Science·Earth's Systems·procedural
Erosion and weathering
Make observations and measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation
Suggested ages 9–10
Learning journey
Your child is learning how Earth's surface changes over time — studying how wind, water, and ice shape our landscape through weathering and erosion, and interpreting maps to understand geological patterns.
Evidence of understanding
- Define weathering (breaking down of rock in place) and erosion (movement of broken rock/soil)
- Describe the effects of at least three agents of weathering/erosion: water, ice, wind, vegetation
- Provide evidence from observations showing how weathering or erosion has changed a landscape
Assessment prompt
Can Erosion and weathering look at a crumbling cliff or a river bank and explain how water, wind, or ice has slowly worn away the rock or soil over time?
Standards alignment
4-ESS2-1US · ngss-k5
4-ESS2-1
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5