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No matter how familiar a teaching activity is, looking at what occurs when learning takes place can make us see it anew. This well-known erosion activity for early grades provides a clear picture of a powerful physical phenomenon.
As a way to examine the processes of erosion, transport, and deposition, this activity lets students build a model terrain and observe the effects of moving water on it. To engage student interest, you might try an introductory walk around the schoolyard or neighborhood, read from a children's story concerning a flood or a mud slide, or show a film about the effects of water and weather (avalanches, flooding, mud slides).
Organize the students into groups of three. Each group is assigned the task of developing a model of an area that is rained on and reporting back to the class on the terrain and the group's observations. Each tray should use approximately 1 cup of soil and water.
A combination of the materials listed above can be used to simulate terrain conditions. Some ideas include stacking the books to provide elevation, comparing trays with or without debris, measuring debris runoff with filter paper, or varying the force of water sprinkled or poured over the trays.
After the activity is completed, bring the groups back together to discuss their observations and findings. Ask them to compare their activities, looking for variations or discrepancies. How do the findings from the mini-terrains translate to what they have observed in their communities? You might have them make a mural showing the types of results they saw, letting them name each resulting landform. Then go outside and look for similar features, or look at other visual evidence such as posters or pictures.
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