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Sample Guide

Essential Question

How do the processes of weathering and erosion affect the Earth's surface?

How this step supports student thinking

An essential question supports students to engage with their existing knowledge base and draw new patterns between ideas. Essential questions help students develop the thinking tools to question their surroundings and make connections with real world events.

Concepts

Concept A

Weathering

Concept B

Erosion

Description of Concept A

The breaking down of rocks on Earth’s surface into smaller pieces.

Description of Concept B

The movement of rocks or sediment from one place to another.

How this step supports student thinking

The two topics for comparison fall under the umbrella of the overall concept. These concepts will share some similarities, but students will also have the opportunity to distinguish differences. Developing an understanding of one concept can help students better define and understand the other.

Key Terms

Word or PhraseWeathering
DefinitionThe process of breaking down or dissolving rocks on Earth’s surface.
Word or PhraseErosion
DefinitionThe process of water moving rocks or sediment from one place to another, and resulting in changes to Earth’s surface.
Word or PhraseMechanical (physical) weathering
DefinitionWhen larger rocks break into smaller pieces, but no chemical change takes place. Water is a main cause of mechanical weathering.
Word or PhraseDeposition
DefinitionWhen water drops sediment carried by erosion processes in a new location.

How this step supports student thinking

Key terms can be preloaded by the teacher to highlight unique vocabulary specific to the lesson or unit. Key terms can also be added by students which allows learners to highlight words that are unfamiliar to them or hold specific importance. Oftentimes, discipline-specific terms can present barriers to students. Defining the key terms can help to reduce these barriers and support students to make meaning of the content.

Overall Concept

Concept A

Weathering

Concept B

Erosion

Overall Concept

Weathering and erosion are two processes that explain how the forces of water, ice, and wind can break down and transport rock and minerals over time to reshape the landscape.

How this step supports student thinking

The process of considering the overall concept supports learners to practice the skill of categorization.

Characteristics

Characteristics of Concept A

Does not involve movement of rock
Water, wind, and ice cause weathering by breaking down rock into smaller pieces
Three different types: chemical, mechanical, and biological
Happens gradually over time
Can result in the creation or destruction of landforms

Characteristics of Concept B

Involves movement of rock
Water, wind, and ice erode the earth's surface by moving pieces of rock to a new location
Two main types: chemical and physical
Can happen gradually over time or somewhat quickly
Can result in the creation or destruction of landforms

How this step supports student thinking

Identifying key characteristics supports learners to articulate features of a concept that make it distinct. Discovering and documenting the defining characteristics will help prepare students to think more critically about each characteristic in the next steps.

Similar Characteristics & Categories

Water, wind, and ice cause weathering by breaking down rock into smaller pieces
is similar to
Water, wind, and ice erode the earth's surface by moving pieces of rock to a new location

How this step supports student thinking

Learners can practice analyzing characteristics for similarities, and use this analysis to create pairs of characteristics across the two concepts. Engaging in this analysis will help students recognize points of similarity between the two concepts, although the pairs do not have to be exactly the same.
Can be cause by wind, water, and ice

How this step supports student thinking

After identifying similar characteristics across each concept, learners can classify similarities they have identified by creating a category that describes the relationships between similar pairs. Creating pairs and categories help learners understand what aspects of their concepts are comparable and provides an organizing system for the comparison process.
Can result in the creation or destruction of landforms
is similar to
Can result in the creation or destruction of landforms
Results of the process

Different Characteristics & Categories

Does not involve movement of rock
is different from
Involves movement of rock

How this step supports student thinking

Learners will also be able to recognize that some characteristics are not part of a pair. This will help them surface points of contrast between the two concepts, where features or traits diverge.
Movement

How this step supports student thinking

Even though the characteristics are different, learners can deepen their thinking by classifying the differences into overarching categories. Creating contrasting pairs and categories supports learners to understand what aspects of their concepts are different and continues to offer an organizing system for the comparison process.
Three different types: chemical, mechanical, and biological
is different from
Two main types: chemical and physical
Types
Happens gradually over time
is different from
Can happen gradually over time or somewhat quickly
How long it takes

Summary

Weathering and erosion are two of the main processes that shape the surface of the Earth. These processes work together. Weathering from water, wind, and ice breaks down rock into smaller pieces. Erosion, also caused by wind, water, and ice, moves those pieces to new places and deposits them. Over time, this causes changes in the shapes of rivers, mountains, and coastlines. It can take many years for weathering to occur. Erosion can take a long time, but it can also happen quickly from things like floods or extreme winds. Weathering can be physical, chemical, or biological, depending on how the rock changes as it is broken down. Erosion can be physical or chemical. Landforms on the Earth are constantly changing because of the processes of weathering and erosion.

How this step supports student thinking

The summary offers learners the opportunity to return to the essential question and synthesize what they’ve learned about the topic in terms of comparing and contrasting aspects of the overall concept.

Extensions

I wonder what some examples of weathering and erosion are in my area. For example, the rocks at the beach are always being hit by the waves. How will the shape and structure of the nearby beaches change over time? How long will these changes take before they are noticeable to people who live here and visit here?

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