Shaping the Land: Weathering, Erosion and Deposition

Learning Objectives

• Explain the difference between weathering, erosion and deposition.
• Identify how water, wind, ice, plants and gravity change the land.
• Describe ways people can reduce erosion.

How to Use This Resource

• Show the slides and do the sugar cube shake demonstration.
• Use the flashcards to teach the key words, then complete the worksheet.
• Use the quiz to check learning and send the erosion hunt homework; answers are in the answer keys.

Classroom Activity Ideas

• Sugar cube shake: shake sugar cubes in a jar to show rocks rubbing and breaking (weathering).
• Stream table: pour water down a tray of sand and watch it carry sand (erosion) and drop it at the bottom (deposition).
• Plant power: compare a tray of bare soil with a tray of grass when water is poured over both.

Differentiation

Support: use picture cards with the three key verbs (break, take, drop). Challenge: explain how one landform, such as a delta, was made by all three processes.

Assessment

The worksheet and quiz check the three processes (answer keys included). Use the rubric for explanations and the erosion hunt.

Teacher Tips

Use one sentence to link the three ideas: weathering breaks, erosion takes, deposition drops. Students remember the order and the difference.

What's Included

• 10-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
• Key vocabulary list (8 words with meanings and examples)
• Student worksheet (5 activities)
• Quiz / assessment (3 parts)
• Homework practice page
• Printable flashcards: 8 A5 picture cards (separate PDF)
• Assessment rubric (4 levels)
• Lesson slides (editable PowerPoint)
• Editable Word version of all student pages
• Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)

Additional Files

• Lesson Slides (PowerPoint, editable) (PPTX)
• Editable Student Pages + Lesson Plan (Word) (DOCX)
• Flashcards (PDF, A5, one card per page) (PDF)
• Answer Key (PDF) (PDF)

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