Lesson 3: Earth’s Surface
Vocabulary Words
•Elevation
•Relief
•Topography
•Landform
•Plain
•Plateau
•Mountain
Mini-Lab- 10 minutes
Textbook p. 27
• Person 1 will get the salt dough from Mrs. Wiley and bring it
back after the lab
• Person 2 will press their hand into the dough
• Person 3 will slice the dough and measure the differences
• Person 4 will record the answers to the questions on a sticky
note.
• All members will discuss the questions.
Mini-Lab Questions
• What was the difference in elevation between the highest
and lowest points on your handprint?
• How are your model features similar to features on Earth?
How are they different?
Lesson 3: Earth’s Surface
Oceans and Continents
• Oceans make up more than 70 % of Earth’s surface.
• Many of the features found on dry land are also found on the ocean
floor.
• Monterey Canyon,
comparable in size to the
Grand Canyon
Lesson 3: Earth’s Surface
Landforms
• Mountains, plains, plateaus, canyons, and other features are called
landforms.
• Landforms are topographic features formed by processes that shape
Earth’s surface.
• Characteristics such as size, shape, slope, elevation, relief, and
orientation are used to describe landforms.
• A landform is usually identified by its surface form and location.
• Landforms are not permanent. Their characteristics change over time.
• Factors such as erosion or uplift of Earth’s surface can create and affect
landforms.
Lesson 3: Earth’s Surface
Landforms: Elevation
• Scientists use the term elevation to describe the height above sea level
of a particular feature.
• Landforms can have high or low elevation.
• Can be negative (below Sea Level) or positive (above Sea Level)
• Sea Level is 0 ft.
Lesson 3: Earth’s Surface
Landforms: Relief
• Relief is a term that scientists use to describe differences in elevation.
• Some landforms have low relief- this means there is a relatively small
difference between the lowest and highest elevation in an area.
• Landforms with a large difference between the lowest and highest
elevation have high relief.
Lesson 3: Earth’s Surface
Landforms: Topography
• Topography is a term that scientists use to describe the shape of a
geographic area.
• You can describe the topography of a small area, or the general
topography of a large area.
Lesson 3: Earth’s Surface
Landforms: Plains
• Plains are landforms with low relief and low elevation.
• Plains cover most of Earth’s surface.
• The broad, flat area in the center of North America is called the interior
plains.
• Plains can form when sediments are deposited by water or wind, and
the soil is often rich.
• Plains are often used for growing crops and grazing animals.
Lesson 3: Earth’s Surface
Landforms: Plateaus
• Plateaus are areas of low relief and high elevation.
• They are much higher than the surrounding land and often have steep,
rugged sides.
• Plateaus are less common than plains, but still occur on every
continent.
• Plateau Formation
1. They can form when forces within Earth uplift rock layers or cause
collisions between sections of Earth’s crust. (The Tibetan Plateau is
still being formed by collisions between India and Asia)
2. They can also be formed by volcanic activity. (The Columbia
Plateau in western US is the result of many successive lava flows)
Lesson 3: Earth’s Surface
Landforms: Mountains
• Mountains are landforms with high relief and high elevation.
• They are the tallest landforms of all.
• Mountains can form in several different ways.
1. Build-up of lava on the ocean floor- Hawaiian Islands
2. Forces inside Earth fold, push, or uplift huge blocks of rocksHimalayas, Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains
Quiz Time
•Silent
•No notes
•Turn in on my table
Landform Poster
• With your GROUP…
• Pick mountain, plain, or plateau (OR a combination) to create a poster
about
• Poster should include title, defining characteristics, how it forms, and
an illustration
• USE COLOR
• Names should be on the back