Erosion

Grades: 4 - 6

This program begins with students exploring erosion and the movement of water using the Big Lab's 12 ft. long stream table in Exploration Grove. Students will then construct a stream table and design investigations to explore how the properties of materials affect the ability of the material to slow down erosion. A facilitator will guide students in thinking about the process of experimentation as they test out the permeability of different materials as a class. The program concludes with students designing a landscape that will protect a house from erosion.

General Outline of Program:
- Welcome to the Big Lab and an introduction to observation
- Observations and exploration of large stream table
- Construct and test out smaller stream tables
- Perform water permeability test as a class to model the process of experimentation
- Experiment with stream tables and how the water and sand interact
- House challenge: How would you protect a house from erosion?

California State Science Standards related to program:
4th Grade
Earth Sciences: 5.a, 5.c
Investigation and Experimentation: 6.a, 6.b, 6.c, 6.d

5th Grade
Investigation and Experimentation: 6.a, 6.b, 6.c, 6.d, 6.e, 6.f

6th Grade
Shaping Earth's Surface: 2.a, 2.b
Investigation and Experimentation: 7.a, 7.b, 7.d, 7.e, 7.h

Pre-Activities

Rocky Settlements

Post Activities

Wind Erosion

Big Lab Field Trips | Where's the Air? | Ladybugs
Boats and Balance | Erosion | Roller coasters
Projectiles | Cow Eye Dissection