Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to explore the concept of erosion using plain paper and colored sticks.

Materials and Prep

• Plain paper
• Colored sticks (e.g., colored pencils or markers)

No prior knowledge or preparation is required for this lesson.

Activities

1. Create a landscape on the plain paper using the colored sticks. Draw mountains, rivers, and any other features you like.

2. Now, imagine it's raining heavily. Use the colored sticks to represent the raindrops falling on your landscape. Move the colored sticks around to show how the rainwater flows down the mountains and forms streams or rivers.

3. Observe how the rainwater erodes the land and carries away the soil. Discuss the changes you see happening to your landscape.

4. Repeat the process a few times, making adjustments to your landscape and observing the effects of erosion. Think about how erosion can change the shape of the land over time.

Third Grade Talking Points

• "Erosion is a natural process that wears away the land."
• "Rainwater can cause erosion by washing away soil and carrying it to different places."
• "Mountains, rivers, and other landforms can change their shape over time due to erosion."
• "By using plain paper and colored sticks, we can simulate the effects of erosion and observe how it changes the landscape."