Shaping Earth’s Surface
6th grade
Ch. 2
Lesson 1 Big Idea
Earth’s surface is built up
and worn away slowly.
Both processes of
weathering and erosion
change Earth’s surface.
Learning Links
• Brainpop – weathering and erosion
• Scholastic Studyjams- weathering and
erosion
• Youtube- weathering and erosion
Wearing down Earth’s Surface
• Earth’s surface features a worn
down by destructive forces such
as weathering and erosion.
• 2 types: Mechanical and
Chemical
• Erosion is caused by wind,
water, waves and ice or a
combination of these
• Gravity can cause landslides
which destroy human and wildlife
habitats
Vocabulary
1. Erosion- a destructive
(negative) force where
water or wind moves
pieces of rock
2. Sediment- small pieces
of rock
3. Weathering- a slow
destructive force that
breaks rock into smaller
pieces
• (picture or synonym or
example)
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•
Weathering
• Slowly wearing
away of rock into
smaller pieces
• Water, ice, plant
roots, chemicals
and wind all
cause weathering
• 2 typesmechanical and
chemical
• Changes Earth’s
surface SLOWLY
Erosion
• The movement of
small rocks from
one place to
another
• Erosion happens
after weathering
• Water is the main
cause of erosion
• SLOW process
Glaciers
• A very large piece of moving ice
• Moves very slowly
• Causes both Erosion and Weathering as it
moves
• Can form large canyons and valleys
How Earths Surface is Worn Down
Weathering breaks down rocks
into smaller pieces
Destructive
force
Chemical:
Changes
rocks
Mechanical:
breaks rock. Ice,
wind, and water
Erosion carries away Sediments
(rock pieces)
Rivers and
streams
moving water,
wind,
glaciers, and
gravity
Review Big Idea
• Weathering breaks down rocks and
erosion carries these smaller pieces away
to a new location.
• BOTH of these forces change Earth’s
surface
Plants roots grow
And crack rocks
Moves rocks
to new location
Change the Earth’s
surface
Water freezes
causing cracks
Erosion
Weathering
Slow process
Running water
Running water
Wind
Running water
wears down rocks
Chemicals and
acid rain weaken
rocks
Weathering Activity
•
•
•
Question- What effect does water and
abrasion have on rocks?
Hypothesis- I think _______________.
Procedure1. Place 3 rocks in a jar of water
2. Shake for 5 minutes
3. Observe and record changes
• Results
Before Shaking
After Shaking
(diagram and words to (diagram and words to
describe)
describe)
• Conclusion- I thought ____________. I
learned ________________________.
My observations showed ____________
___________. This is like ___________
______________________________. I
still wonder _______________________.
Wind Erosion Activity
•
•
•
Question- What effect does wind have on
sand
Hypothesis- I think _______________.
Procedure1.
2.
3.
4.
Put sand in a plastic container
Form a sand dune
Blow sand gently through a straw
Observe and record changes
• Results
Before Wind
After Wind
(diagram)
(diagram and words)
• Conclusion- I thought ____________. I
learned ________________________.
My observations showed ____________
___________. This is like ___________
______________________________. I
still wonder _______________________.
Lesson 2- Big Idea
Water running downhill is a
powerful force in changing
Earth’s landscape. Rivers
erode, move sediment,
change course, and flood
their banks in a continuous
pattern.
Vocabulary
1. Alluvial fan- when a
river flows over a
steep area then
slows over flat land
forming a fan shape.
2. Delta- the area
where a river meets
and ocean and
drops sediment
3. Deposition- stop
carrying and drop
sediment
•
•
•
Vocabulary (continued)
4. Meander- the slow
curve of a river as it
winds through a flat
area
5. Tributary- a small
river that flows into a
larger river
•
•
Rivers
• Rivers are formed from
runoff and melting snow
• They flow downhill
eroding the land and
carrying sediment and
rock with them.
• They deposit the
sediment in new locations
• This changes the surface
of Earth.
River Systems
Rivers erode the
ground and carry
sediments as they
flow
Water runs downhill
joining together to
Form rivers
Sediments are
Deposited at the
mouth of the river
Rivers can overflow
Rivers Shape
the Land
Shape landscapes
forming deltas
and alluvial
fans
Floods can occur
Lesson 3 – Big Idea
Beaches are formed
through erosion and
deposition. Sand is
supplied by rivers and
moved along the coast by
waves.
Beach erosion
Lesson 3 - Vocabulary
1. arch- landform made by
2 sea caves joining
when waves erode a
headland.
2. barrier island- a sandbar
that runs along the
shoreline
3. beach- an area made
from sediments dropped
along a shoreline
4. Cliff- steep rock
•
•
•
•
Vocabulary (continued)
5. headland- a skinny strip of
land that sticks out into the
ocean
6. sandbar- a hill of sand below
the ocean surface
7. sea cave- A hole in the land
near the edge of the ocean
created by waves slowly
wearing away rock
8. sea stack- tall rocks away
from the shore created by
wave erosion
9. spit- a sandbar above water
level that connects to the
shore
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Beach Formations
• Erosions and
deposition work
together to constantly
reshape shorelines
• Waves cause
deposition and
erosion
Changes in Sea Level
• Shape shorelines
• Tides rise and fall every day
• Sea levels also change over thousands of
years as Earth’s climate changes.
• Beach sand can be made of different
types of minerals, rocks, plant remains,
and shells.
Pollution
• Huge problem in every coastal state in