape, is
easy to recognize, and
was created by nature.
Chapter ��
Think About It!
Wherever people live, they change the landscape to suit their
needs. They build roads, houses, dams, and tunnels. Sometimes
they even level hills and fill in wetlands. What is the landscape like
where you live? Do you know what the area was like before peo-
ple lived there? How much do you think it has changed?
Humans change the landscape in many ways.
�Landscapes, Landforms, and Time
Landscapes Change over Time
Have you ever heard the saying “as old as the hills”? People
say this because nothing else has been around as long as
the land—not people, not the things we build, not even the
oldest trees.
But the landscape does change. The land around where you
live did not always look the way it does today.Word Connectioncataclysmic event—
An event that causes a
sudden and dramatic
change to the earth’s
surface.
Some changes to the landscape happen quickly. Floods, earth-
quakes, and volcanic eruptions, for example, can change
the land in a few minutes. Scientists call events like these
cataclysmic events.
But most changes to the land happen gradually, over a very
long period of time. Some changes take place over hundreds of
years, while other changes go on for thousands of years. Some
began before the dinosaurs lived on Earth, hundreds of mil-
lions of years ago, and they still go on today.
How Much is a Million?
It would take you
about 23 days to count
to one million—and
that’s with no breaks
for sleeping, eating, or
anything else!
Thinking back to when your parents were your age can seem
like ages ago. Looking back 100 years—when there were no
computers or TVs, and very few telephones and cars—can
seem like ancient times.
How Much is a Billion?
A billion is a thousand
million. It would take
you almost 100 years
to count to a billion.
Most of the changes to the landscape you will explore started
thousands or even millions of years ago, and those changes
continue today. Looking back to when most mountains were
formed and comparing it to when you, your parents, or even
your great-great-grandparents were born is like comparing the
size of your room to size of the galaxy. That’s a big difference!
�
The Science of Geology
It’s Only a Rock. So What?
Let’s face it, at first glance, rocks may not seem interesting.
They don’t talk. They don’t eat. They usually just sit there.
But rocks, and pieces of rock, are all around us. They are in the
streets we walk on, in the parks where we play, and in the soil
where we grow our food.
If you want to learn about the earth around you, rocks are the
place to start. And once you look carefully at a rock, you may
wonder about other things:
• Where did the rock come from? How was it made?
• Why is the rock shaped the way it is?
• Are there fossils in the rock? What can those fossils tell us?
• Does the rock contain valuable materials, like diamonds
or oil, that can be useful to people?
These are the kinds of questions that the scientists who study
the earth and its rocks try to answer.
�
Chapter ��
Geologists Study the Planet
For geologists, the people who study the earth, rocks tell a
story. A rock may give clues about how a landform got its
shape. Or a rock may show scientists that the spot where they
are standing looked very different thousands or millions of
years ago.
Word Connectiongeology—The science
that involves the study
of the earth, includ-
ing its history and the
processes that shape
it. From the Greek
words ge- (the earth)
and logos (reason). A
geologist is a scientist
who studies geology.
There are many different kinds of geologists. Some geologists
try to figure out what materials rocks are made of. Others
study the location and movement of water under the earth’s
surface. Still others might explore volcanoes to learn about
how they work and about the rocks that come from them.
Geologists share their knowledge of the earth to help build
dams, roads, and buildings. They try to keep us safe by learn-
ing about earthquakes and predicting when they might strike.
Geologists even travel into space to look down at the Earth to
study the continents and different landforms.
�The Science of Geology
T Think About It!In each of these examples,
how can geologists’
knowledge of the earth
help improve people’s
lives?
• People use products
that come from the
earth, such as iron, oil,
and cut stone.
• Whenever we build a
structure—a bridge, a
building, or a power
plant—we need to
know about the ground
it will be built on.
• Everything we eat and
wear originally came
from plants. Plants
grow in soil that’s
partly made up of rock
material.
• Geologic hazards, like
landslides, volcanic
eruptions, earthquakes,
and tsunamis, can
threaten us and our
property.
Geologists use different tools and work in many places.
Chapter ��0
History of Science and Technology
Sometimes new scientific ideas are born when people use new
inventions. You may already know about how the invention
of the telescope changed how we see the planets and stars,
or that the invention of the microscope helped people see the
smallest living things. For the area of science known as geol-
ogy, the steam engine was just such an invention.
Coal and Canals: Geology 200 Years Ago
Changing Earth Fact
Coal is one kind of
natural resource that
humans use to heat
water and produce
electricity. Today,
people also use oil and
natural gas, which also
come from the earth.
In the early 1700s, people only used coal to heat their homes.
But by the end of that century, they were burning coal to melt
and shape iron, and to power the new steam-driven factories.
Coal is a black rock formed from dead plant material that is
millions of years old. In some areas, coal lies just below the sur-
face of the earth. In other areas, it’s found hundreds of meters
beneath the land. As more and more people wanted coal, the
people who knew how to locate it became very popular.
During this time, the scientific field of geology became more
important to people because they wanted to find the hidden
coal, as well as other valuable rocks that lay beneath the
earth’s surface. But the need for coal created a whole new
set of problems that also helped make geology an important
new science.Changing Earth Fact
By 1800, a million tons
of coal a year were
dug from all of Britain’s
coal mines.
One of these problems was that coal was bulky. Moving it
from mines in the country to the factories and cities where
people used it was difficult, especially since few roads at that
time were paved.
��The Science of Geology
In the earliest canals, heavy goods were carried in boats towed by horses.
In the late 1700s, people began to dig canals that filled with
water for transportation. Canals allowed people to float heavy
loads on boats pulled by horses that walked on a path that
ran alongside the canals. Instead of getting stuck on a muddy
road, canals enabled goods to be transported in almost any
weather, and for a lower price than using carts or wagons.
Canal building was all the rage for fifty years, until railroads
became cheaper and more dependable.
The need for coal and canals created one of those special
moments in history when a clever person makes a remark-
able new discovery. In this case, the new discovery came about
because of one of the most important skills used by all scien-
tists, even you: the skill of observation.
William Smith: An Early Geologist Makes a Discovery
William Smith, the son of a village blacksmith in England,
was the first person to use his observations to make a map of
the layers of rock beneath the earth’s surface. During the late
1700s, in England, he was hired to help plan two canals that
would connect a rich coal mining area with the cities of Lon-
don and Bristol. All his years of climbing down into mines and
watching workers dig canals helped him to notice something
no one else had noticed before.
Chapter ���
What did he observe that was so important? First, by care-
fully looking at the underground world, he discovered that the
different colored rocks and sediment below the ground were
always layered in the same order, like the layers of a cake.
Layers of soil and rock
Word Connectionfossil—A rock whose
shape reveals informa-
tion about an ancient
plant, animal, or other
organism. If an organ-
ism becomes fossilized,
that means that its
shape or remains have
been replaced by rock
material.
Second, by looking closely at the rocks in those layers, he
discovered that each layer had its own special kind of fossils.
One of these fossils was called an ammonite, which is a kind
of snail that lived in the ocean millions of years ago.
Different ammonites lived at different times during Earth’s
long history. When an ammonite became fossilized, it became
part of the rock around it. Like a bookmark sticking out from
a group of pages, it marked a certain spot in the layers of rock.
��The Science of Geology
By comparing that spot with ammonites from other spots,
Smith could tell which layer was which. By looking at the
fossils in the earth, anyone could identify the layer of rock
and tell when it formed.
Ammonites come many sizes and shapes. This one was found in Montana.
For many years Smith traveled the English countryside collect-
ing sample rocks and fossils. Finally, in 1815, he drew the first
map of the types of rocks that make up the surface of England.
In fact, this was the very first geological map of its kind any-
where in the world. It helped people understand that the earth
was composed of layers. When they asked how he made the
map, Smith explained his theory about using fossils to identify
the different layers of rock.
Today, geologists still draw maps of the rocks on the surface of
the earth and the layers of rock beneath the earth. These maps
help scientists and engineers explore the earth, make new dis-
coveries, and form theories about how the earth was formed.
But all of today’s geologists owe thanks to William Smith for
his first map.
Chapter ���
People Doing Science
Women in Science
Collecting fossils became a trendy fashion in the mid-1700s.
People could not travel safely very far from their homes. But they
could travel through time by looking at dusty fossil bones, shells,
and plants. Two British women were important fossil collectors
during this time.
Ethelred Bennett, who once gave William Smith a piece of fossil-
ized coral to add to his collection, explored and collected fossils all
over the county of Wiltshire, England. While most women in her
day were learning needlepoint and piano, she was known as an
eager fossil hunter by the people who collected them.
