6.2 Weathering and Erosion: Wind Erosion 1 ❊Science Matters  

Grade Six: Weathering and Erosion Lesson 6.2: Wind Erosion

Lesson Concept Wind moves Earth materials to a new location. Link In the previous lesson students learned that Earth materials are

weathered by physical or chemical weathering processes. In this lesson, they learn that wind moves eroded materials to a new location. In the next lesson, students will learn how glaciers erode and move Earth materials.

Time 50 minutes Materials Whole class Bucket of sand Excerpt of R1 (Out of the Dust) Video footage on soil erosion

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/geomorph/visualizations/soil_erosion.html

R2a,b Photos of beach sand dunes) Per Group (groups of 2-4) Metal tray or lid of any type box (copy paper, shirt box, etc) 2 rocks to put in lid or tray Sand

Individual Pinch of sand Wind Erosion section of textbook Science journals Half of a straw H1 Wind Erosion Notes

Advance preparation 1. Collect sand and rocks.

2. Collect metal trays or box lids. 3. Duplicate H1 (Wind Erosion Notes). 4. Prepare trays/box lids with layer of sand and 2 rocks placed

inside each tray/lid. 5. Download video footage:

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/geomorph/visualizations/soil_erosion.html

6.2 Weathering and Erosion: Wind Erosion 2 ❊Science Matters  

a. Dust Bowl Wind Storm, Kansas Sate University b. Dune Sand Saltation, Kansas State University c. Close up of Sand Saltation, Kansas State University 6. Download video footage: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-

nasa/2001/ast26jun_1/ All the World's a Stage ... for Dust

Procedure: Engage (5 minutes) Moving Earth materials impacts lives of people

that live in that location. 1. Ask students to think, pair, share what the term “Dust Bowl” might mean. 2. Teacher reads excerpts of R1 (Out of the Dust) aloud to the class. 3. Ask the students to draw a visualization of the reading on H1 (Wind Erosion

Notes). Ask students to glue H1 (Wind Erosion Notes) into their science journals. Explore/Explain #1 (25 minutes) Sand and dust can be moved by moving air. 4. Place a pinch of sand on the desk in front of each student. Ask students to

remove the sand from their desk without touching it with anything. 5. Discuss their methods. Ask how their methods are similar to the wind? Ask

students to share with their partner any experience they have with wind. Teacher  Note:    Most  students  will  have  blown  it  off  which  leads  to  a  discussion  of  wind  being  able  to  pick  up  and  move  objects.  

6. As a class, read in the science textbook the section covering Wind Erosion. Discuss wind’s ability to pick up and move light objects.

7. Show students the videos showing materials being moved by wind from http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/geomorph/visualizations/soil_erosion.html:

a. All the World's a Stage ... for Dust (dust from Sahara Desert) b. Dust Bowl Wind Storm c. Dune Sand Saltation d. Close up of Sand Saltation

10. After each video, ask students to draw in their science journals an illustration of each movement. Explain in words how each movement happens.

11. Ask students to write a comparison of the differences between how materials are moved by the wind in each video.

6.2 Weathering and Erosion: Wind Erosion 3 ❊Science Matters  

Explore #2 (10 minutes) Wind moves Earth materials to a new location. 8. Explain to students that we are going to make a model of a windstorm so we can

observe what happens during a windstorm. 9. Distribute tray/lid with sand and 2 rocks to each group of students. Ask students

to place the rocks so the rocks are not touching each other or the sides of the tray/lid.

10. Distribute half straws to each student. Ask the students to gently blow across the sand with the straw resting on the edge of the tray/lid (place the straw perpendicular to the tray/lid). Carefully observe how the sand moves around rocks.

11. Ask students to draw a picture of how the sand moved. Ask students to discuss their observations with a partner. Select a few students to share with the class.

Explain II (5 minutes) Wind moves Earth materials in patterns around

obstacles. 12. Ask the students to smooth out the sand and repeat. Predict where the sand will

build up before you blow this time. 13. Ask students to draw their results in their science journal. Explain how the sand

moved and built up around rocks. Why does this pattern occur? Extend/Evaluate (5 minutes) Wind moves sand and dust to another location

forming sand dunes. 14. Display R2 a,b (Beach Sand Dunes) and ask students to share if they have ever

seen a beach sand dune. Are the pictures of sand dunes like any sand dunes that you have seen or are they different?

15. Ask partners to brainstorm how beach sand dunes might be formed. Discuss ideas as a class.

18. Ask the students to draw a picture of a beach sand dune in their journals. Explain in words how sand dunes are formed. How might the sand dunes that you have seen at the beach have been formed?

Teacher Note: Sand should be building up in front of the rocks leaving a hollow spot behind the rock.

6.2 Weathering and Erosion: Wind Erosion 4 ❊Science Matters  

H1  

6.2 Weathering and Erosion: Wind Erosion 5 ❊Science Matters  

                                                                                         

R1  

6.2 Weathering and Erosion: Wind Erosion 6 ❊Science Matters  

                                                                                         

R2a  

6.2 Weathering and Erosion: Wind Erosion 7 ❊Science Matters  

         

R2b