Introduction
Attention future researchers!
Have you ever wondered why natural rock formations look different over time?
Perhaps you saw a picture online or on TV but found that it looked different when you went in person. This is because the world is constantly changing. It may be hard to notice, but you'll see it if you pay close attention.
This WebQuest will have you explore how water, ice, and wind shape the land.
At the end of this WebQuest, you will be responsible for creating a presentation to explain the results of your research and offer realistic solutions to preserve the land.
Learning Objectives:
After this WebQuest is completed, you should be able to:
1. Identify erosion and weathering.
2. Understand the difference between erosion and weathering.
3. Identify the role of humans in causing or speeding up erosion and weathering.
4. Explain how natural forces shape Earth's features and land.
5. List steps humans can take to prevent or slow down weathering and erosion.
6. Draft a rough sketch of 3 examples of weathering and erosion.
7. Create a presentation that explains erosion and weathering, as well as reasonable ways you can help protect the environment from both.
8. Select and analyze a specific location that is known for being affected by erosion, describe in detail the causes and effects, and draft realistically achievable solutions to protect it.
Under Bloom's Taxonomy, this presentation touches upon the levels:
- Understand: By having students describe erosion and weathering.
- Apply: By having students identifying examples of both processes in the real-world,
- Analyze: By having students examine the ways human activity affects erosion.
- Evaluate: By having students weigh solutions against one another to find the most effective one.
- Create: By having students make their own presentation that offers solutions for a real-world location.
Task
Your task:
In groups, you and your classmates will work together on a project that focuses on preventing erosion and weathering. You will select a specific location, like a well-known site or a coastline, that has been affected by one of the processes.
You will be responsible for identifying the ways water, wind, ice, and even human activities have shaped the land of the selected location. Your next goal is to refine your research. Note what is happening, why it is occurring, and how future erosion and weathering can be prevented. You will combine all of this information into a presentation and present it in class. You may utilize PowerPoint, Canva, Google Slides, or a video. You are not, however, limited to these options. You may use any other program capable of producing a multimedia presentation.
Process
Step-by-step!
Form Groups:
1. Form a group of 4-5 students.
Allocate Roles:
2. Every student in your group should have a role. Some examples of roles are researcher, designer, presenter, and typer. If there is an extra student assigned to your group, there may not be a role for every member. In this case, get creative. Group work can be divided as seen fit.
Select a Location:
3. With your group, agree upon a specific location that is affected by erosion or weathering. This location can be local, a lesser-known area, or a famous site.
Start Researching:
4. Utilize books, the internet, or a combination of both. Any other reliable source to find your information is permissible. Remember to note the specific website, article, or book you used. You will need it when it is time to cite.
5. The information you are looking for should include:
- Name of the location.
- What is occurring there? Is it weathering, or is it erosion?
- What is the cause of the process? Are there any human causes? If so, what are they?
- How dire are the circumstances of the process? Is it occurring rapidly or slowly?
Useful Links:
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/weathering-erosion
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0lo1qEMv8s
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQAOe-0vxdc
- https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/erosion/
- https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/weathering/
Analyze:
6. With your team, sift through the information that you collected. Is there anything that immediately catches your attention? Does the activity of humans worsen the effects of the erosion or weathering? Perhaps it aids the environment instead? Here is where you should be drafting solutions to lessen or prevent the effects.
Creating Your Presentation:
7. Select what program you are going to utilize for your presentation. In your presentation, include:
- Two or more visuals (photos, graphs, maps, or others).
- An embedded video.
- An illustration of the erosion or weathering in action at your selection of location.
- Your proposed solution or plan to the problem.
- Links or citations to your sources.
Practice!
8. Since you will be presenting this in class, practice how you will most effectively use the allotted 8 minutes. Remember, you will need to explain your research, illustration, and visuals. You will also be required to answer if any of your classmates have relevant questions about your presentation.
Reflection:
9. After you have presented, you will individually write a paragraph about what you learned and why erosion and weathering should be taken seriously.
Evaluation
|
Breakdown: 15 Possible Points |
3 Points | 2 Points | 1 Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accuracy and Understanding of Information | The student's understanding of both weathering and erosion is strong. The information listed is entirely accurate | The student's understanding of both weathering and erosion is permissible. Some information listed was inaccurate. | The student's understanding of both weathering and erosion is below expectations. A majority of the information listed was inaccurate. |
| Analysis Ability | According to the location, erosion or weathering is explained well. It is well-stated how humans affect it. The solutions provided are realistic and achievable. | According to the location, erosion or weathering is explained to an acceptable degree. It is stated how humans affect it. The solutions provided are not entirely realistic and achievable. | According to the location, erosion or weathering is explained to an acceptable degree. It is stated how humans affect it. The solutions provided are not entirely realistic and achievable. |
| Presentation | The presentation is engaging and creative, and all expectations were met. The presenter(s) got their point across with little difficulty and answered all questions. | The presentation is somewhat engaging, and most expectations were met. The presenter(s) got their point across with a good amount of difficulty and answered some questions. | The presentation is not engaging, and almost none of the expectations were met. The presenter(s) got their point across with great difficulty and answered no questions. |
| Effort | The student contributed to the group to the best of their ability. There was no slacking off. | The student contributed to the group to an acceptable extent. There was some slacking off | The student hardly contributed to the group. There was a lot of slacking off. |
| Reflection | The reflective paragraph was insightful, and all instructions were followed. | The reflective paragraph was somewhat insightful, and most instructions were followed. | The reflective paragraph was not insightful, and all instructions were not followed. |
Conclusion
Good work, researchers! If you are reading this, it means that you now understand the role of wind, water, and time in changing the world's landscapes. You now understand that we can have a role in protecting our treasured environments.
From low valleys to mountaintops, Earth is constantly transforming! Next time you're at the beach, take a moment to think. What did this look like before? What was it that caused this to look how it does now?
Everyone plays a part, even you. Small actions, in collaboration with others, can make a big difference in the world!
Credits
Erosion and weathering. (2021, May 4). Science. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/weathering-erosion
Hey! Guess What. (2024, May 9). What is Erosion? (Facts For Kids) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0lo1qEMv8s
Learn Bright. (2022, January 13). Weathering for kids | What is weathering? Fun introduction to Weathering for kids [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQAOe-0vxdc
Erosion - Understanding Global change. (2025, September 25). Understanding Global Change. https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/erosion/
Weathering - Understanding global change. (2020, September 11). Understanding Global Change. https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/weathering/
Weathering and erosion. (n.d.). [Video]. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/middle-school-earth-and-space-scien…
Teacher Page
Created by: Cervani Gieowar-Sigh
Broward College Student and soon to be teacher!