Land Features from Weathering and Erosion Project 

6th Grade Earth Science Project

Report Due – Wednesday, September 24th 

Model due: Friday, October 3rd 

stalactites, stalagmites, and columns

Introduction:

Weathering is the breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth’s surface. Erosion carries away the weathered rock and soil from one place to another. Five agents of erosion are gravity, wind, running water, glaciers and waves. Deposition is the process whereby sediments are laid down in new locations to build new landforms. In this project you will research one of the landscapes created by weathering and erosion, generate a report and create a 3-D model to represent the landform and its characteristic features.

 

Project is to include:

 

Landscape Choices:

Choose ONE of the following landscapes:

- Stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies & sinkholes

- Tributary, waterfall, flood plain, levee, meander, oxbow lake, deposition, suspension & delta

-Moraines, esker, kettle lake, drumlin, till, horn, cirque, arête & fjord

-Dunes, pavement, mesa, butte, alluvial fan, canyon & plateau

-Ocean cliffs, barrier islands, beach, dunes, stack, eroding headland & spit

Use the following resources to gather information.

Caves/Karst Topography

http://www.nearctica.com/geology/gcave.htm

http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/cave.htm#Features

http://cdis.missouri.edu/studentinfo/coursedata/6541/lesson02/commentary.asp

http://www.watersheds.org/teacher/rd.htm    (watch the karst movie)

Textbook – P. 265-266

 

River Valley

http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/EarthSC202Notes/EROSION.HTM

http://geology.about.com/library/bl/images/blrivermove.htm?terms=erosion

http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/subjects/geography/rivers/River%20Articles/oxbowlake.htm

http://uk.encarta.msn.com/refedlist_210000383_9/Oxbow_Lake.html

Textbook – P. 462-465

Glacier Valley

http://psychcentral.com/psypsych/Moraine

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~tjoa/Class/nov13.html

http://crevassezone.org/Photos/glacier_features.htm

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10af.html

Textbook – P. 466-470

 

Arid Regions

http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/sep/papr/desfeatures.html

http://www.uccs.edu/~geogenvs/ges101-online/Chapt-18.doc

http://online.bc.cc.ca.us/geology10/content/Lecture%20Notes/lesson13.htm

http://www.innvista.com/science/earth/geology/desfeat.htm

Textbook – P. 456-459

 

Shoreline

http://digilander.libero.it/seashorecentre/sea_world/coastal_landform.htm

http://hometown.aol.com/rhaberlin/csmod.htm

http://www.earthsci.org/teacher/basicgeol/ocean/ocean.html#Coastal%20Deposits%20and%20Landforms

http://www.beachbrowser.com/Archives/Environment/August-99/Barrier-Islands-Always-changing.htm

Textbook – P. 470-474 and P. 221-222

 

Model materials – use your imagination and common household materials. Your landscape cannot be made of food, glass, other items that spoil easily or are dangerous. Suggested materials include papier-mache, modeling clay, styrofoam, cardboard, construction paper, sandpaper, paint, etc.

Rubric                                                       

Overall Project

 

 

Total 400 Points

Report Criteria

(160 points)

 

 

  • Report  - at least four pages, double-spaced and 12 font

 

    • 10

 

  • Report must include the following:

 

 

 

    • A report folder

 

    • 10

 

    • Title page

 

    • 4

 

(Name of landscape, your name, teacher’s name & date)

 

 

 

    • Bibliography page (cite all sources in correct format)

 

    • 6

 

    • Overview of the landscape and its development

 

    • 40

 

    • Explanation of all listed features and their causes

 

    • 80

 

    • Attach this rubric to your report

 

    • 10

 

 

 

 

 

Model Criteria

(180 points)

 

 

  • Model of Landscape

 

 

 

    • Landscape including all features– see attached rubric

 

 

    • 120
    • All features labeled with a key

 

    • 40

 

    • Within size limit: minimum–standard shoe box;

 

    • 20 largest-3 cubic feet

 

 

 

 

 

Presentation Criteria (40 points)

 

 

 

  • Oral presentation – Explain the features of your landscape using

 

    • 40 your model

 

    • See attached rubric

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Parent signature – confirmation that your parent has seen the

 

    • 20

 

project guidelines and due date

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attach this rubric to your report. Thank You!

 

 

Oral Presentation  -  40 points

Your presentation should last 2-4 minutes (2 – Acceptable; 4 – Exceptional ). You should explain the features of your landscape using your model. This should include how the features were formed. Use index cards to carry out your presentation. You may create a PowerPoint instead of index cards. Each slide should have a picture and a definition of the feature. Plan, practice and time what you will say. The following rubric will be used to grade your presentation:

Category

4

3

2

1

Speaks clearly

Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, and mispronounces no words.

Presentation lasts 4 minutes

 

Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-90%) the time, but mispronounces one to three words.

Presentation lasts 2-3 minutes

Speaks clearly and distinctly most (100-80%) of the time. Mispronounces more than three words.

Presentation lasts 2-3 minutes

Often mumbles or cannot be understood OR mispronounces more than three words. Presentation lasts less than 1 minute or longer than 5 minutes

Posture and eye contact

Stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident. Establishes eye contact with everyone.

Stands up straight and establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.

Sometimes stands up straight and establishes eye contact.

Slouches and/or does not look at people during the presentation.

Landscape Model –120 Points

Accuracy, neatness and attractiveness count!

Category

4

3

2

1

3-D Construction-

Materials

Appropriate materials were selected and creatively modified in ways that made them accurately resemble the type of landscape.

Appropriate materials were selected and there was an attempt at creative modification to resemble the type of landscape.

Appropriate materials were selected. Resemblance to the type of landscape was poor.

Inappropriate materials were selected and contributed to a product that did not resemble the type of landscape.

Construction-

Care taken

Great care was taken in the construction process so the model is neat and attractive.

Construction was careful and accurate for the most part but 1-2 details could have been refined for a more attractive model.

Construction was adequate but 3-4 details could have been refined for a more attractive model.

Construction is careless. Many details need refinement for a more attractive model.

Features

All landscape features included.

1-2 features were omitted.

3-4 features were omitted.

More than 4 features were omitted.