20386_Science_with_STEM_Year_4_Earth_and_Space_Sciences_Surface_changes

Earth and space sciences
SURFACE CHANGES
Lesson 4
Materials:
• large plastic
container
• white sand
• various rocks
Materials:
• large plastic
container
• black soil
• water
• cup with hole cut
in the bottom
Materials:
• large plastic
container
• large ice block
• moist white
sand (reuse the
sand from the
wind erosion
experiment and
just add a little
water to make it
moist)
Wind, water and ice erosion experiments
Wind erosion experiment
Procedure:
1. Set up a container with dry white
sand on one side, slightly
angled like a sand dune.
2. Add some different-sized rocks.
3. Take a photograph of the scene,
showing ‘before’.
4. Blow with a straw to recreate wind.
5. Take another photograph showing ‘after’ and describe the
results using an audio recorder.
How does the sand move? Do the rocks move?
Water erosion experiment
Procedure:
1. Set up a container with black soil.
Create a slope on one half of the
tray and add different landforms;
e.g. mountains, islands, cliffs.
2. Take a photgraph of the scene,
showing ‘before’.
3. Trickle water down from the
highest peak using a cup with
a small hole in the bottom.
4. Take another photograph showing ‘after’
and describe the results using an audio recorder.
How does the soil move? What does the water look like at the end?
Glacier erosion experiment
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Procedure:
1. Set up a container with white sand,
on an angle like a mountain.
2. Take a photograph of the scene,
showing ‘before’.
3. Place the ice block on top and
let it move down the slope.
You can encourage it down the
slope to begin with and then allow
it to melt and move naturally.
4. Take another photograph showing ‘after’
and describe the results using an audio recorder.
How does the sand move? What happens when the ice melts?
R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au YEAR Science:
4 A STEM APPROACH 95