Weathering and Erosion

Welcome to Erosion Expedition: The Underground River Challenge! As you journey through a hidden underground cavern, you'll discover how weathering and erosion shape the Earth’s surface. Solve puzzles and uncover secrets while using your knowledge to escape the crumbling depths. Don’t forget to reference the Adventure Guide video, packed with key insights to help you on your quest!

Lesson Plan: Weathering and Erosion

Grade Level: Elementary

Duration: 1 hour

Topic: Weathering and Erosion

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the Processes of Weathering and Erosion: Students will identify how weathering breaks down rocks and how erosion moves those materials.
• Differentiate Between Types of Weathering: Students will distinguish between physical and chemical weathering.
• Recognize How Erosion Shapes Landforms: Students will understand how erosion by wind, water, and gravity reshapes landscapes over time.

Materials:

• Video: "Adventure Guide" (to be used for instructional purposes)
• Online Escape Room: "Erosion Expedition: The Underground River Challenge" (for engagement and assessment)

Relevant Vocabulary:

1. Weathering: The breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces by natural forces.
2. Erosion: The process of moving weathered materials to new locations.
3. Deposition: When eroded materials are laid down in new places.
4. Sediment: Small particles of rock or minerals carried by erosion.
5. Physical Weathering: The breaking of rocks into smaller pieces without changing their composition.

Lesson Outline:

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Briefly explain the concepts of weathering and erosion. Introduce the key idea that weathering breaks down rocks, and erosion moves those broken pieces.
• Present the vocabulary terms that will be used during the lesson. Ensure students understand the basic definitions.

Instructional Video (10 minutes)

• Play the "Adventure Guide" video that covers the key concepts of weathering, erosion, and deposition.
• After the video, ask a few brief questions to check for understanding, such as:
  • "What is the difference between weathering and erosion?"
  • "Can you give an example of physical weathering?"

Interactive Engagement: Online Escape Room (35 minutes)

• Guide students to the online escape room: "Erosion Expedition: The Underground River Challenge".
• Explain that they will navigate through three settings:
  1. Crystal Cavern (focus on weathering)
  2. Tumbling Boulder Hall (focus on erosion)
  3. Hidden River Rapids (focus on deposition)
• Inform them that each setting includes questions that must be answered using their knowledge from the video.
• Let them know that the "Adventure Guide" video is available as a reference in case they need to rewatch it while solving the challenges.

Assessment & Conclusion (10 minutes)

• Once students complete the escape room, briefly review what they learned. Highlight how weathering and erosion work together to shape the Earth's surface.
• Ask wrap-up questions such as:
  • "What are some ways water causes erosion?"
  • "How does deposition change the landscape?"

Assessment:

• The online escape room will serve as both the engagement activity and the assessment for the lesson. Student success in answering the questions and completing the escape room will demonstrate their understanding of the key concepts.

Teacher Reference Guide: Weathering and Erosion

In this lesson, students will explore the processes of weathering and erosion, and understand how these forces work together to shape the Earth’s surface. The focus will be on distinguishing between physical and chemical weathering, as well as understanding how erosion moves sediment and creates new landforms. Throughout the lesson, the instructional video, called the Adventure Guide, will provide key information, and students will engage in an online escape room adventure titled "Erosion Expedition: The Underground River Challenge" to reinforce their understanding.

Start the lesson by introducing the key vocabulary: weathering, erosion, deposition, sediment, and physical weathering. Explain that weathering is the process that breaks down rocks into smaller pieces by natural forces such as wind, water, and temperature changes. Erosion is the movement of those weathered materials from one place to another, often by water, wind, ice, or gravity. Mention that after these materials are carried away, they are eventually dropped off somewhere new, which is called deposition. The small particles carried by erosion are called sediment. Finally, explain that physical weathering is the breaking of rocks into smaller pieces without changing their chemical composition, often caused by processes like freezing and thawing.

Next, show the Adventure Guide video to the students. This video will provide the core information about weathering, erosion, and deposition. Emphasize that understanding the content in this video is crucial for successfully completing the challenges in the escape room. After watching the video, ask the class a few questions to check their understanding, such as “What is the difference between weathering and erosion?” and “Can you give an example of physical weathering?” This quick review will ensure the students are ready for the interactive portion.

Then, transition into the "Erosion Expedition: The Underground River Challenge" escape room. Let students know that they will navigate through three settings: Crystal Cavern, which focuses on weathering; Tumbling Boulder Hall, which focuses on erosion; and Hidden River Rapids, which emphasizes deposition. Each setting contains questions related to the topic, and students will need to apply what they’ve learned to move forward. Remind students that if they get stuck, they can rewatch the Adventure Guide video by clicking the Adventure Guide button available on each question page.

After completing the escape room, gather the class to review the main points of the lesson. Discuss how weathering breaks down rocks and how erosion carries away those pieces to new locations. Highlight the importance of deposition in creating new landforms. End the lesson with some reflection questions such as “How does water cause erosion?” and “What happens to the sediment after it is eroded?”

This reference guide provides the essential information for teaching the lesson, ensuring students have a solid understanding of weathering and erosion. The Adventure Guide video serves as the instructional component, and the online escape room provides an engaging way for students to apply their knowledge.

Teacher Answer Sheet: Weathering and Erosion

Multiple Choice Questions from the Crystal Cavern Section:

1. What is physical weathering?
   A) The breaking of rocks into smaller pieces by physical forces like freezing and thawing

2. Which of the following is NOT an example of physical weathering?
   A) Acid rain dissolving rocks

3. What is chemical weathering?
   A) The breakdown of rocks through chemical reactions, often involving water and acids

4. Which condition best causes physical weathering to happen?
   A) Repeated freezing and thawing of water

5. Challenge: Which of these forces can break rocks into smaller pieces without moving them from their original spot?
   A) Freezing water

True/False Questions from the Tumbling Boulder Hall Section:

1. True or False: Erosion happens when rocks break apart but stay in the same place.
   False

2. True or False: Water is one of the most powerful forces that causes erosion.
   True

3. True or False: Erosion only happens in deserts and dry areas.
   False

4. True or False: The boulders in the hall have been shaped by erosion from wind, water, and gravity.
   True

5. True or False: Once a rock has been eroded, it cannot be deposited somewhere else.
   False

Multiple Choice Questions from the Hidden River Rapids Section:

1. What is erosion?
   A) The process of moving rock and sediment from one place to another

2. Which of the following best describes how water causes erosion?
   A) Water carries small rocks and sediments downstream

3. What is the main cause of erosion in rivers?
   A) Flowing water carrying away sediment

4. When erosion carries sediment downstream and it settles at the bottom, what is this process called?
   A) Deposition

5. What natural event can speed up the process of erosion in a river?
   A) Flooding