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Jen Grossarth & Amanda Noyes

5E Lesson Plan

Weathering, Erosion and Deposition

5th Grade

Katelyn (Turner) Anderson

Jen Grossarth
Amanda Noyes
 Weathering Erosion and Deposition—5E Lesson

Lesson Title: Does the rate of rainfall affect the amount of deposition?

Grade Level: 5th grade

Core Material:
Science Benchmark
The Earth’s surface is constantly changing. Some changes happen very slowly over long
periods of time, such as weathering, erosion, and uplift. Other changes happen abruptly,
such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. All around us, we see the visible
effects of the building up and breaking down of the Earth’s surface.
STANDARD II: Students will understand that volcanoes, earthquakes, uplift, weathering,
and erosion reshape Earth's surface.
Objective 1: Describe how weathering and erosion change Earth’s surface.
a. Identify the objects, processes, or forces that weather and erode Earth’s surface (e.g.,
ice, plants, animals, abrasion, gravity, water, wind).
b. Describe how geological features (e.g., valleys, canyons, buttes, arches) are changed
through erosion (e.g., waves, wind, glaciers, gravity, running water).
c. Explain the relationship between time and specific geological changes.
Objective 2: Explain how volcanoes, earthquakes, and uplift affect Earth’s surface.
a. Identify specific geological features created by volcanoes, earthquakes, and uplift.
b. Give examples of different landforms that are formed by volcanoes, earthquakes, and
uplift (e.g., mountains, valleys, new lakes, canyons).
c. Describe how volcanoes, earthquakes, and uplift change landforms.
d. Cite examples of how technology is used to predict volcanoes and earthquakes.
Objective 3: Relate the building up and breaking down of Earth’s surface over time to the
various physical land features.
a. Explain how layers of exposed rock, such as those observed in the Grand Canyon, are
the result of natural processes acting over long periods of time.
b. Describe the role of deposition in the processes that change Earth’s surface.
c. Use a time line to identify the sequence and time required for building and breaking
down of geologic features on Earth.
d. Describe and justify how the surface of Earth would appear if there were no mountain
uplift, weathering, or erosion.

Body of the Lesson:

Concept Statement: Weathering, erosion and deposition play major roles in the processes that
change Earth’s surface.

Learning Objective: Students will use a stream table to infer how the amount of rainfall affects
the amount of deposition produced by weathering and erosion and relate that information to
natural processes.

Materials Needed:
 3 cups for each group: red with 5 holes, blue with 10 holes, green with 15 holes poked in
the bottom. Each cup should be appropriately labeled light, medium and heavy
 sand (pre-moistened the night before, not soggy)
 equal-sized Tupperware container for each group
 measuring cup for each group
 pitcher of water
 towel or rag

Science Background:
Weathering, erosion and deposition work together in a cycle that wears down and
builds up Earth’s surface. Gravity causes mass movement, any one of the several processes
that move sediment downhill. An example of mass movement is a landslide. A landslide is
when rock and soil slide quickly down a steep slope. Some contain huge masses of rock. But
many contain only a small amount of rock and soil.
Weathering breaks rock into smaller and smaller pieces, such as sand, silt and clay.
These particles are called sediment. The term sand, silt, and clay are used to describe specific
particle sizes. Sand is the largest; followed by silt, with clay being the smallest. Weathering can
produce rock formations. Weathering wears mountains down to hills.
Deposition is the process in which sediment is laid down in new locations. The
steepness of the slope will determine the amount of deposition that will accumulate at the
bottom of the landform. Deposition changes the shape of the land.
The cycle of erosion and deposition is never-ending. Erosion is the process by which
natural forces move weathered rock and soil from one place to another. Gravity, running
water, glaciers, waves and wind are all causes, or agents, of erosion. In geology, and agent is a
force or material that causes a change in Earth’s surface. Roots from plants and trees are like
anchors to soil and keep the topsoil from being eroded.

Misconception Information:
 Rocks do not change
 Weathering and erosion are essentially the same thing. The two words can be used
interchangeably.
 Erosion happens quickly.
 Erosion is always bad.
 Actions of humans do not affect the Earth’s system.
 Geological processes for the most part have stopped.
 Deposition has nothing to do with erosion.

Lesson References:
Berry, K. (2007). Earth’s changing surface. Austin, Texas: Holt, Rinehart and Winston
Feather, R. (2008). The changing surface of earth. Columbus, Ohio: Glencoe/McGraw-
 Hill
Fries-Gaither, J. (2008, December). Common misconceptions about weathering,
erosion, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Retrieved from
[Link]
date=December2008&departmentid=professional&columnid=professional!misconceptions
Trimble, S. (2006). Lasting light: 125 years of grand canyon photography. Flagstaff,
Arizona: Northland.
Wysession, M. (2009). Science explorer: earth’s changing surface. Upper Saddle River,
New Jersey: Pearson.