Another woman, Mary Anning, learned about fossil collecting
from her father, who built cabinets for wealthy people to display
their fossil collections. In 1811, when she was just 12 years old,
she and her brother discovered a complete fossil skeleton of a
giant fish. Scientists today know it as an ichthyosaur, a kind of
dinosaur that swam in the sea millions of years ago. Mary later
discovered a fossil of a baby plesiosaur, a huge marine reptile,
and a nearly perfect fossil of a pterodactyl, the winged dinosaur.
Pterodactyl fossil.
Plesiosaur skeleton.
Ichthyosaur.
Levels 4-6
Science Companion®
Earth’s Changing Surface
Teacher Lesson Manual
4 | Earth’s Changing surfaCE | tablE of ContEnts
Table of ContentsSuggested Full Year Schedule . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover
Welcome to Science CompanionPhilosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Finding What You Need in Science Companion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Cross-Curricular Integration and Flexible Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Unit OverviewIntroduction to the Earth’s Changing Surface Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Unit Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Lessons at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Integrating the Student Reference Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Preparing for the UnitEarth’s Changing Surface Science Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Science Library and Web Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Before You Begin Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Lessons1 Looking for Changes to the Earth’s Surface: Part 1* . . . . . . . . . 58
2 Looking at Landforms* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
3 Rivers Shape the Land* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Teacher Directions: Making River Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
4 Rivers Shape the Land in Different Ways* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
5 Abrasion Wears Down Rock* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Teacher Directions: Setting up Abrasion Investigations . . . . . 123
6 Glaciers Carve the Land* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
7 Wind Erodes Hoodoos* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
8 Wind Deposits Dunes* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
9 Weathering Breaks Down Rock* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
10 Looking for Changes to the Earth’s Surface: Part 2 . . . . . . . . . 194
11 Plate Movements Form Mountains* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
12 Volcanoes Build Up the Earth’s Surface* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
13 Touring Landforms*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
* Indicates a core lesson
�Earth’s Changing surfaCE | tablE of ContEnts |
Skill Building ActivitiesObserving and Describing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Reading Science Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Using Models in Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Teacher Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Standards and BenchmarksStandards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Benchmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Teacher Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
6
PhilosophyAlmost anyone who has spent time with children is struck by the tremendous energy they expend exploring their world. They ask “why” and “how.” They want to see and touch. They use their minds and senses to explore the things they encounter and wonder about. In other words, children are already equipped with the basic qualities that make a good scientist.
The goal of the Science Companion curriculum is to respond to and nourish students’ scientific dispositions by actively engaging their interests and enhancing their powers of inquiry, observation, and reflection. Learning by doing is central to this program.
Each Science Companion lesson incorporates interesting and relevant scientific content, as well as science values, attitudes, and skills that children in the elementary grades should begin to develop. These “habits of mind,” along with science content knowledge, are crucial for building science literacy and they are an integral part of the Science Companion program. Be aware of them and reinforce them as you work with students. With experience, students will develop the ways they demonstrate and use the following scientific habits of mind.
Habits of MindWondering and thinking about the natural and physical worldStudents’ curiosity is valued, respected, and nurtured. Their questions and theories about the world around them are important in setting direction and pace for the curriculum. Children are encouraged to revise and refine their questions and ideas as they gain additional information through a variety of sources and experiences.
Seeking answers through exploration and investigationStudents actively seek information and answers to their questions by trying things out and making observations. They continually revise their understanding based on their experiences. Through these investigations, children learn firsthand about the “scientific method.” They also see that taking risks and making mistakes are an important part of science and of learning in general.
Pursuing ideas in depthStudents have the opportunity to pursue ideas and topics fully, revisiting them and making connections to other subjects and other areas in their lives.
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| Earth’s Changing surfaCE | PhilosoPhy
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Observing carefullyStudents are encouraged to attend to details. They are taught to observe with multiple senses and from a variety of perspectives. They use tools, such as magnifying lenses, balance scales, rulers, and clocks, to enhance their observations. Students use their developing mathematics and literacy skills to describe, communicate, and record their observations in age-appropriate ways.
Communicating clearlyStudents are asked to describe their observations and articulate their thinking and ideas using a variety of communication tools, including speaking, writing, and drawing. They learn that record keeping is a valuable form of communication for oneself and others. Children experience how working carefully improves one’s ability to use one’s work as a tool for communication.
Collaborating and sharingStudents come to know that their ideas, questions, observations, and work have value. At the same time, they learn that listening is vitally important, and that exchanging ideas with one another builds knowledge and enhances understanding. Children discover that they can gain more knowledge as a group than as individuals, and that detailed observations and good ideas emerge from collaboration.
Developing critical response skillsStudents ask, “How do you know?” when appropriate, and are encouraged to attempt to answer when this question is asked of them. This habit helps develop the critical response skills needed by every scientist.
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Earth’s Changing surfaCE | PhilosoPhy |
�0
Lesson Looking at Landforms
A QUICK LOOK
Big Idea
Landforms are the result of changes to the earth’s surface.
OverviewStudents observe relief maps or globes and note the large landforms on them. To become familiar with the diversity of landforms on Earth, they examine and discuss photographs of various landforms and guess how they were formed.
Process Skills Key notes• Describing
• Observing
• Using models
• Wondering
• Arrange to borrow a collection of relief maps or extra relief globes from other classrooms to use during the introductory discussion.
• Although you are laying important groundwork for students to understand that the movement of water, ice, and wind shape the landscape, don’t formally introduce this concept during this lesson. Instead, allow students to use their own ideas and previous experience to guess how landforms are created. In Lessons 3–9, students learn about the natural processes that wear away or build up the earth’s surface, and create landforms.
E A R T H ’ S C H A n G I n G S U R FAC E
C L U S T E R 1Earth’s surfacE changEs
2
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Key notes (continued)
• In this lesson students use maps and globes, models of the earth’s surface. In subsequent lessons they build models to demonstrate various processes that shape the earth. If students need to develop an understanding of why models are used in science, teach the Skill Building Activity “Using Models in Science,” on page 272.
• For more information about the science content in this lesson, see the “Different Processes Shape the Land” section of the Teacher Background Information on pages 281–287.
Standards and Benchmarks• This lesson lays the foundation for students to understand
Earth and Space Science Standard D (Structure of the Earth System and Changes in the Earth and Sky) by thinking about how “the surface of the earth changes,” how “some changes are due to slow processes, such as weathering and erosion,” and that “landforms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces.”
• Students also begin to understand The Physical Setting Benchmark 4C (Processes That Shape the Earth): “waves, wind, water, and ice shape and reshape the earth’s land surface by eroding rock and soil in some areas and depositing them in other areas.”
Lesson Goals1. Observe various types of landforms.
2. Wonder about the processes that create and shape landforms.
Assessment OptionPay attention to criteria A and B on Assessment 1 and criteria D on Assessment 2 when you review student’s responses on pages 4-6 of the science notebooks. Use this review as a pre-assessment of their understanding of the processes that shape the surface of the earth and create landforms.
Teacher Master 2, Assessment 1
Teacher Master 3, Assessment 2
Lesson 2
�2
Materials
Item Quantity notesExploraGear
Relief map 1 For students to describe shapes of large landforms.
Classroom Supplies
Globe, relief style (optional) 1 or more For students to describe shapes of large landforms.
Overhead projector 1 To display overhead transparencies.
Relief maps (optional) 1 or more For students to describe shapes of large landforms.
Previous Lesson
List of changes to the earth’s surface from the Surface Changes Walk (optional)
From Lesson 1.
Curriculum Items
Overhead Transparencies “Landform 1” through “Landform 14”
Earth’s Changing Surface Science Notebook, pages 4–6
Earth’s Changing Surface Student Reference Book, pages 7–14
Teacher Master “Landform Information”
Teacher Master “Landform—Sensory Memories” (optional)
Teacher Master “Note Recording Tool” (optional)
Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment 1 “Landforms” (optional)
Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment 2 “Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition” (optional)
Skill Building Activity “Using Models in Science,” pages 272–278 (optional)
Using the Student Reference BookAfter the lesson, use Chapter 2 of the student reference book to reinforce the idea that landforms are made of rock, and to introduce the science of geology. The “History of Science and Technology” section is optional, and can be used for reading enrichment.
Vocabularylandform . . . . . . . . . . . A part of the earth’s surface that has a
unique shape, is easy to recognize, and was created by nature.
model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An object that represents something that is similar to the real thing in many ways (it might be made out of the same materials), but is different in some ways (it might be much bigger or smaller, for example).
physical model . . . . . A three-dimensional model of something.
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Teaching the Lesson
Engage
Introductory Discussion1. Review the list of changes to the earth’s surface that students
observed on their Surface Changes Walk and their ideas about what caused these changes.
2. Conduct a brief discussion of the question: Is the surface of the earth the same everywhere? Help students recall the surface changes they noticed in the landscape around the school.
Seeing and Touching Global LandformsStudents turn their attention to global landforms by using their senses to feel and see shapes on a relief globe or relief map.
