Preventing Wind Erosion

Contributor
Melissa Collins of betterlesson.com
Type Category
Instructional Materials
Types
Activity , Lesson/Lesson Plan
Note
This resource, vetted by NSTA curators, is provided to teachers along with suggested modifications to make it more in line with the vision of the NGSS. While not considered to be "fully aligned," the resources and expert recommendations provide teachers with concrete examples and expert guidance using the EQuIP rubric to adapted existing resources. Read more here.

Reviews

Description

Students use the engineering design process to plan and create a windbreak that blocks wind in this lesson plan.  Within the lesson, students compare their design with their classmates’ designs. This lesson is part of a series of lessons about how erosion changes the earth.

Intended Audience

Educator
Educational Level
  • Upper Elementary
  • Grade 2
Language
English
Access Restrictions

Free access with user action - The right to view and/or download material without financial barriers but users are required to register or experience some other low-barrier to use.

Performance Expectations

K-2-ETS1-2 Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Clarification Statement: none

Assessment Boundary: none

This resource appears to be designed to build towards this performance expectation, though the resource developer has not explicitly stated so.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
In this lesson, students learn the effect that wind erosion has on sand by developing an interactive model. The teacher will need to draw the students’ attention to the shapes used to build the wind breaks in order to address this engineering practice of how the shape of the structure affects its function.

2-ESS2-1 Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.

Clarification Statement: Examples of solutions could include different designs of dikes and windbreaks to hold back wind and water, and different designs for using shrubs, grass, and trees to hold back the land.

Assessment Boundary: none

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this performance expectation.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
Students compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land. In this lesson, students create a model of a structure that breaks the wind from a house. By blocking the wind, students will demonstrate how to prevent wind erosion. Students understand that various objects can aid in the blocking wind, including natural objects such as rocks and trees.

Science and Engineering Practices

This resource was not designed to build towards this science and engineering practice, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
Students create, share, and explain their wind block models with their classmates. Teachers will want to have students compare the features and differences between the models.

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this science and engineering practice.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
In this lesson, groups obtain information on how wind erosion occurs and how to slow wind erosion down. Students communicate information with others in oral and written form to discuss scientific ideas about how and why their model creates a wind break. Students view and analyze multiple solutions.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea.

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
Students work in groups to develop and compare models that prevent wind erosion. Sharing and discussing how the models are similar yet different is important for students to see that there is always more than one possible design solution to a problem.

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea.

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
Students create a model that helps to prevent wind erosion. This same investigation could be taken another step further where students develop a model to address water erosion so the full disciplinary core idea is addressed.

Crosscutting Concepts

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this crosscutting concept.

Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
Students can see how the wind slowly shapes the land in their model, but it may occur faster than in the real world. It is recommended that teachers show students time lapse videos of wind changing the land over a period of time to help students see how slowly the change really occurs.

Resource Quality

  • Alignment to the Dimensions of the NGSS: All three dimensions are evident. Students will learn the effect that wind erosion has on sand by creating an interactive model. The students learn how to compare multiple solutions to solve problems by creating a model that prevents wind erosion. Then, students communicate information in oral and written form to discuss scientific ideas. In this lesson, groups obtain information on how wind erosion occurs and how to slow wind erosion down. To make the lesson truly aligned to the three dimensions, students should compare the models by noting similar and different features of their models

  • Instructional Supports: Students have prior knowledge about erosion and weathering. They know that erosion can move the land through a slow process and weathering can break apart the land. In the previous lesson, they learned about wind erosion. Each group member is actively involved with a role such as recorder, manager, or reporter. The student groups receive numbered instructions and lab reports to track and record their learning. Students record their learning on the lab report and share their model with the class. To strengthen this resource, students should notice and record features that were similar and different from their own model.

  • Monitoring Student Progress: Students are encouraged and monitored by the instructor, who walks around to facilitate learning to see if support is needed. Some of the following questions are posed: “How can you prevent the wind from blowing? What happens when you blow against the wind? How did you prevent wind erosion from approaching the home? What were the effects of the air movement from the straws? How can trees and rocks prevent wind erosion? The teacher asks the students questions to stimulate their thinking while designing their creation. If a group is struggling, they are asked to think about what they can build that would block the sand. Should it be built short or tall? Which height would be beneficial and why? How can you use Earth's resources to prevent wind erosion?” To strengthen this resource, the teacher can also record notes about student understanding as the teacher monitors student work, noting struggles or misconceptions.

  • Quality of Technological Interactivity: - none -