Glaciers, Water and Wind, Oh My!
Through this hands-on activity, students explore five different forms of erosion: chemical, water, wind, glacier and temperature. They rotate through stations and model each type of erosion on rocks, soils and minerals. They record their observations and discuss the effects of erosion on the Earth's landscape. Students learn about how engineers are involved in the protection of landscapes and structures from erosion. Math problems are included to help students think about the effects of erosion in real-world scenarios.
An example of gully erosion.Copyright Department of Primary Industries, Victoria State Government, Australia http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/
Civil engineers carefully study the surrounding environment and soil types in order to safely build any sort of structure. Buildings, roads and bridges require solid foundations and, if possible, an area not prone to erosion (such as a flood plain). Engineers choose materials that resist the type of erosion that a particular area is exposed to, such as waterproof materials or materials not affected by acid rain. Environmental engineers plant trees and other vegetation in order to help prevent wind and water erosion; plants and their roots stabilize the soil and make it less exposed to erosion. Vegetation can also help to neutralize acid rain. Engineers also design roads, bridges and sidewalks in a way that permits them to expand and contract with temperature changes to minimize any cracking, for example, sidewalk grooves and bridge expansion joints.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- List several different types of erosion.
- Compare and contrast the effects of various types of erosion.
- Discuss how engineers work to prevent erosion.