1. Show students a relief globe or relief map and explain that these are physical models of the earth’s surface. Ask them what kinds of shapes they see on the models.
2. If you have enough to go around, distribute globes and maps to groups of students. Otherwise, invite three student volunteers to join you in front of the class with the globe or map you displayed.
3. Have the students close their eyes, gently touch the globe or map, and describe the shapes they feel.
4. (Optional) If you have both a relief globe and relief map, ask the student volunteers if it is easier or harder to distinguish shapes on the relief map. (The difference in scale between the globe and the map may make it easier or more difficult to feel the shapes of landforms.)
Teacher NoTe: If you already taught students about scale in a geography, math, or science session, you may want to point out that the relief map has a different scale than the globe, and that is why shapes like mountains and valleys are more distinctive. Although students view images depicting landforms in different scales later in the lesson, it is not important to focus on this concept at this time.
5. Share the definition of landform with students. Have them brainstorm a list of the landforms that they can recognize on the globes and maps. (The list might include terms such as canyon, island, mountain, ocean, plain, river, valley, and volcano.)
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Explore
Looking at Landforms1. Refer students to the “I Wonder,” “I Think,” and “I Observe”
sections of the “I Wonder” circle and explain that they will practice many of these scientific skills while identifying some of the different landforms they learn about during the unit.
2. Tell them that as you show the overhead transparencies, they should record the type of landform(s) displayed, and then make their best guess, on pages 4–6 of their science notebook, about how it was formed.
Teacher NoTe: The earth’s surface exhibits an amazing diversity of landforms. Some of the overhead transparencies reflect this diversity by depicting more than one landform. Use the descriptions on the teacher master to guide you as you point out specific formations for students to observe, but don’t feel compelled to share all the information provided. Alternatively, invite students to name the kinds of landforms shown.
3. Display the overhead transparencies titled “Landform 1,” “Landform 2,” and so on. Use the notes and questions on Teacher Master “Landform Information” to help guide a discussion about each one. Point out the individual landforms on each transparency before showing the next one.
Science Notebook pages 4–6
Overhead Transparencies: “Landforms 1–14”
language arts connectionYou can record the names of landforms during the sensory observation by making a chart and listing terms. The chart can be the beginning of an Earth’s Changing Surface “word bank” that you can post and then add to throughout the unit to assist students. (For more information about word banks, see the “Setting Up a Science-Friendly Environment” article in the Teacher Reference Materials.)
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Teacher Masters 11–19
social studies connectionThe final overhead transparency shows the Great Lakes, an essential transportation waterway for both Canada and the United States. Have students name the states and provinces that border the Great Lakes, as well as the major cities on their shores.
Use the note recording tool to record students’ ideas about how the landforms were created. Use this as a pre-assessment of their understanding of criteria A and B on Assessment 1, and criterion D on Assessment 2.
4. After pointing out the landforms, give students time to write down their ideas about each one’s formation. Ask volunteers to share their guesses with the class.
Teacher NoTe: You don’t need to critique or correct the students’ guesses at this point. Help them articulate their ideas and questions, and listen for opportunities to revisit them during future lessons.
5. Display and discuss all of the transparencies, then finish the activity by asking students if any of the landforms reminded them of the changes to the earth’s surface they identified on the Surface Changes Walk. If there are similarities, display the landform again and invite further discussion about how the formations might have been created.
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Ongoing Learning
Science Center
Materials: Books and photographs about landforms, student drawings of landforms, and chart paper for an Earth’s Changing Surface “word bank”
• Encourage students to bring in images of landforms from magazines and web sites, as well as photographs from home. They might also want to draw their own pictures of these features. Have them create labels for the images to use as captions.
• If you began an Earth’s Changing Surface “word bank” during the exploration, post it in the Science Center. Add to these terms as students encounter new words in future lessons.
Extending the Lesson
Further Science Exploration
Local LandformsTo help students connect their experience of their surroundings to the examples of the landforms they observed in class, have them research similar local landforms. Encourage students to record their ideas about how the features were formed.
Language Arts ExtensionHave students recall their experiences at a local landform, or suggest that they investigate a famous landform. Encourage them to share their reflections and impressions in one of these formats:
• A poem about the landform using vivid sensory images
• A travelogue describing a real or imaginary trip to the landform
• A myth or legend that explains how the landform was created or depicts how the landform significantly affects the people who live nearby
If students need help using details in their descriptive writing, have them complete the Teacher Master “Landform—Sensory Memories” as a pre-writing activity.
Teacher Master 20
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Social Studies ExtensionHave students research a famous landform or one that plays a significant role in the culture or folklore of a native people. Examples include:
• Crater Lake, Oregon
• Devil’s Tower, Wyoming
• Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls, New York
• Kilauea volcano, Hawaii
• Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
• Mt. Rainier, Washington
• Nantucket Island, Massachusetts
• Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia
Art Extensions• Collages offer children an opportunity to create unique
interpretations of common sights. Encourage students to use natural materials like bark, flowers, grass, pebbles, and sand to create a collage depicting a local or a famous landform that interests them.
• Have children study masterworks of famous landforms around the world. Explore how different cultures use unique artistic styles to emphasize different features. Japanese artists, for example, have created highly stylized depictions of sacred Mt. Fuji. Contrast these with the romantic visions of American landforms painted by artists such as Thomas Doughty and Albert Bierstadt, or the photographs of Ansel Adams.
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Music ExtensionMany songs have landforms featured prominently in their lyrics and titles. Try to obtain recordings of the following songs, or have students search the Internet for more songs and lyrics.
• The Green, Green Grass of Home
• Down by the Valley
• Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (Diana Ross and the Supremes)
• The Bear Went Over the Mountain (traditional)
• Red River Valley (traditional)
• She’ll be Comin’ Around the Mountain When She Comes (traditional)
• By the River of Babylon (Bob Marley)
• Volcano (Jimmy Buffet)
• Roll on Columbia, Roll On (Woody Guthrie)
• Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal
• Climb Every Mountain (from “The Sound of Music”)
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Planning Ahead
For Lesson 3• Have the students read Chapter 3 of the student reference
book before the lesson. This reading provides a basic foundation for understanding weathering, erosion, and deposition.
• If you haven’t already done so, review the materials list, obtain classroom supplies, and construct the river tables according to the teacher directions.
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Overhead Transparency: “Landform 1” Overhead Transparency: “Landform 2”
Overhead Transparency: “Landform 3” Overhead Transparency: “Landform 4”
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Overhead Transparency: “Landform 5” Overhead Transparency: “Landform 6”
Overhead Transparency: “Landform 7” Overhead Transparency: “Landform 8”
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Overhead Transparency: “Landform 9” Overhead Transparency: “Landform 10”
Overhead Transparency: “Landform 11” Overhead Transparency: “Landform 12”
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Overhead Transparency: “Landform 13” Overhead Transparency: “Landform 14”
Science Notebook page 4 Science Notebook page 5
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Science Notebook page 6 Teacher Master 2, Assessment 1
Teacher Master 3, Assessment 2 Teacher Master 11
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Teacher Master 12 Teacher Master 13
Teacher Master 14 Teacher Master 15
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Teacher Master 16 Teacher Master 17
Teacher Master 18 Teacher Master 19
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Teacher Master 20
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Teacher Background InformationIntroduction: Our Changing Earth
In the early summer of 2004, a landslide created a natural dam on the Pareechu River in Tibet. Within weeks, satellite images showed a large lake building behind the obstruction, filling a basin and extending far upriver. According to NASA, “the new lake poses a threat to communities downstream in northern India, which will be flooded if the landslide-dam bursts.” 1
Cataclysmic events, such as floods and landslides, change the earth’s surface in sudden and dramatic ways. Because such changes are easy for children to observe, these spectacular events commonly become the focus of learning about how the earth’s surface changes.
In the fast-paced 21st century, when we are less connected to nature on a daily basis, we usually don’t notice the slow and subtle changes to the landscape around us. Our everyday experience tells us that the earth’s surface rarely changes. When we view landforms such as mountains and valleys, they appear constant, solid, and unchanging. In our concrete cities, the only changes to the landscape we may experience are those created by humans.
Landscapes may appear the same from day to day, but in fact they are in a state of perpetual change. These changes happen slowly, often imperceptibly, but they are constant. New rock is added to the surface as the earth’s crust moves, forming new mountains and creating rift valleys and volcanoes. The processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition slowly transform rock, creating an amazing variety of landforms and features. Depending on the local climate, the force of moving water, ice, and wind act in unique ways to shape and carve the earth’s surface.
Children have difficulty applying scientific explanations to processes in the natural world that they don’t personally observe. As one research report explained, children demonstrate a “natural inability to conceive vast scales of time and distance and of rates of process of phenomena which are outside immediate experience.” 2
1Landslide Creates Lake in Tibet. NASA Earth Observatory: Natural Hazards. September 1, 2004. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=123902Representations of Mountains and Mountainous Landscapes and Environments. Roger Trend, Lynne Everett, and Jane Dove. Research in Science and Technological Education. Exeter School of Education, University of Exeter: 2000.
