Erosion - Teacher Lesson Plan

Overview During this lesson, students will gain understanding of water erosion and the effects on landscape. ​Students will integrate and exhibit learning by creating a system to generate waves, demonstrating the effect erosion has on sand.

Key Information Level 2: (Ages 8-10) US Grades 3 or 4 Lesson consists of...

Time: 45/90 minutes

Learning Objectives

Warm-Up

5 mins

Mini-lesson

10 mins

Worked Example

7 mins

Challenge 1

7 mins

Challenge 1 - Debug

5 mins

Challenge 2

7 mins

Tidy Up / Exit Ticket

4 mins

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to ➜ Identify different forms of erosion. ➜ Explain the different forms of water erosion and their effects. ➜ Create a SAM system to test the erosion of sand by ocean waves. ➜ Design a SAM system to show the effects of erosion from ocean waves.

Lesson Topics Science Types and causes of erosion

Math Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.

Computing Inputs, outputs, abstraction, debugging.

Scientific Thinking Asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them.

Design and Technology Generate, develop, model and communicate ideas through talking, drawing and mock-ups

English Language Arts ➔ Participate in collaborative conversations. ➔ Use information gained from illustrations and text to demonstrate understanding. ➔ Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3-4 topic or subject area.

Materials required ➜ ​SAM Labs Alpha Kit

➜ ​Sand

➜ ​Ruler

➜ ​Plastic tupperware

➜ ​Lego

➜ ​Student workbook

➜ ​Water

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Warm Up

5 minutes

What are the different forms of erosion?

Objective: ​Identify the different forms of erosion.

Procedures​: ​“Today we are going to learn about erosion and the effects it has on the landscape, particularly the effects ocean waves have on sand”. ● Discuss what erosion is and how it has an effect on land and helps sculpt the earth. ● Students look at the images given to them and discuss whether it is a form of erosion. ● Look at the different forms of erosion and where these forms would be seen e.g. glacial in Antarctic, sea/soil by coastlines, water.

Student Workbook: ​Correctly label images that cause erosion. Identify the type of erosion.

Link forward:​ ​Link to defining water erosion and its various forms.

Mini-lesson

10 minutes

What is water erosion?

Objective: ​Identify and explain the different forms of water erosion and their effects.

Procedures: ​“T ​ here are four main types of water erosion; river, rain, waves and floods”. ● Water is the most powerful and main forces of erosion on earth. ● Rainfall causes erosion when it hits the surface of the Earth; called splash erosion. ● Rivers cause erosion over time as they break up the riverbed and carry it further downstream. ● Ocean waves can have such force it can break rocks, sand and soil causing erosion of coastlines. ● Large floods can happen quickly and cause erosion as water travels quickly over surfaces.

(8 minutes)

At the end of the mini-lesson, students can match or define keywords in their workbooks.

(2 minutes)

Keywords

● Erosion ● River ● Waves ● Flood

● Rain

Let’s Discuss: ​What are the four types of water erosion? In your workbook or with a partner, record, discuss, or share an example of erosion and how it can shape the landscape

Link forward:​ ​Link to creating a system that demonstrates wave erosion on sand.

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Worked Example

7 minutes

Create an adjustable motor for speed

Instructions

Workspace

Notes for Teachers

Step 1.

Turn on and pair: ● 1 Slider/Virtual Slider block ● 1 DC Motor

The Slider/Virtual Slider block will be the adjustable input, determining the speed of the output DC Motor.

Step 2.

Connect the Slider to the DC Motor.

If you do not have the Slider block it can still be used on the workspace.

Step 3.

Connect the wheel to the DC Motor.

The wheel connects to the DC Motor and will need to be secure to stay on when turning.

Step 4.

Move the Slider up and down to increase and decrease the speed of the motor.

The Slider will increase the speed of the block and in order to see the waves it is important the speed is considered which in turn will create more waves.

Challenge 1

7 minutes

Create a SAM system to test erosion on sand by waves

Instructions

Workspace

Notes for Teachers

Step 1.

Make a small hole in the end of a plastic tub (to fit the motor axel).

The hole needs to be big enough for the motor to go through but also for it to spin.

Step 2.

Push the DC Motor through the hole and attach the wheel.

Depending on the size of the tub, a base may need to be built under the DC Motor block and here I have used lego.

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Add water to the tub remembering not to go over the hole created, half way up is best to allow the wheel to be partly under water.

Step 3.

Add about an inch of water.

Step 4.

Adjust the speed of the Slider to increase and decrease the intensity of the waves.

Make sure the blocks are paired by checking the color on the blocks are not red. Using the slider, increase the speed of the DC Motor to generate waves.

Checks for understanding: ​Does the input or output generate the waves? Which block is the input?

Challenge 1 - Debug it

5 minutes

Can the waves be intensified by changing the direction of the DC Motor?

Instructions Step 1.

Drag on a Key Press and Switch Direction blocks to the workspace.

Workspace

Notes for Teachers The Key Press block will become a second input to the system. Alternatively, if you can use a Button/Virtual Button or a Light Sensor (as a button) as the input.

Step 2.

Connect the Key Press block to the Switch Direction block and the Switch Direction block to the DC Motor.

The system will still be activated by the Slider block but when the Key Press block is pressed the direction of the DC Motor will change.

Test the system and set the Slider speed and using the Key Press block intermittently to see waves created.

Step 3.

Test your system.

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Challenge 2

7 minutes

Design a SAM system to show the effects of erosion from waves

Instructions

Workspace

Notes for Teachers

It is easier to remove the water and add the sand so that it is secure in one side of the tub like a coastline would be and then add the water to the other side.

Step 1.

Add a few handfuls of sand to one side of the tub.

Step 2.

Ensure the DC Motor is paired and the wheel is secure.

Check the wheel is not against the tub as this will stop it from turning and the light on the block is not red.

Insert a ruler into the middle of the sand and measure the height, if the sand is slightly wet it will stick to the ruler and when removed you can see where the sand reaches.

Step 3.

Measure the depth of the sand.

Ensure all have the system form the Debug so that they can change direction at different speeds to see the effect.

Increase the speed on the Slider to start the motor. Use the Key Press block to intermittently to change the direction of the motor to generate waves

Step 4.

Start the DC Motor.

Step 5.

Now, measure the effect of water erosion on the sand. Has anything changed?

Insert the ruler again and see the difference in the height of the sand.

Extension Ideas​: ● Computing​: ○ Can you create a system to automatically change direction of the DC Motor? ● Science/Math​: ○ What effect does time have on the erosion? Using the system for differing lengths of time, test the effect of erosion at different intervals. Ⓒ 2018 SAM Labs

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○ How long does erosion take on different materials? Change to soil to see the difference.

Science/Geography: ○ Where has erosion been most visible and destructive?

ELA ○ Research methods to reduce erosion and create a poster board or news article for your community.

Checks for understanding: ​What erosion method can be seen in our system? What are the inputs in the system?

Tidy Up / Exit Ticket

4 minutes

Reinforcing the learning objectives of the lesson, students can reflect on key takeaways by completing and submitting an exit ticket.

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