Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface Lesson 2 Weathering
What is weathering
of the Earth’s surface?
1 Look at the image above. Use good adjectives to describe what you see.
Talk about how you think this place was created.
Vocabulary
weathering physical chemical breaking down sediment
oxygen abrasion fair test diagram
Year 3 / 4 Science Earth and Space Sciences 1
Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface Lesson 2 Weathering
Materials needed
EXPERIMENT QUESTION 4
How does abrasion weather rocks?
You will need:
• Metal can or tin with lid
• Black paper or card
• Sugar cubes or soft rocks
Year 3 / 4 Science Earth and Space Sciences 2
Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface Lesson 2 Weathering
2 Look at the image of the hands, then chat about the questions.
How would you
describe these hands?
Look at your hands.
How do they compare?
Why are these hands
different from yours?
These hands belong to an old man. The skin covering his hands has
changed over time. Age has made the skin thinner and wrinkled, hard
work has caused bruises and cracks, and the Sun’s rays have darkened
and speckled them. We can describe these hands as looking weathered.
Like the skin on our hands, the Earth’s
surface weathers over time. Think of the
tiniest rock you’ve ever held. That rock was
not always small. It was broken down from
larger pieces like boulders and mountains.
Even the strongest, hardest rocks can break
and crumble. Natural forces, like the wind
and rain, weather rocks and over time the
Earth’s surface changes.
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Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface Lesson 2 Weathering
3 Explore the Weathering Rocks interactive to find out what causes rocks
to break down. Draw and label each weathering process to complete the
flow diagram.
Ic e w e d g ing :
f re e zing a nd t ha w ing
P a
weathering
Weathering
C m
weathering
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Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface Lesson 2 Weathering
We can explore how weathering of the
Earth’s surface occurs by conducting an
experiment. When planning an experiment,
scientists make sure it is a fair test by only
changing one thing, this is called a variable.
In the example experiment below, the variable
is the action; the shaking or non shaking of
the sugar cubes or rocks.
4 Read the information below. With a buddy or small group, conduct and
record your own experiment into how abrasion (physical weathering) occurs.
Plan and record your experiment using the planner on the following page.
Method
How does abrasion 1. Place the cubes/rocks
weather a rock? on black paper.
Draw or photograph and
Materials needed record their appearance.
Experiment
• Sugar cubes or soft rocks 2. Place some cubes/rocks in a
(e.g. sandstone) can, place others to the side.
• Black paper Put the lid on the can and
• Tin can/container with lid shake the can strongly for
at least two minutes.
• Timer
3. Pour the rocks from the can
onto the black paper.
Draw or photograph how
they look.
4. C
ompare them to the cubes
or rocks you put aside.
Repeat the shaking a few times
to observe what happens.
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Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface Lesson 2 Weathering
Experiment planner
My question: What I need:
•
•
•
Methods/steps:
1.
2.
3.
What will happen?
I p re di ct th a t ...
What stayed the same? What changed?
Fair
Test
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Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface Lesson 2 Weathering
Draw a labelled diagram of your experiment.
Conclusion
Did your experiment work? Why or why not?
5 Shade the box which you think is the best definition for the term ‘weathering of
the Earth’s surface’.
Weathering is …
… the type of weather … the breaking down … when a tree or building
we have, like the rain, of rocks by the Sun, stays standing in different
the wind and snow. wind and water. kinds of weather.
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Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface Lesson 2 Weathering
Natural forces can cause mysterious landforms.
Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles in the Northern Territory
are large boulders, which have been weathered over
time. Scientists believe water and wind eroded and
carved their rounded shape. To local Aboriginal
groups, the area is of spiritual significance. According to local legend,
Arrange (the Devil Man), while travelling through the area, made a
hair‑string belt. Along the way, he dropped clusters of hair on the ground
and they turned into the Karlu Karlu rocks.
6 Choose one of these landforms to research.
Write two reasons how it was formed: find the scientific
reason and find or create another one (e.g. a legend).
Giant’s Causeway The Hoodoos of Wave Rock The Sailing Stones
Northern Ireland Bryce Canyon Western Australia of Death Valley
Landform
Scientific reason Other reason
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Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface Lesson 2 Weathering
7 Geologists call natural weathering forces agents of change.
Create a superhero character to represent each of these
agents of change.
Explain the force each agent has and what change
they can make.
Water and ice Biological
Oxidation Abrasion
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