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The Earth’s Changing Surface Unit challenges the misconception of landscapes as fixed features by engaging students in the primary activity of geologists: making careful observations of the processes that impact the earth’s surface and its interior. Each lesson focuses students’ attention on the slow processes and the subtle forces that carve, shape, and weather the earth’s surface. By the end of the unit, children shed their image of landscapes as unchanging and develop a view of the earth’s surface as dynamic and constantly changing.
Different Processes Shape the Land
Movements of the Earth’s Crust Create LandformsMany elementary-aged children assume that the earth is solid rock all the way through. To dispel this notion and help children understand why movement occurs on the earth’s surface, it is helpful to provide a basic overview of the structural layers below the earth’s crust. It is not necessary to explain plate tectonics, but it is important to emphasize that there are forces deep within the earth that cause movement of the earth’s crust.
0 km(0 mi)
1228 km(763 mi)
3500 km(2174 mi)
6340 km(3939 mi)
6378 km(3963 mi)
Inner Core 4300C to
7200C(7772F to12992F) Mantle
870C to 3700C(1598F to 6692F)
Outer Core3700C to 4300C(6692F to 7772F)
CrustAir Temperature
to 870C(1598F)
Layers of the EarthThe earth is made up of four layers: inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust. The core is composed of mostly iron and nickel and remains very hot, even after 4.5 billion years of cooling. The core is divided into two layers: a solid inner core and a liquid outer core. Above the core lies
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the mantle, an immense layer of rock that makes up approximately 75% to 80% of the earth’s mass and volume. The crust is the outer layer of solid rock that makes up the surface of the earth. It includes the continents and ocean basins. Compared to the internal layers of the earth, the crust is a thin shell, like the outer surface of an egg.
The mantle itself is divided into an upper and a lower mantle. The upper mantle, called the rigid mantle, is a plastic-like rock that is firmly attached to the crust. Together, the crust and rigid mantle are known as the lithosphere, a layer about 100 kilometers (approximately 60 miles) deep. Like a cracked egg shell, the lithosphere is made up of numerous pieces called tectonic plates. The plates of the lithosphere float on top of a layer of hot, semi-fluid rock that composes the lower mantle.
The material below the rigid lithosphere is part of the convecting mantle. Like any other hot liquid, its semi-fluid rock circulates very slowly in convection patterns driven by the earth’s intense internal heat. As it slowly churns, it carries the tectonic plates along with it, like material carried along a conveyer belt. This slow and constant circulation of rock material in the convecting mantle is the driving force behind plate tectonics and the movements of the crust that shape the earth’s surface. Students learn about the layers of the earth in Lesson 11.
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Moving Plates Build MountainsPlate movements build mountains during a process called orogenesis. As plates move, they can collide, split apart, or grind together. The way the tectonic plates interact determines the types of landform that form at the plate boundaries.
When two plates collide they form convergent margins. Large folded mountain ranges are typically found along such plate boundaries. In Lesson 11, students explore folded mountains—one of several mountain types. Folded mountains, as the name implies, form when the collision of two plates causes the crust to compress and crumple into huge mountainous folds. The European Alps, Appalachian Mountains, and Himalayas are all folded mountain chains.
Oceanic and continental tectonic plate collisions form subduction zones. In these collisions, one tectonic plate sinks downward while the overriding plate pushes up. As the front edge of an oceanic plate sinks deep into the mantle, some of its rock melts. Volcanoes commonly form above such subduction zones. As the plate melts, molten rock, called magma, rises up through the lithosphere and erupts as volcanoes. The volcanic mountains along the Cascade and northern Sierra Nevada mountain ranges are examples of this kind of volcanic activity.
Divergent boundaries are found where tectonic plates are moving away from each other, such as along the mid-ocean ridges. Lava erupts along the mid-ocean ridges due to underwater volcanoes that are located above fissures created where the crust is weakened and stretched as the plates move apart. This lava is a source of new rock material that adds to the crust forming on the ocean floor. Divergent boundaries also form rift valleys on land in places like east Africa.
Transform boundaries occur as tectonic plates slide past each other. A small canyon, plateau, or ridge may sometimes form along transform boundaries. Part of California’s famous San Andreas fault, for example, forms a long valley running south of San Francisco between the coastal Santa Cruz Mountains and the San Francisco Bay. Earthquakes are very common along transform, divergent, and convergent plate boundaries.
Most of the world’s earthquakes occur at fairly shallow depths, only 20 to 30 km (12–19 miles) deep. But earthquake movement within the lithosphere often results in cataclysmic changes to the earth’s surface. Huge cracks can open up in the ground, and buildings, bridges, and other structures may crumble. Earthquakes can also trigger massive landslides. Additionally, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions under the ocean and in coastal areas can trigger huge waves of water called tsunamis. Tsunamis can travel enormous distances across the ocean and build in height as they approach
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land. Where they reach shore they may attain a height of nearly 30 meters (100 feet) and can sweep very far inland. These and other secondary effects of an earthquake, such as landslides and fires, often cause more damage than the actual ground shaking.
Weathering Breaks Down Earth’s Rock• How do giant boulders become small pebbles?
• How do sharp, rough rocks become smooth and round?
• What makes sand?
The answer to all of these questions can be found in the subtle, and often protracted, process of weathering. Weathering is the physical, chemical, or biological breakdown of rocks and minerals into smaller sized particles.
Physical WeatheringGeologists usually describe three types of weathering: physical, biological, and chemical. Physical weathering occurs when rock is broken down into smaller pieces by physical processes. Physical weathering changes the physical shape of rocks, but not their chemical composition. Moving water, in the form of rain, rivers, waves, and storms, is the greatest cause of physical weathering, even in locations that receive very little precipitation. Glaciers, wind, and extreme changes in temperature also play an important role in physical weathering.
The weathering process that is the focus of the Earth’s Changing Surface Unit is abrasion caused by moving water, ice, and wind-dispersed materials. Simply put, abrasion is the grinding down of one rock by another. This grinding can be found in the tumbling of boulders in a large, flood-prone river, the pulverizing of rock material beneath the enormous weight of a glacier, or the subtle sanding of rock surfaces by wind-borne sediment. Students explore the effect of abrasion on rock in Lessons 5 and 9. They apply this knowledge of abrasion as they review the role of water (Lessons 3 and 4) on the movement of sediment. They consider the impact of ice (Lesson 6) and wind (Lessons 7 and 8) on the process of abrasion and its contribution to the creation of landforms.
In high mountains, and other places where nighttime temperatures drop below freezing, the freeze/thaw cycle is often the first process to act on rock that is newly exposed to the elements. When water seeps into cracks, it often freezes and expands at night, wedging rocks apart. Since water expands 10% in volume when it freezes, the force of wedging can be considerable. In the daytime the water melts and the cracks contract again. In addition, the rock itself expands and contracts as temperatures rise and fall. This constant
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expansion and contraction eventually weakens rock and breaks it apart. Although students do not study the freeze/thaw cycle during Earth’s Changing Surface Unit, it is a key process for breaking large rocks into smaller fragments, beginning the slow, steady deterioration to sediment, the tiny particles of rock material.
Biological WeatheringBiological weathering occurs when the actions of living organisms contribute to the breaking down of rock. Most people are unaware of the role that living organisms play in shaping the earth’s surface. Plants, bacteria, and fungi are all agents of biological weathering. Even the footsteps of humans and animals are considered by some scientists to be an example of biological weathering. The roots of plants are strong enough to wedge and break apart rocks. Tree roots can even break apart giant boulders. Soil is created through physical, chemical, and biological weathering and is composed of rocks, minerals, organic debris, and living organisms. These organisms are widespread in soil and produce acids and enzymes that chemically break down and dissolve rocks. Though not covered in the lessons, plants, bacteria, lichens, and fungi play an important role in weathering processes.
Chemical WeatheringChemical weathering occurs when the minerals in rocks are chemically transformed into new materials. Oxidation, the most common form of chemical weathering, occurs when oxygen reacts with iron and magnesium-rich minerals. This is the same process that rusts metal. The deep red and brown colors of many rocks are caused by iron oxidation. Dissolution, another important form of chemical weathering, occurs when slightly acidic water dissolves calcium-rich minerals in rock. Dissolution is the primary process that causes the formation of limestone caverns. It is also the cause of weathering seen in many limestone buildings throughout the world exposed to air pollution and acid rain.
For more detailed information about erosion and deposition, see Chapter 3 of the student reference book.
