Social Studies Landform Project:
Due Date: Friday, October 28th
 Create a diorama using a shoe box or a pizza box to demonstrate landform meanings.
 Show and label landforms on your diorama using artistic and creative design. The diorama
can be made from paper, clay, salt dough, etc.
Basic Project Requirements: (Any additional will add to grade!)
* each student must include at least 2 landforms in their diorama.
* each student must include at least 2 human features in their diorama.
Suggested Landforms
 Continent. A large continuous land mass.
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Island: A piece of land surrounded by water.
Desert: A hot, very dry, treeless area that is usually filled with sand.
Tundra. A cold treeless area.
Forest. A large area of land with many trees.
Archipelago. A group or chain of islands.
Plain. A large, flat area of land in the low lands with mostly no trees and minor changes in
elevation.
Prairie. A wide, flat area that has grass and a few trees. (See plain)
Crater. A large depression in the earth caused by the impact of an asteroid or other
object from space.
Isthmus. A narrow strip of land that connects two land masses and has water on each
side. (See strait)
Coast. The boundary between the land and the sea.
Beach. A wide, flat area of sand that covers the coast.
Delta. A low watery land at the mouth of a river. It is usually shaped like a triangle.
 Wet land. An area of land that is often wet. (e.g. swamp, bog, marsh, moor )
 Cape. A pointed piece of land that sticks out into a body of water. (See peninsula).
 Peninsula. A large body of land that is surrounded by water on three sides.
Mountains and High Lands
 Mountain: A land that is raised above the surrounding area. It is over 2000 feet (610 m)
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high.
Volcano: A cone shaped mountain or hill built around a vent that connects it with
reservoirs of melted rock below the surface of the earth.
Hill: A landform that is raised above the surrounding area, but is smaller than a mountain.
Plateau: A flat open country in the high lands.
Dune: Temporary hills of sand shaped by the wind.
Cliff: A vertical rock exposure.
Butte: A rock or hill formation with a flat top and steep sides. (See mesa)
Mesa: A land formation with a flat top and steep sides in a dry area.
Valley: The low areas between two elevations.
Canyon: A deep valley between high cliffs or formations with steep sides.
Peak: the highest point on a mountain.
Water
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Ocean: A large body of salt water that surrounds a continent.
Sea: A large body of salt water that may be partly or totally surrounded by land.
Lake: A large body of water surrounded by land.
Pond: A small body of water surrounded by land.
River: A large, flowing body of water that empties into the sea.
Tributary: A stream or river that flows into a larger river.
Glacier: A slow moving river of ice.
Lagoon: A shallow body of water along a coast.
Gulf: A part of the ocean or sea that is partly surrounded by land.
Bay: A small body of water that is partially enclosed by land.
Sound: A wide sea inlet that is parallel to the coast. It is usually between the coast and
an island.
Channel. A deep and wide strip of water that separates two larger bodies of water. It is
usually part of a river
Cove. A s usually part of a river mall, horseshoe shaped body of water on a coast.
Strait. A narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water. It has land on
both sides.
Swamp. Fresh water wet land with very muddy, spongy land.
Marsh. Salt water or fresh water wet land that is found beside rivers, lakes and coasts.
Source. The beginning of a river.
Grading Rubric
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Exploring Landforms Project Rubric:
(20 points each)
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Student's project includes
at least 2 landforms in their diorama.
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Student's project includes at least 2 human
features in their diorama.
Student's project shows effort with neatness
Student's project shows creativity in project
Student has labeled physical and human
features.
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Extra Credit:
(25 points)
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Student’s project includes a map of their
landform.
 included a map key
 included a compass rose
 included a inset map
 includes a scale
 colorful and neat
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Total __________
 Create a map to go with your landform diorama
 Show and label the landforms (physical & human features) on the map
 Remember to make a map key, inset map, scale, and a compass rose!
Create a map of your landform diorama and attach the map to the lid of your shoebox
diorama.
Map Example
Example of a
map key.