Mother Nature's Gravel Company is open for business! The unit includes four lessons covering weathering and erosion. Experiments are simple to complete and young geologists compare notes to see who makes the biggest ice wedge, moves their sand dune, floods their valley, and forms a cave.

 

Concepts

geology, mechanical weathering, sand dunes, erosion, caves

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Show students chalk and a piece of limestone under a microscope to prove they are the same material
• Plan a field trip to Carlsbad Caverns if possible

Classroom Considerations

• Prior knowledge of the land formations in and around Carlsbad Caverns National Park would greatly help pupils' understanding
• Some experiments won't take up the full class time while others might run long; be prepared for the week's experiments every day so you won't be caught off guard

Pros

• Includes a variety of activities with four hands-on experiments
• Provides simple materials lists
• Extension ideas are included for all lessons

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.6-8.3