Erosion Moves Material; Deposition Builds It UpOnce rock is broken into smaller bits, two other processes contribute to the creation of landforms and shape the earth’s surface: erosion and deposition. The word erosion comes from the Latin word erodere, which means “to eat away slowly.” Although the terms weathering and erosion are often used interchangeably, it will help students to clearly distinguish between the two processes. Weathering, discussed above, is the formation of loose bits of rock material, called sediment. The second process, erosion, is the removal and transportation of sediment and larger rock material by water, ice, and wind. Most erosional processes happen very slowly—for example, the way wind-bourn sediment polishes rock over thousands
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of years—or very quickly, as in the case of hurricanes and floods. Students are introduced to the concept of erosion in Lesson 3, and return to it in subsequent lessons.
The forces of water, ice, and wind all pick up and transport eroded material, but eventually gravity pulls this material down to settle on the surface of the earth. There it may form new soil, compact over time to become new rock, build a river delta, or settle onto a sand dune. Deposition occurs when eroded rock material is laid down in a new location. It also occurs when volcanic activity causes new rock material to emerge from beneath the earth’s surface.
All three of these processes—weathering, erosion, and deposition—work together to wear down, transport, and build up the rock material that shapes the remarkable surface of our planet.
Plants, Animals, and Humans Impact the Earth’s SurfacePlants and animals also play an important role in shaping the earth’s surface. Plant root systems hold soil in place and limit erosion. At the same time, plant roots can make a forceful wedge that eventually breaks down rock. In some places where conditions are too extreme for plants to grow, lichens help break down rock. In other places, like the deserts of the western United States, lichens can bind the top of otherwise lifeless soil, preventing erosion. The complex interactions of plants and the earth’s surface are beyond the scope of this unit, but these interactions may be ones that students first notice as they look for changes to the earth’s surface in Lessons 1 and 10 and take part in the virtual field trips of Lesson 13.
Students may have witnessed the industrious bustle of ants moving sediment to build a nest. Or they may have seen the temporary dams built by beavers and the lakes that result. In coastal areas, students may recognize that animals like coral eventually decay and become part of the landscape by forming beaches. From the migratory paths worn by large mammals to the hills built by termites, the earth’s surface is marked by the activity of animals.
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Humans also make dramatic and lasting changes to the surface of the earth. Like animals, human activities often alter natural processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition. Some of these activities can be destructive. Urban development transforms natural landscapes and alters the course of rivers, deltas, and floodplains. Agriculture, logging, and mining can expose topsoil, leaving it susceptible to rapid erosion. Even overuse of limited water resources can deplete groundwater and sometimes irrevocably change landscapes by lowering the elevation of the land (subsidence), creating sinkholes, and diminishing annual flows of rivers and streams. Global warming, which most scientists believe is accelerated by burning fossil fuels, is causing glaciers around the world to retreat or melt away entirely. Human activities also create by-products which can alter the earth’s surface by damaging rivers and coastlines, causing acid rain, and creating dumps and landfills.
The Force of Water
For more detailed information about rivers and the force of moving water, see Chapters 4–6 of the student reference book.
Rivers Shape the LandMoving water is the single most important factor in shaping the earth’s surface, and rivers are one of the most important catalysts of landscape change. Once precipitation reaches the earth’s surface, water flows from high to low elevation under the influence of gravity. Rainfall, glacial runoff, snowmelt, and springs can contribute water that feeds small creeks, referred to as headwaters, that are eventually channeled into streams and larger rivers. Rivers play a major role in shaping every landscape on earth, except for the most extreme arctic and desert environments. Even in deserts, occasional rainfall causes ephemeral streams and flash floods that play a major role in shaping the landscape. Students discover how moving water and rivers shape the earth’s surface in Lessons 3 and 4.
The Role of a River’s Slope and Rate of DischargeThe shape of rivers and the landforms they create over time are largely determined by the river’s slope and water discharge. Slope determines how fast the water in a river flows and the size and amount of sediment a river can transport. On a mountainside, water flows downhill very fast because the slope is steep. Fast flowing water has enough force to pick up large rocks and carry large amounts of sediment and debris downstream. Steep mountain streams tend to cut very narrow channels with turbulent whitewater and many waterfalls. Rocks and rock fragments carried by these fast moving waters are subjected to considerable abrasion as they are tossed about during their journey downstream. Swift streams and rivers frequently cause rapid erosion, carving canyons and steep V-shaped valleys.
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2009 Edition. Copyright © 2004 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved. www.sciencecompanion.com
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10-P001-17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08
I ThinkI WonderI D
iscover
I TryI Observe
I Re
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DoingScience
I Wonder: notice, ask questions, state problems I Think: consider, gather information, predict I Try: experiment, model, test ideas, repeat I Observe: watch, examine, measure I Record: record data, organize, describe, classify, graph, draw I Discover: look for patterns, interpret, reflect, conclude, communicate discoveries
“I Wonder” Circle®
Doing Science
EARTH’S CHANGING SURFACE | TABLE OF CONTENTS | 3
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Assessment Philosophy........................................................................ 5 Assessment Materials........................................................................... 8
Content Rubrics and Opportunity OverviewsLandforms Rubric 1.............................................................................16 Landforms Opportunities Overview.....................................................17 Weathering, Erosion and Deposition Rubric 2....................................18 Weathering, Erosion and Deposition Opportunities Overview............19 Breaking Down Rock Rubric 3 ............................................................20 Breaking Down Rock Opportunities Overview....................................21 Movements of the Earth’s Crust Rubric 4 ...........................................22 Movements of the Earth’s Crust Opportunities Overview ...................23
Skills and Attitudes Checklists and Self-AssessmentsObserving and Describing: Checklist ..................................................26 Observing and Describing: Self-Assessment .....................................27 Interpreting and Using Models: Checklist ........................................... 28
Performance Tasks and Evaluation GuidelinesEarth’s Surface Changes Cluster (Lessons 1 2, 10, 13) and How The Earth’s Surface Changes Cluster (Lessons 3 9): How Landforms Are Created #1: Rio Grande River and Santa Elena Canyon ..........................30 How Landforms Are Created #2: Cunningham Creek................31 How Landforms Are Created #3: Aerial View of Mt. St. Helens..................................................32 How Landforms Are Created #4: Namib Desert Dunes ............. 33 Fast and Slow Changes ............................................................. 34 How the Earth’s Surface Changes Cluster (Lessons 3 9): Glacial Landforms.......................................................................35 Effects of Abrasion .....................................................................36 Movements of the Crust Change the Earth’sSurface Cluster (Lessons 11 12): Explaining Mountain Formation..................................................37 Explaining Volcano Formation....................................................38 Unit Assessments: Landform Letter .......................................................................... 39 Landform Poster .........................................................................40
Quick Check Items and Answer KeysEarth’s Surface Changes Cluster (Lessons 1 2, 10, 13)....................42 How the Earth’s Surface Changes Cluster (Lessons 3 9) .................44 Movements of the Crust Change the Earth’s Surface Cluster (Lessons 11 12) ..........................................49
16 | EARTH’S CHANGING SURFACE | CONTENT RUBRICS AND OPPORTUNITIES OVERVIEWS
Rubric 1: LandformsCriterion A(Lessons 1—2, 10, 13)
Criterion B(Lessons 2, 4, 6, 10, 13)
Criterion C(Lessons 1, 10, 13)
The earth’s surface is constantly changing;landforms result fromthose changes.
Landforms are a result ofweathering, erosion, deposition and movements of the earth’s crust.
Some changes to theearth’s surface happenquickly, but most take place over a long period of time.
4 - Exceeds Expectations
Explores content beyond the level presented in the lessons.
Understands at a secure level (see box below) and can name specific landforms that result from those changes.
Understands at a secure level (see box below) and can describe how a certain landform is created and the processes involved.
Understands at a secure level (see box below) and can describe specific examples of changes that happen quickly and ones that take place over a long period of time.
3 - Secure(MeetsExpectations)
Understandscontent at the level presented in the lessons and does not exhibit misconceptions.
Understands that the earth’s surface changes constantly and that landforms result from those changes.
Understands all four processes and knows that one or more can act to create landforms.
Understands that some changes to the earth’ssurface happen quickly, but that most take place over many years.
2 - Developing(Approaches Expectations)
Shows an increasing competency with lesson content.
Understands that landforms result from changes to the earth’ssurface but may not understand that those changes are constant.
Understands that landforms result from some process, but does not correctly or consistently identify those processes.
Has some understanding that changes to the earth’s surface take time, but cannot distinguish between ones that happen quickly and ones that are slow.
1 - Beginning
Has no previous knowledge of lesson content.
Does not understand that the earth’s surface constantly changes or that landforms result from those changes.
Does not understand any of the processes that create landforms.
Does not have a sense of how much time it takes for changes to the earth’s surface to occur.
EARTH’S CHANGING SURFACE | CONTENT RUBRICS AND OPPORTUNITIES OVERVIEWS | 17
Opportunities Overview: LandformsThis table highlights opportunities to assess the criteria on Rubric 1: Landforms. It does not include every assessment opportunity; feel free to select or devise other ways to assess various criteria.
