Land and Water Learning Guide
Dear Students and Parents,
Attached you will find the Learning Guide for our Land and Water
science unit. A learning guide is a tool that will give key information
about the upcoming unit of study and will help students review
information that is covered in school at home. We hope that it will lead
to interesting discussions about experiments and material being
covered in class and promote the use of new vocabulary. Other
materials will also come home throughout the unit to help with
studying for tests or quizzes. Additionally, the 3rd Grade Resources
website also has many links to further your understanding about the
key concepts studied during this unit.
The KDM Third Grade Team
Key Concepts of Land and Water:

What happens to water when it flows over land from one source? When water flows
over land from one source, the force of the water is greater, and as a result, the stream
table erodes more.

What happens to water that does not runoff land? Water that does not runoff land
will form groundwater or evaporate.

How does the amount of erosion and deposition of soil change when the slope of land
and speed of water is changed?


The steeper the slope of a landform, the more erosion occurs and the larger the
delta is that is formed. The delta is formed as a result of deposition.
The greater the speed and flow of water, the more erosion and deposition
occurs and the larger the delta is that is formed

Where does the most deposition take place in the stream table? The most deposition
takes place at the bottom of the stream in the stream table.

What is the difference between erosion and weathering? (Hint: explain how one
impacts the other.) Weathering is the breaking down of rocks into smaller particles.
Erosion is the movement of weathered materials from one place to another.

What are the four different types of erosion we learned about in class? The four types
of erosion are wind, water, glaciers, and gravity.

What is one way that glaciers erode land? As glaciers move downhill, the ice pulls
rocks and soil off or boulders scour and erode the land.

What are the four components (parts) of soil? Soil is composed of humus, clay, sand,
and gravel.

Why are some components in the soil eroded more easily than other components?
Lighter components erode easier than lighter components. For example, a hill made of
humus will erode faster than a hill made of clay or gravel.

What are the three steps to the water cycle? The three steps of the water cycle are
evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

What are the different forms of precipitation? The different forms of precipitation are
rain, snow, sleet, hail.

How do natural features on earth (rocks, grass, etc.) prevent erosion? Natural features
on earth, such as rocks, grass, or trees, hold the soil into place to prevent erosion. In
areas where they would like to prevent erosion, people will add these features to
prevent erosion.
Vocabulary Terms

Erosion – process where weathered materials are moved by wind, water, or ice

Deposition – the process of sediment being dropped by slow moving water

Delta – area where a stream drops sediment and other materials as it empties into a
body of water – usually a triangular shape

Tributary – a stream or river that feeds into a larger stream or river

Source – waters starting point

Runoff – water that travels over the land and is not absorbed

Weathering – process where earth’s materials are broken down by wind, water, ice, and
plants

Groundwater – water that is absorbed into the soil

Head – the starting point of the stream, or the top of the stream

Mouth – the ending point of the stream where the stream empties into a larger body of
water

Water Cycle – the movement of water from the ground, to the sky, and back again

Water Vapor – when water appears as a gas

Evaporation – the process where water is heated and changes from a liquid to a gas

Condensation – the process where water vapor cools and changes from a gas to a liquid

Precipitation – the process of water falling back to earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail

Transpiration – evaporation occurring through plants
Water Cycle Diagram
Stream Table Diagram