Most Recent Review
4
Good Hands-on; Misconception Caution
Reviewed by: Candace Lutzow-Felling (Boyce, VA) on 8/23/2019 3:51:27 PM
The Good: This activity guides students to model the process of erosion caused by wind and water and then builds on this understanding to model how vegetation cover can reduce erosion in a landscape.
The Caution: Students are instructed to build a "mountain" and model how wind and water can erode it overtime. A pile of sand or soil is NOT a mountain. Mountains are created by uplift or through volcanic action. Thus, the foundation of a mountain is rock. Yes; wind (along with abrasive material rubbing againast a mountain) and water, over time can erode am ountain. But, this activity does not modle moutnain erosion. It does model soil ersion and does this quite effectively. I would caution about using this lesson to make a direct connection to erosion of mountains and would avoid stating that the studnetes are building a mountain.