Criterion A(Lessons 1—2, 10, 13)
Criterion B (Lessons 2, 4, 6, 10, 13)
Criterion C(Lessons 1, 10, 13)
Pre
and
Form
ativ
e
Opp
ortu
nitie
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Lesson 1: - Science Talk
Lesson 2: - Introductory discussion
Lessons 1 and 2: - Synthesizing discussions
Lesson 2: - Science notebook pages 4 6
Lesson 10: - Teacher Master “Surface
Changes Performance Task”
Lesson 2: - Science notebook pages
4 6Lesson 6: - Science notebook page 24
Lesson 10: - Teacher Master “Surface
Changes Performance Task”
Lesson 13: - Exploration discussions - Science notebook pages
59 68
Lesson 1: - Science Talk
Lesson 10: - Teacher Master “Surface
Changes Performance Task”
Lesson 13: - Exploration discussions - Science notebook page 64
Performance Tasks
Earth’s Surface Changes and How the Earth’s SurfaceChanges ClustersHow Landforms Are Created
1-4, pages 30-33 Glacial Landforms, page 35 Effects of Abrasion, page 36
Earth’s Surface Changes and How the Earth’sSurface Changes Clusters How Landforms Are
Created 1-4, pages 30-33 Glacial Landforms, page 35 Effects of Abrasion,
page 36 Unit Assessment Landform Letter, page 39 Landform Poster, page 40
Earth’s Surface Changes and How the Earth’sSurface Changes Clusters How Landforms Are Created
1-4, pages 30-33 Fast and Slow Changes,
page 34 Glacial Landforms, page 35 Effects of Abrasion, page 36
Unit Assessment Landform Poster, page 40
Quick Check Items
Sum
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Opp
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Earth’s Surface Changes ClusterPages 42 43: items 1 6
Earth’s Surface Changes ClusterPages 42 43: items 3 6
How The Earth’s SurfaceChanges ClusterPages 44 46: items 1, 2, 4,
5, 9, 10
Earth’s Surface Changes ClusterPages 42-43: items 1, 2, 5, 6
18 | EARTH’S CHANGING SURFACE | CONTENT RUBRICS AND OPPORTUNITIES OVERVIEWS
Rubric 2: Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition Criterion A(Lessons 6, 9, 11, 13)
Criterion B(Lessons 3-4, 6, 8, 11-13)
Criterion C(Lessons 2-4, 6-8, 11-13)
Weathering is a process by which rocks and sediment break downover time.
Erosion is a process bywhich rocks and sediment move over the earth’ssurface. Deposition is a process by which rocks and sediment build up theearth’s surface.
Weathering, erosion, and deposition are theresult of moving water,ice, and wind.
4 - Exceeds Expectations
Explores content beyond the level presented in the lessons.
Understands at a secure level (see box below) and contemplates a variety of physical, chemical, or biological processes that contribute to weathering.
Understands at a secure level (see box below) and can apply their understanding to new situations.
Understands at a secure level (see box below) and further explores and explains the ways that moving water, ice and wind have shaped the earth.
3 - Secure(MeetsExpectations)
Understandscontent at the level presented in the lessons and does not exhibit misconceptions.
Knows how weathering breaks down rocks and sediment over time.
Understands that erosion and deposition are the processes by which rocks and sediments can move over and build up the earth’s surface. Can provide examples of erosion and deposition.
Understands that weathering, erosion, and deposition are the result of moving water, ice, and wind.
2 - Developing(Approaches Expectations)
Shows an increasing competency with lesson content.
Knows that rocks break down, but cannot explain how.
Understands that rocks and sediments can move over, and build up, the earth’s surface, but cannot apply the correct terminology for these processes.
Knows that moving water, ice, or wind can shape the earth’ssurface, but can not relate these forces to weathering, erosion, or deposition.
1 - Beginning
Has no previous knowledge of lesson content.
Does not understand that rocks can break down.
Does not understand that rocks and sediment can move over, and build up, the earth’s surface.
Does not understand that moving water, ice or wind can contribute to weathering, erosion, or deposition.
EARTH’S CHANGING SURFACE | CONTENT RUBRICS AND OPPORTUNITIES OVERVIEWS | 19
Opportunities Overview: Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition
This table highlights opportunities to assess the criteria on Rubric 2: Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition. It does not include every assessment opportunity; feel free to select or devise other ways to assess various criteria.
Criterion A(Lessons 6, 9, 11, 13)
Criterion B (Lessons 3-4, 6, 8, 11-13)
Criterion C(Lessons 2-4, 6–8, 11-13)
Pre
and
Form
ativ
e
Opp
ortu
nitie
s
Lesson 6: - Introductory discussion
Lesson 9: - Exploration discussion
Lesson 11: - Science notebook page 50
Lesson 13: - Science notebook pages
59-68
Lessons 3 and 4: - Synthesizing discussions
Lesson 6: - Introductory discussion
Lesson 8: - Science notebook pages
32-34Lesson 11: - Science notebook page 50
Lesson 2: - Science notebook pages 4-6
Lessons 3 and 4: - Synthesizing discussions
Lesson 6: - Science notebook page 25
Lesson 7: - Introductory discussion
Lesson 8: - Science notebook pages 32-34
Lesson 13: - Science notebook pages 59-68
Performance Tasks
Earth’s Surface Changes and How the Earth’sSurface Changes Clusters How Landforms Are Created
1 4, pages 30-33 Glacial Landforms, page 35 Effects of Abrasion, page 36
Earth’s Surface Changes and How the Earth’sSurface Changes Clusters How Landforms Are Created
1 4, pages 30-33 Glacial Landforms, page 35 Effects of Abrasion,
page 36 Movements of the CrustChange the Earth’s Surface Explaining Mountain
Formation, page 37
Earth’s Surface Changes and How the Earth’s SurfaceChanges ClustersHow Landforms Are Created 1 4, pages 30-33
Fast and Slow Changes, page 34
Glacial Landforms, page 35 Effects of Abrasion, page 36
Unit Assessment Landform Letter, page 39
Quick Check Items
Sum
mat
ive
Opp
ortu
nitie
s
How the Earth’s SurfaceChanges ClusterPages 46-48: items 9, 10,
15 17
How the Earth’s SurfaceChanges ClusterPages 45-47: items 3-5, 9,
10, 13, 14
How the Earth’s SurfaceChanges ClusterPages 45-47: items 4, 5, 9 14
Date:
�
Looking at Landforms
Directions: As you observe and discuss the photographs of landforms, record the type of land-form in the first column. In the second column, write your best guess (or guesses) about how it was created. (Note: Some pictures show more than one landform.)
Type of Landform: My Guess About How It Was Formed:
Looking at Landforms (Lesson 2)
Date:
�
Looking at Landforms
Type of Landform: My Guess About How It Was Formed:
Looking at Landforms (Lesson 2)
Date:
�
Looking at Landforms
Type of Landform: My Guess About How It Was Formed:
Looking at Landforms (Lesson 2)
Date:
�
Looking at Landforms
Directions: As you observe and discuss the photographs of landforms, record the type of land-form in the first column. In the second column, write your best guess (or guesses) about how it was created. (Note: Some pictures show more than one landform.)
Type of Landform: My Guess About How It Was Formed:
Looking at Landforms (Lesson 2)
Refer to Teacher Masters 11-19 for descriptions of landforms students may identify on the overhead transparencies. Answers vary.
Date:
�
Looking at Landforms
Type of Landform: My Guess About How It Was Formed:
Looking at Landforms (Lesson 2)
Refer to Teacher Masters 11-19 for descriptions of landforms students may identify on the overhead transparencies. Answers vary.
Date:
�
Looking at Landforms
Type of Landform: My Guess About How It Was Formed:
Looking at Landforms (Lesson 2)
Refer to Teacher Masters 11-19 for descriptions of landforms students may identify on the overhead transparencies. Answers vary.
