Laura Amschler
EMG 491 Activity File
Activity #7
Discrepant Event as a Discovery Demonstration
Materials: soil with grass, soil without grass, paint tray, book (or device
to cause paint tray to be on an incline), water, paper towels
Description: Set the paint tray up to be on an incline. Using the soil
without grass first, make a mound on the uphill part of the paint tray.
Pour water onto the mound and have your students record what they
observe happens. Next, either using a new tray or wiping out the one
just used, pout the soil mound with grass on the uphill part of the paint
tray. Pour water onto the mound and have your students record what
they observe happens.
Analysis: Students should observe and compare erosional results of soil
with grass and without. The soil without grass should erode much
quicker.
Source: Feather, Ralph M., Susan Leach. Snyder, and Dinah Zike. "Chapter 8, Section 3: Wind." Earth
Science. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2008. 224. Print.