Earth Systems

Grade Level: 4th

Subject: Science

Time Frame: 4 weeks (January/February)

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Essential Questions

 

- what is mechanical and chemical weathering and how does it affect the environment?
- what is erosion and how does it affect the environment?
- how do living things affect their environments?
- how does rainfall affect the environment?

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By the end of the unit, students will know:

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- Earth has four systems the work together
- Earth's four systems are the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere
- weathering is the break down or dissolving of rocks on Earth's surface
- mechanical weathering is when physical processes break down rock
- chemical weathering is when chemicals change the materials that make up rock
- erosion is the movement of broken down rocks
- all living things affect the physical characteristics of their environment
- rainfall impacts what an environment is like and what organisms live there

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By the end of the unit, students will be able to:

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- create a model of ice weathering a rock and relate it to weathering in nature
- create a model of water weathering a rock and relate it to weathering in nature
- create a model of erosion and relate it to erosion in nature
- create a model of weathering and erosion and relate it to weathering and erosion in nature
- identify chemical versus mechanical weathering
- distinguish weathering and erosion
- identify the affects of weathering and erosion in the environment around their school 

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Topics

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- earth's systems
- mechanical weathering
- chemical weathering
- erosion
-weathering erosion 
- biogeology 

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Standards

4-ESS2-1