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Masters: Table of Contents
Introductory Letter to Families
Welcome to the Earth’s Changing Surface Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Assessments
Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment 1: Landforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment 2: Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment 3: Breaking Down Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment 4: Movements of the Earth’s Crust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment 5: Observing and Describing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment 6: Interpreting and Using Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Note Recording Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–9
Teacher Masters
Surface Changes Walk (Lessons 1 and 10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Landform Information (Lessons 2 and 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–19
Landform–Sensory Memories (Lesson 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Glacial Movements (Lesson 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Processes that Shape the Earth’s Surface (Lesson 10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Surface Change Performance Task (Lesson 10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Request for Materials (Lesson 11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Shaping of Bryce Canyon (Lesson 13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The Shaping of Mt . St . Helens (Lesson 13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26–27
Family Links
Building Sand Castles (Lesson 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Rock Hunt (Lesson 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Experiencing the Depression Era Dust Bowl (Lesson 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
ISBN 1-59192-294-12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10-P001-17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 082009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 2
Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment 1: LandformsAs you evaluate students’ discussions and work, determine how well they understand the following:
Assessment Criteria:
Students’ Names
A. The earth’s surface is constantly changing; landforms result from those changes .
B. Landforms are the result of weathering, erosion, deposition, and movements of the earth’s crust .
C. Some changes to the earth’s surface happen quickly, but most take place over a long period of time .
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Assessment 1: Landforms
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 3
Earth’s Changing Surface Assessment 2: Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition
As you evaluate students’ discussions and work, determine how well they understand the following:
Assessment Criteria:
Students’ Names
A. Weathering is a process by which rocks and sediment break down over time .
B. Erosion is a process by which rock and sediment move over the earth’s surface .
C. Deposition is a process by which rock and sediment build up the earth’s surface .
D. Weathering, erosion, and depo-sition are the result of moving water, ice, and wind .
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Assessment 2: Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 11Landform Information (Lessons 2 and 6), page 1 of 9
Landform InformationThe following table describes the overhead transparencies displayed in Lesson 2 and subsequent lessons . Use the notes provided to help guide students to observe carefully, name particular landforms, and explain and record their ideas about how the landforms were created . If you saw examples of similar landforms on the Surface Changes Walk, ask students to point out those similarities .
Teacher NoTe: You don’t need to share all the information provided . It is more important to encourage students to make their own guess about how the landforms were created . As you teach the lessons, you can return to the transparencies to help students apply their new understanding to explain these features .
Landform 1 Stream on Mt. Alyeska, Alaska
Landform(s) displayed:
Stream: A body of flowing water that empties into an ocean, valley, lake, or river . Usually has less water than a river .
Questions for students:
• Is the water moving? How can they tell?• Is it fast or slow moving? Why might this matter?• Will this streambed always look the same?• What might change its shape?
How the landform was created:
Water runs down the slope of the mountainside, eroding rock and sediment and depositing this material .
Special details and features:
To provide a sense of scale, point out the smaller rocks and patches of melting snow .
Landform 2 Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina
Landform(s) displayed:
• River: A body of flowing water that empties into an ocean, valley, lake, or another river .
• Students may also notice the mountainside in the background .
Questions for students:
• Other than water and trees, what natural substance makes up a large portion of this photograph? (Rocks.)
• Were the rocks always there? If not, how did they move there?• Does this river always look the same? What would change it? • Can they guess where the water comes from?
How the landform was created:
This river was formed by the erosion of material, and deposition of rocks, boulders, and sediment after heavy floods . The mountains in the background are the original source of the rock .
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 12
Landform Information
Landform 3 Aerial View of the Innoko River, Alaska
Landform(s) displayed:
• River• Riverbank: The sides of a river .
Questions for students:
• How fast is the water flowing? How can you tell?• How does this compare to the stream in “Landform 1”? • Does the water move faster or slower? • Is the slope steep or flat?
How the landform was created:
This meandering river was created by water flowing at a slower rate through an almost flat plain . The path is determined by the slope of the landscape .
Landform 4 Rio Grande River and Santa Elena Canyon, Texas
Landform(s) displayed:
• Canyon: A deep valley with steep sides shaped by water . • River
Questions for students:
• What can they tell about the rock? (Note the layers.)• Why are the canyon walls so steep?• Why is the river water brown? (It carries sediment.)
How the landform was created:
This canyon was formed over a long time by weathering of rock, and erosion by the river’s water .
Landform 5 Red Canyon (with Grand Valley in the distance), Colorado
Landform(s) displayed:
• Canyon • Valley: The low land that lies between mountains or hills .
Questions for students:
• What shaped this canyon?• Where is the water? Where could it come from?
How the landform was created:
This canyon was formed by the weathering of rock and the erosion of material by infrequent, seasonal rains . (There is no permanent stream in this arid region .)
Special details and features:
You might explain that this photo is taken from the top of a large mesa cut by the canyon . (A mesa is a flat, elevated area of land surrounded by steep sides .)
Landform Information (Lessons 2 and 6), page 2 of 9
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 13
Landform Information
Landform 6 Goblin Valley, Utah
Landform(s) displayed:
• Hoodoo: A strangely-shaped rock formation, usually sculpted by wind erosion .
• Mushroom rock: A rock formation that has a narrow base and a wide top .
• Rock pillar: A tall column of rock . (A mushroom rock is a special type of rock pillar .)
Questions for students:
• Is the rock pillar solid rock? (Yes.)• What might have shaped this pillar? (Water and wind.)• How does the round rock on top of the pillar affect the rest of
the mushroom rock’s shape? (For now, encourage students to guess; they discover the answer during the exploration in Lesson 7.)
How the landform was created:
Rock pillars form when water and wind wear away rock and then transport the sediment until all that remains is a ragged rock column . Sometimes a hard cap as a kind of protective “hat” for the pillar, shielding the underlying layers of sediment from seasonal rains .
Special details and features:
Some students might notice that this formation is located in a canyon and that there are rock pillars in the middle distance .
Landform Information (Lessons 2 and 6), page 3 of 9
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 14
Landform Information
Landform 7 Cunningham Creek, San Juan Mountains, Colorado
Landform(s) displayed:
• Creek: A small stream . Streams and rivers often have many tributary (side) creeks .
• Mountain: A part of the earth’s crust that has been raised high (at least 300 meters [985 feet]) above the surrounding lowlands .
• U-shaped valley: A lowland area that was carved by a glacier and has a distinct rounded shape .
Questions for students:
• What is running down the middle of the valley? (A creek and a road.)
• Does the creek appear to carry as much water as some of the rivers and streams in the previous pictures?
• What else might have shaped this valley?• What caused the sides of this valley to be so round
and smooth?• Why is the mountainside in the background so rocky?
(High elevation and steep sides make this a challenging habitat for trees.)
How the landform was created:
The valley in the foreground was originally carved by a glacier . The creek does not carry enough water to have eroded the valley much since the glacier melted .
Special details and features:
Note the road was created by human activity, but may have once been a track used by animals .
Landform Information (Lessons 2 and 6), page 4 of 9
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 15
Landform Information
Landform 8 Mount Le Conte and Emerts Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina
Landform(s) displayed:
• Mountains, river, and a valley
Questions for students:
• What is running down the middle of the valley? (A creek and a road.)
• Does the creek appear to carry as much water as some of the rivers and streams in the previous pictures?
• What else might have shaped this valley? (Human activity has leveled the valley to make fields for crops.)
• What caused the mountaintops to be almost round?• Why might it be easier for trees to grow on these mountains?
(Lower elevation and less steep sides make this a good habitat for trees.)
How the landform was created:
Like the rest of the Appalachian range, these mountains are “old .” Their round shape is due to millions of years of weathering and erosion of rock material .
Special details and features:
Trees grow because it is at a low elevation and the rounded slopes can hold a lot of soil and small plants that build even more soil .
Landform Information (Lessons 2 and 6), page 5 of 9
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 16
Landform Information
Landform 9 Aerial view of Mt. St. Helens, Washington, after the May 18, 1980 eruption
Landform(s) displayed:
• Volcanic mountain: A mountain formed by the deposition and accumulation of volcanic materials over time .
Questions for students:
• What feature is at the top of the mountain? (A crater.)• What can they see that shows that there was a sudden,
dramatic change? (Students may notice the barren landscape and mudslides [lahars] in the lower foreground of the photo.)
• What might this mountain have looked like before the eruption?
How the landform was created:
This volcano built up until internal earth forces caused an eruption in 1980 .
Special details and features:
For web sites with detailed information about the spectacular eruption in 1980, as well as the current status of Mt . St . Helens, visit our web site: www.sciencecompanion.com/links/ .
Landform 10 Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Landform(s) displayed:
• Glaciers: Large, long-lasting masses of moving ice and snow . Glaciers move downhill or outward in all directions as a result of gravity and their immense weight .
• Mountains, river, and a U-shaped valley
Questions for students:
• What created the steep slope of the mountainsides? (The slopes are one side of a U-shaped valley carved by a glacier that melted.)
• Where is the source of the river’s water?• Why does the riverbed seem so broad and wide when there is
so little water? (During spring floods more water flows, eroding material and changing the river’s course over this relatively flat valley floor.)
How the landform was created:
This broad, U-shaped valley lies alongside a mountain range created by internal earth forces . Because of the high latitude, snow does not melt in summer and glaciers form on the mountaintops, providing the river’s water . During the last Ice Age, the valley itself would have been filled by a large glacier .
Landform Information (Lessons 2 and 6), page 6 of 9
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 17
Landform Information
Landform 11 Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaii
Landform(s) displayed:
• Beach: Land at the edge of a body of water, usually marked by sand or gravel that has been deposited by waves .
