Topic: Earth’s Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth
Performance Expectation:
4-ESS2-1: Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water,
ice, wind, or vegetation.
Disciplinary Core Idea:
ESS2.A: Earth Materials
and Systems
Rainfall helps to shape
the lands and affects the
types of living things
found in a region. Water,
ice, wind, living
organisms, and gravity
break rocks, soils, and
sediments into smaller
particles and move them
around.
ESS.2.E: Biogeology
Living things affect the
physical characteristics of
their regions.
Science and Engineering
Practice:
Planning and Carrying Out
Investigations- Make
observations and/or
measurements to produce data
to serve as the basis for
evidence for an explanation of
a phenomenon.
Cross Cutting Concept:
Literacy:
Cause and effect relationships
are routinely identified,
tested, and used to explain
changes.
W.4.7- Conduct short research projects
that build knowledge through
investigations of different aspects of a
topic.
HOT Questions
1. What evidence is there for a cause and effect
relationship?
2. How can this cause and effect relationship be tested?
3. What are other possible causes? Are there many
causes?
W.4.8- Recall relevant information
from experiences or gather relevant
information from print and digital
sources; take notes and categorize
information, and provide a list of
sources.
Math:
MP.2- Reason abstractly and
quantitatively.
MP.4- Model with mathematics.
MP.5- Use appropriate tools
strategically.
4.MD.A.1- Know relative sizes of
measurement units within one system
of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb,
oz; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single
system of measurement, express
measurements in a larger unit in terms
of a smaller unit. Record measurement
equivalents in a two-column table.
4.MD.A.2- Use the four operations to
solve word problems involving
distances, intervals of time, liquid
volumes, masses of objects, and
money, including problems involving
simple fractions or decimals, and
problems that require expressing
measurements given in a larger unit in
terms of a smaller unit. Represent
measurement quantities using
diagrams such as number line
diagrams that feature a measurement
scale.
Learning Target: “I Can”
I can gather evidence and draw conclusions as to the effects of weathering.
I can gather evidence and draw conclusions as to the effects of erosion.
Key Vocabulary:
Vegetation
Geosphere
Hydrosphere
Erosion
Deposition
Atmosphere
Biosphere
Weathering
Deposits
Angle of Slope
Formative Assessment Plan
Target
Target Type
Knowledge
Reasoning
I can gather evidence
and draw conclusions as
to the effects of
weathering.
Skill
Product
Assessment Type
Formative Assessment Options
Selected
Response
(Conduct an investigation to observe, measure, and draw
conclusions about the effects of weathering.) (see activities)
Constructed
Response
Write an extended response to provide evidence of the effects of
weathering.
Personal
Communication
Performance
Assessment
Knowledge
Reasoning
I can gather evidence
and draw conclusions as
to the effects of erosion.
Skill
Product
Selected
Response
(Conduct an investigation to observe, measure, and draw
conclusions about the effects of erosion.) (see activities)
Constructed
Response
Write an extended response to provide evidence of the effects of
erosion.
Personal
Communication
Performance
Assessment
Activities:
Use trays of soil (i.e. paint tray)—one with grass and one without. Tilt the trays and pour water over with a watering can to resemble
rainfall. Measure the amount of sediment that is washed away in each tray.
Ice: Freeze rock and pebbles in water. Students drag “glacier” across a flattened chunk of modeling clay. Observe effects.
Write an extended response to provide evidence of the effects of weathering.
Write an extended response to provide evidence of the effects of erosion.