The Cycles of the Earth
Stage 1
Brought to you by: Matt Anderson and Lauren Dean
Question: How does the earth do it?
Big Idea: You live on the earth and you need to know how it works!
Students will know:
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The meaning of erosion
The different stages of erosion
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The meaning of weathering
-
The meaning of deposition
Students will be able to:
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Identify the different sizes/types of rocks and soil
Explain how weathering works
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Demonstrate the journey that soil takes as it is broken down and is eroded and deposited
Stage 2
Pre-Assessment:
One minute essay: Where does sand come from?
Assessment during lesson: Think/Draw: Draw and label the important sections of “The
Lonely Boulder’s” journey. (see below)
Yes/No
Formative Assessment at end of lesson: R.A.F.T.
Your R.A.F.T. must show the following concepts: a.
Define weathering and deposition b.
Illustrate how large boulders become tiny sand c.
Illustrate how rocks, sand, and soil, can be eroded and deposited in other areas
Role
Little Rock
Audience
Big Rock
Format
Letter
Topic
When I was part of you
Earthquake Earth’s surface
Song “I’m going to shake you up and tear you

Big rock and natural causes
Scientist
Rock
Science class
People of
Shishmaref
Interpretive dance
Exploration/Conversation
Dialogue
Rock’s family Picture
Board/Travelogue down”
The storm and the rock
What’s happening to your beach
The journey of a rock from the mountain to the sea
*Note: Accommodations will be added as necessary
Day 1
Pre-Assess using a 1 minute essay: Where does sand come from? (Independent work)
Direct Instruction: Define the three main vocabulary words.
Weathering: The slow break-down of the Earth’s Surface due to weather.
(rocks, soils, etc…)
Erosion: The wearing away of land or soil by the action of wind, water, or ice.
Deposition: The process by which land and soils are deposited (or laid down) and builds up on the Earth’s surface – the direct opposite of erosion.
The students will write these down in their science journals.
Activity: The Story of the Lonely Boulder: (Whole Class-Interactive/Simulation)
Explain to the students in advance that you are going to read them a story that they are going to actively participate in. The whole class huddles together in the back of the classroom. They react as the teacher tells the story of the lonely boulder. Tell the students that, upon completion, they will need to remember as examples of weathering, erosion, and deposition form the story.
The Lonely Boulder
By Matthew Anderson
Once there was a large boulder that was perched on top of a tall mountain. It was very lonely. It just sat, day after day with no other rocks to talk to. One day, there was an enormous earthquake that shook the mountain. (Children start to shake) The boulder teetered and tottered and tilted and, with a mighty roar, tumbled down the side of the mountain. (Students should carefully tumble “down the mountain”) When it reached the bottom it landed with a huge THUD and split into two pieces. (Students should split into two rocks.) The lonely rock now had a friend! They talked for a long time until it began to rain. This didn’t bother the rocks at first but some of the water got into cracks of the larger rock. That night the water froze and expanded so that, by the next morning, a small piece of the rock had fallen off. (One student breaks off of the largest rock.) This

happened many times over the next few years and the lonely rock found that he was gaining more and more friends. (3 more students break off individually.)
The lonely boulder was getting smaller and smaller but he didn’t mind. He was just happy to have so many new rocks to talk to. One day when it rained, it seemed like it would never stop! A rainstorm had come and it flooded the entire landscape. The lonely boulder noticed that the water had begun to wash away some of his new friends! (Single students begin to ‘wash away’) He was very sad about this and he began to cry. His own tears added to the flood until there was so much water that HE began to wash away! As he washed downstream, he bounced off other rocks and boulders that broke pieces off of him. (Additional students break off.)
The lonely boulder was now very small. He kept on washing down the hill until he wound up in a creek. Then he was washed to a river and continued until he reached the mouth where it met the ocean. He was very confused and very lonely. All of a sudden he heard a familiar voice. He looked around him… and saw his entire rock family! They had all been deposited here at the mouth of the river when the water could no longer push hard enough to move them. The lonely boulder was no longer a boulder, but he was no longer lonely either!
Have the students return to their seats. Read the story again. As you read, have the students write down the examples of weathering, erosion, and deposition that they remember. (Collaboration- Groups of 2)
One example to make sure comes up is when the water freezes inside the rock and splits off a piece of it.
Experiment: How Does Ice Weather Rocks? (Teacher Demonstration-Whole Class)
Fill a glass jar all the way up with water, place that into a plastic bag and have the students make hypothesis. What will happen when I put this in the freezer over night?
Day 2
Experiment: How Does Ice Weather Rocks (Part 2- Whole Class)
What happened to the jar? If everything has been done correctly, it should be broken!
This is because water expands as it freezes. Just as the jar shattered when the water inside it expanded, so too do rocks break open when water gets inside them and freezes.
Activity: Yes/No Picture game (Whole Class)
Pass an index card with Yes written on one side and No written on the other. Use pictures and questions with yes/no answers to review the student’s knowledge of weathering, erosion, and deposition. Ex: Can rocks be weathered by plants?
Experiment: How do Streams Weather Rocks? (Group work-groups of two)
Place a few broken pieces of rock into a plastic jar and fill it halfway with water. Set a side a few other rocks and leave them alone. The rocks that are in the jar should be