• Cliff: A high, steep surface of rock .
Questions for students:
• What is the water in this photo doing?• How did the beach form?• What details can they see in the cliff? (Layers of rock.)• What caused these layers?• How did the cliff form?
How the landform was created:
The layers of rock were deposited by many eruptions of a volcano . The cliff was created as water from rain and waves weathered and eroded the rock . The beach was formed from sediment deposited by waves .
Special details and features:
Point out the layers in the cliff formations and compare these to the layers in the canyon shown on Teacher Master “Landform 4 .”
Landform 12 Sand ripples on the shoreline of a lake below Spencer Glacier, Alaska
Landform(s) displayed:
• Sand ripples: Wave-like patterns that form on the surface of sand . The patterns move and shift due to changing water or wind currents .
Questions for students:
• Other than sand, what can they see in the photo? (Plant roots and rocks.)
• Where could this sand have come from?
How the landform was created:
As water advances and retreats over the sand, small dunes are deposited by the waves . The sand originated from rock weathered by glaciers and water .
Special details and features:
Compare the tiny dunes in this photo with the large dunes in the next one .
Landform Information (Lessons 2 and 6), page 7 of 9
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 18
Landform Information
Landform 13 Namib Desert Dunes, Namibia, Africa
Landform(s) displayed:
• Sand dune: A hill or ridge of loose sand formed by the wind .
Questions for students:
• What is this formation made of? (Sand.)• Where could the sand come from? (Weathered rock.)• How did it get here? (It was moved by wind.)• What might shape the dune? (Wind, and if water is
present, rain.)• How might the plants affect the way a dune changes
over time?
How the landform was created:
Sediment broken down in the southern African highlands washes down the Orange River and into the Atlantic Ocean . Currents carry the sediment north, where it is deposited along beaches . The prevailing winds carry the sand inland and create a vast area of huge dunes .
Special details and features:
Point out the sand ripples in the foreground (bottom of photo) of the dune . Compare these to the ones in the previous photo and have students think about the different forces (water and wind) that created them .
Landform Information (Lessons 2 and 6), page 8 of 9
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 19
Landform Information
Landform 14 View from space of the Great Lakes, North America
Landform(s) displayed:
• Lake: A body of fresh water .
Questions for students:
• What can they see in the photo? (Land, lakes, pack ice, and snow.)
• Are these landforms? (The lakes and surrounding land are landforms; the pack ice and snow are not.)
• What will happen to the snow and pack ice when summer comes? (They will melt.)
• How might this impact the surface of the earth? (Water impacts the earth’s surface in many ways that students will learn about in future lessons.)
• Why did we need to use a satellite photo to show these landforms? (Some landforms are so large that they can only be distinguished in their entirety from a great distance.)
How the landform was created:
The Great Lakes were formed as glaciers scraped the earth’s surface during the last Ice Age . At its greatest extent, 18,000 years ago, the ice sheet was up to 4 km (2 .5 miles) thick . As the ice melted and receded starting about 14,000 years ago, the lakes began to form from the glacial meltwater .
Special details and features:
• The lakes depicted, from top to bottom (east to west), are: Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior .
• This image was taken by NASA’s Aqua satellite, in orbit around the Earth . According to NASA, the red dots on the photo indicate the location of thermal activity, such as a fire or other human activity, detected by the satellite’s instruments .
• If you have one available, refer to a map of North America to provide context for students to place these features and comprehend their size .
• Point out the smaller Finger Lakes of western New York State, just below and to the right of the title . (These were also created by glaciers.)
Landform Information (Lessons 2 and 6), page 9 of 9
Name: Date:
Earth’s Changing Surface Teacher Master 20Landform—Sensory Memories (Lesson 2)
Landform—Sensory MemoriesTo help you describe your landform with more details, close your eyes and think about the setting of your poem, legend, or story . Then open your eyes and jot down notes in the proper places below . Use these details when you write .
What the place looked like:
What it smelled like:
What sounds I heard:
What I touched or tasted:
What did those things feel or taste like?
How I felt about this place and experience:
Earth’s Changing Surface Unit Visuals:
Table of Contents
Overhead Transparencies
Landform 1 (Lessons 2, 4, and 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Landform 2 (Lessons 2 and 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Landform 3 (Lessons 2 and 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Landform 4 (Lessons 2 and 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Landform 5 (Lessons 2 and 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Landform 6 (Lesson 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Landform 7 (Lessons 2 and 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Landform 8 (Lesson 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Landform 9 (Lessons 2 and 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Landform 10 (Lessons 2, 4, and 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Landform 11 (Lesson 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Landform 12 (Lesson 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Landform 13 (Lesson 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Landform 14 (Lessons 2 and 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Parts of a River (Lessons 3 and 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Erosion Features: Close Up and Far Away (Lesson 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Deposition: Deltas from Space (Lesson 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Glaciers (Lesson 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Glacial Location During the Last Ice Age (Lesson 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Rock Arch and Rock Pillar (Lesson 7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Mushroom Rocks (Lesson 7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Landforms Deposited by Wind (Lesson 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Layers of the Earth (Lesson 11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Volcano Before Eruption (Lesson 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Parts of a Volcanic Mountain (Lesson 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Photo Cards
Bryce Canyon (Lesson 13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26–28
Mt . St . Helens (Lesson 13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29–33
ISBN 1-59192-295-X 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10-P001-17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 1
Stream on Mt. Alyeska, Alaska. Photo: Lance Campbell
Overhead Transparency: Landform 1 (Lessons 2, 4, and 5)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 1
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 2
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Photo: W.B. Hamilton, U.S. Geological Survey
Overhead Transparency: Landform 2 (Lessons 2 and 4)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 2
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Overhead Transparency: Landform 3 (Lessons 2 and 4)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 3
Landform 3
Aer
ial v
iew
of t
he In
noko
Riv
er, A
lask
a.
Phot
o: U
.S. F
ish
and
Wild
life
Serv
ice
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 4
Rio Grande River and Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas.
Photo: R.L. Brown, U.S. Geological Survey
Overhead Transparency: Landform 4 (Lessons 2 and 3)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 4
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 5
Red Canyon with Grand Valley in the distance. Colorado National Monument, Colorado.
Photo: S.W. Lohman, U.S. Geological Survey
Overhead Transparency: Landform 5 (Lessons 2 and 5)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 5
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 6
Overhead Transparency: Landform 6 (Lesson 2)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 6
Gob
lin V
alle
y, E
mer
y C
ount
y, U
tah.
Ph
oto:
W.B
. Ham
ilton
, U.S
. Geo
logi
cal S
urve
y
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 7
Overhead Transparency: Landform 7 (Lessons 2 and 6)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 7
Cun
ning
ham
Cre
ek, S
an Ju
an M
ount
ains
, Col
orad
o.
Phot
o: P
. Car
rara
, U.S
. Geo
logi
cal S
urve
y
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 8
Overhead Transparency: Landform 8 (Lesson 2)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 8
Mou
nt L
e C
onte
and
Em
erts
Cov
e, G
reat
Sm
oky
Mou
ntai
ns N
atio
nal P
ark,
Te
nnes
see
and
Nor
th C
arol
ina.
Phot
o: W
.B. H
amilt
on, U
.S. G
eolo
gica
l Sur
vey
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 9
Overhead Transparency: Landform 9 (Lessons 2 and 12)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 9
Aer
ial v
iew
of M
t. S
t. H
elen
s, W
ashi
ngto
n, a
fter
the
May
18
, 19
80
er
upti
on.
Phot
o: H
arry
Glic
ken,
U.S
. Geo
logi
cal S
urve
y
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 10
Overhead Transparency: Landform 10 (Lessons 2, 4, and 6)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 10
Ala
ska
Peni
nsul
a N
atio
nal W
ildlif
e R
efug
e, A
lask
a.
Phot
o: U
.S. F
ish
and
Wild
life
Serv
ice
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 11
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaii.Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Overhead Transparency: Landform 11 (Lesson 2)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 11
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 12
Sand ripples on the shoreline of a lake below Spencer Glacier, Alaska.
Photo: Lance Campbell
Overhead Transparency: Landform 12 (Lesson 2)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 12
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 13
Overhead Transparency: Landform 13 (Lesson 2)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 13
Sand
Dun
es, N
amib
Des
ert,
Nam
ibia
. Ph
oto:
E.T
. Nic
hols
, U.S
. Geo
logi
cal S
urve
y
2009 Edition. Copyright © 2005 Chicago Science Group. All Rights Reserved.www.sc encecompanion.com
Landform 14
Overhead Transparency: Landform 14 (Lessons 2 and 6)
Earth’s Changing Surface Visual 14
Vie
w fr
om s
pace
of t
he G
reat
Lak
es, N
orth
Am
eric
a. A
pril
10, 2
00
3.
Phot
o: V
isib
le E
arth
Col
lect
ion,
NA
SA.