Safety Precautions: Discuss the importance of keeping the floor dry. Wear safety goggles.

Attachments:
 Attachment A: Rainfall Rate Chart
 Attachment B: Grand Canyon

Pre-Assessment Activity: Interview three students from high, medium and low performance
groups.
 What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
 When can deposition occur?
 How might erosion and deposition be related?
 Give an example of weathering.

Procedure:
Engage
Today class, we are going to learn about the Earth’s surface. How do you think the Earth’s
surface would look if it never changed? (it would look like it does now, it would be flat) Here is
what is called a stream table, which models the processes that change the Earth’s surface. I
have drawn a line inside the table to mark the level of the sand. When sand, or other
sediments are moved from one place to another it is called deposition. In your lab book write
down your prediction of what you think will happen when I pour in water onto the sand. [allow
about 2 minutes] Now that you have written down your answers discuss with your table what
you wrote down and why. [allow about 5 minutes] Have one person represent the table and
report to the class anonymously how many people thought what. I will make a chart on the
board to represent the class’ predictions.
Now I would like one person from your table to come collect the materials that I have
assembled for your activity. While you are experimenting I want you to write down your
observations and think about how the cups represent rainfall. Does the rate of rainfall affect
the amount of deposition?

Explore
Each of your table groups will have 15 minutes to work together and complete your
observations using the red cup (with 5 holes). Draw a sketch of the stream table in your book
before any rainfall takes place. One student will hold the red cup over the sand. Another
student will measure one cup of water and get ready to pour it into the red cup when the group
is ready. You should be recording your observations in your lab book as well as drawing a sketch
of the stream table after rainfall.

Cup (Rainfall Rate) Observations

Red cup (light rain)
Blue cup (medium rain)
Green cup (heavy rain)
[allow 15 minutes for the red cup. Circulate during these 15 minutes to gather anecdotal notes]

Now that you have all finished your experimentation with the red cup I want you to move on to
the blue cup, using the same procedure and recording your results in the same way.

[repeat the same process for the green cup]

Possible questions while students are working:

1. Was your prediction correct?
2. What did you observe?
3. What might an increase in rainfall rate do?
4. Was there a difference between the different cups?

[After 45 minutes] You have five minutes to complete your lab work and clean up your station
by returning your supplies. When your table is spotless come to me for a chart to fill out as a
group. [give students Attachment A: Rainfall Rate Chart] [give students 10 minutes]

Explain
Let’s see what you found out. Now that your group has filled out your chart, have one
representative come to the front and report your findings to the class. Try to use scientific
terms.

Expected response:
We found that the green cup created the most deposition while the red cup created the least.

Possible probing questions:

1. What evidence did you find that rainfall affects deposition?
2. Why did the green cup create more deposition than the red cup?
3. What did the amount of holes in the cup represent as pertaining to what you would see
in nature?
[Continue in a similar manner with the rest of the groups until all groups have shared.]
Now let’s revisit our inquiry questions: How does the rate of rainfall affect the amount of
deposition produced? Weathering breaks rock into smaller and smaller pieces called sediment.
An example of weathering is rainfall Sand is an example of sediment, which is what we see in
our experiment. Erosion is when the sediment is moved from one location to another by
natural forces, such as water. Deposition is where the sediment is moved and settled. We
observed and recorded this in our lab books. Weathering, erosion and deposition work together
in a cycle that wears down and builds up Earth’s surface. Label the three processes
(weathering, erosion and deposition) as observed in your experiment.

Elaborate
Here is a picture of the Grand Canyon. [Attachment B: Grand Canyon] Based on your
observations from the experiment can you draw inferences about how the Grand Canyon was
formed? Record your inferences in your lab book. [allow about 3 minutes]

I have a book on the Grand Canyon called Lasting Light by Stephen Trimble. In this book are
multiple pictures and essays on the Grand Canyon and its history. I will read to you a portion.
While I am reading think to yourself whether your inferences were correct. Thumbs up if you
were correct, thumbs down if you were wrong and sideways thumb if you were just about
there.

So to wrap everything up, what could we say about the rate of rainfall and its effects on
deposition?

Expected response: We have learned that an increased rate of rainfall will lead to an increased
amount of deposition. Deposition is produced by weathering and erosion.

Evaluate
Segment Formative Strategies Summative Strategies
Engage Questioning and Anecdotal None
observations.
Explore Instructor circulates while Grade lab book entries
students are working and Grade group chart
redirects as necessary by
posing probing questions.
Explain Teacher notes the degree of None
accuracy in group reports and
poses probing questions to
extract more detailed or more
accurate information from
students.
Elaborate Anecdotal observations and Grade lab book entries
questioning, student self
assessment
Adaptations for Learners with Special Needs: