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DISCUSS:
What do you think happened here? What is this called?
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DISCUSS:
What do you think causes landslides?
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DISCUSS:
Why do you think landslides happen more often after there's been a wildfire?
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DISCUSS:
How could you stop erosion from happening?
Is there anything that would work like plants do to protect hills from getting washed away?
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In this lesson, students compare multiple solutions for preventing erosion. In the activity, Erosion Engineering, they design and test ways to keep water from washing away a hill modeled out of cornmeal.
Preview activity| Erosion Engineering Prep Instructions worksheet | 1 per class |
| Save the Hills worksheet | 1 per student |
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Clean-up Supplies (Eg. Paper Towels)
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1 roll per class |
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Containers of Cornmeal Land (from previous lesson)
If you have not yet prepared Cornmeal Land, you can find instructions here.
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Details
1 container per group
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Drip Sticks (from previous lesson)
If you have not yet prepared "drip sticks", you can find instructions here.
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Details
1 drip stick per pair
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Table Covering (eg. Trash Bags)
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2 bags per group |
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Aluminum Foil
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2" per group |
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Cotton Balls
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10 balls per pair |
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Dixie Cups (3 oz)
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1 cup per student |
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Paper Plates
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1 plate per student |
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Paper Towels
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1 sheet per pair |
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Plastic Plates (10")
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1 plate per student |
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Solo Cups (9 oz)
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3 cups per pair |
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Toothpicks
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10 toothpicks per pair |
You will need access to water for this activity.
Students will need to cover their workspaces with a table covering (e.g., trash bag) in case of spills.
We suggest students work in pairs and share materials with another pair of students at the same table. Homeschool students can work on their own.
For each group of four students, you’ll need a container of the cornmeal “land” that you made for Lesson 4. Each pair of students will also need a “drip stick" that you made for Lesson 4. (If you have not taught Lesson 4, you will need to make cornmeal “land” and "drip sticks." Here’s how .)
Each pair of students will need two small squares of aluminum foil (about 1½” squares), and four paper towel strips (each strip should be about 1” x 5”).
We suggest that you create supply distribution stations for students. In the first part of the activity, each student will need the following supplies:
In the second part of the activity, students will work in pairs to protect their cornmeal hill from erosion. To create their erosion protectors, each pair of students will need the following additional materials:
In the third part of the activity, students use "drip sticks" to create rainstorms over their cornmeal hills. Each pair of students will need the following additional materials:
Student slideshow: English | Spanish
Teacher printout: English & Spanish
In this reading, students learn about different bodies of water, including puddles, ponds, rivers, and oceans.
This fun erosion activity shows how a rock could be broken down in a stream.
For safety reasons, we recommend using a plastic jar instead of a glass one.
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