shaken about 1,000 times and compared to the rocks that were left alone. Have the students compare the changes. Next, filter the water through a piece of filter paper and have them describe what they see. Ask the students to then explain what might happen to rocks in a stream?
Video: Earth Is Change- Erosion (15 minutes)
The video illustrates how the earth is constantly changing and how some of these changes are catastrophic, while others are slow and cumulative. It also shows how wind and water can gradually shape the landscape over a period of time. (Note: Video can be found at the media center)
5 Minute Video Summary Write Up (Independent Work)
Question: What did you see in this video that showed erosion?
Homework: Worksheet where students identify different processes as weathering, erosion, or deposition and connect to their local community. (Independent work)
Day 3
Check homework from previous night (Whole Group)
Erosion Song: The face of the Earth (Whole Group) http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0059-introduction-to-erosion.php
Experiment - Wave Action - How Beaches and Sand Bars Are Formed (Group Work)
Slope a generous amount of sand against one end of a dishpan. Add water until the sand is about half covered. Use the side of a ruler to generate steady, even waves in the tray.
Have students observe the action of the waves on the sand. They should see that the water removes sand from the upper part of the "beach" and deposits it below the waterline. This is how sandbars and barrier islands are formed. If you can make very small, rapid waves, you may see that the sand is redeposited on the beach.
Students should follow the instructions on their sheet and follow along as you do the experiment in front of the class. Students will then complete the questions on their lab sheet and hand it in.
R.A.F.T. Activity (Direct Instruction/Independent Work)
Introduce the R.A.F.T. assignment to the students. Read the instructions with them and be sure to stress the importance of the criteria each project has to contain. Give the students 5 minutes to decide which assignment they would like to do. Tell them that they will have the rest of this class and half of the next to complete their projects. They will then give a short presentation of their project.
Give the students time to work on their project. Monitor to keep them on task and to continually check understanding.

Your R.A.F.T. must show the following concepts: a. Define weathering, erosion, and deposition and give examples of each. b. Illustrate how large boulders become tiny sand c. Illustrate how rocks, sand, and soil, can be eroded and deposited in other areas
Role Audience Format Topic
Little Rock
Earthquake
Big Rock
Earth’s surface
Letter
Song
When I was part of you
“I’m going to shake you up and tear you down”
Big rock and natural causes
Scientist
Science class Interpretive dance
People of
Shishmaref
Exploration/Conversation
Dialogue
The storm and the rock
What’s happening to your beach
Rock Rock’s family Picture
Board/Travelogue
The journey of a rock from the mountain to the sea
*Note: Accommodations will be added as necessary
Note: Multiple intelligences were considered throughout the entire lesson
Scoring Guide:
Defines
Weathering,
Erosion, and
Deposition.
Provides
Explanation
Gives Different
Methods of
Weathering
Gives Different
Methods of
Erosion
Gives Different
Methods of
Deposition
Quality of
Project
1
Project contains
0 or 1 definition and lacks explanation
Gives no examples of weathering.
Mentions
Erosion
Mentions
Deposition
Project shows little/no effort
2
Project contains
1-2 definitions and shows some explanation
Gives 1 example of weathering
Gives 1 example of erosion
Gives 1 example of deposition
Project is haphazardly put together but identifiable
3
Project contains
3 definitions with good explanation of at least 2
Gives 2 examples of weathering
Gives 2 examples of erosion
Gives 2 examples of deposition
Project is shows high quality and effort
4
Project contains all three definitions, and explains them
Gives two or more examples of weathering
Gives 3 or more examples of erosion
Gives 3 or more examples of deposition
Project is high quality and shows originality