5E Lesson Plan
Teacher: Katie Park Grade: 2
NGSS Performance Expectation: 2-ESS2-1. Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent
wind or water from changing the shape of the land.
Description
Show photos of two trees on
Michigan beach that show the
dramatic impact of erosion.
Engage Engage students with a
What is the phenomenon or hook? phenomenon that is real and
relevant to students. This can be
a photo, video, demonstration,
or reading (ex. current event).
Elicit initial student thinking by
having them create a model
Elicit (drawing) to express what they
What do you think? Model it! know about the concept/skill
being developed.
Select a text to provide the
concepts and/or vocabulary
*Explore necessary for students to
Read Aloud (or video/article) develop explanations for the
phenomenon they experienced.
Direct instruction on the topic,
Explain including key concepts and
Direct instruction by teacher terms.
Subject: Science
Materials/Links
SWBAT define what erosion,
coastal erosion, and sand dunes
are and identify the relationship
between these natural events.
https://www.mlive.com/news/m
uskegon/2019/12/1-tree-7-
months-and-2-photos-show-
drastic-beach-erosion.html
Ask students to turn and talk
with their partners: What do they
think caused the change in the
photos (in the link above)?
Two Ways to Make a Dune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=5W3_y5_3w9A
Explain the definitions of the
three words, below, as they are
crucial to the lesson:
Erosion: The wearing down of
Earth’s landforms by wind,
water, and ice.
Coastal erosion: The loss of land
along the coastline due to waves
and currents.
Sand dune: A large pile of sand
shaped into a mound or ridge by
water, wind, or both that serves
as natural coastal protection.
Talk about the relationship
between climate change and
coastal erosion. Rising
temperatures has caused polar
ice caps to melt, which has

Elaborate Students apply what they have
Students do something with their new learned. Students should have
knowledge. an opportunity to discuss and
compare with classmates.
caused rising sea levels. Coupled
with extreme weather events
such as storm surges, the
intensity of coastal erosion has
increased dramatically.
Effects of coastal erosion
include the destruction of plant
and animal habitats,and people’s
homes. It also increases the risk
of flooding.
Pass out one clear, medium-
sized storage box for each table.
Pour sand into each box until it
evenly coats the bottom, and
give students grass, rocks, and
cardboard. Have students push
the sand so it only occupies half
of the box, then slowly pour in
water so half of the box is water
and the other half is sand. This
should roughly mimic a beach.
Have students further develop
their mini beaches by using the
objects provided to test how well
they stand up to erosion.
Students will use the materials to
simulate actual objects at many
beaches that are deliberately
placed there to stave off coastal
erosion. They can root
vegetation into the sand, arrange
rocks in rows or in piles
vertically or horizontally. They
can also stick pieces of
cardboard in the sand to simulate
wind break fences or barrier
walls.
I will then provide students with
a small, wide, flat object In this
case, I used a bag clip because it
was just the right size and shape
to evenly push water in the size
of the box students will use.
Students will use the clip to
steadily push the water toward
the sand to simulate an ocean
wave lapping at the sand. They
will do this for a minute. They
will see that the movement of
the water will cause some of the
sand to start breaking away.
However, the rest of what
 happens is dependent on what
materials they used and how
they used them.

Students revisit and revise Have students observe what

initial models based on new happened to their beach while
understanding. the water was lapping at the
sand, then write down their
observations.

If their model lost a lot of sand

Evaluate to water, how would they
Students revisit initial models.
change their model so they
retained more sand?

In what ways have you seen

your model imitate what exists
in real life?

Notes:

Make clear to students that they should take turns fanning the water to create waves.

*This could include a hands-on activity in face-to-face instruction.