Objective:
To demonstrate the concepts of porosity and permeability.

Standards:
Properties of Earth Materials (soil properties), Changes in the Earth and Sky (slow erosion, weathering), and Structure of the Earth System (water cycle).

Materials:
large jar, larger sized pebbles or cobbles, and water.

Procedure:
Fill the jar with the pebbles.
Ask the students if they [...]

Objective:
To visually demonstrate how retreating glaciers affect the formation of landforms on the surface and vegetation of an area.

Standards:
Properties of Earth Materials (soil properties), Changes in Earth and Sky (slow erosion, weathering), Structure of the Earth System (landforms are created by a balance of constructive and destructive forces; water cycle), and [...]

Objective:
To demonstrate how the angles of the sun’s rays affect their strength and to explain how this is the cause of seasonal changes.

Standards:
Objects in the Sky (sky object properties, locations, and movements; why the sun is important), Changes in the Earth and Sky (diurnal and seasonal weather changes), and Earth in [...]

Objective:
To illustrate the differences between weathering and erosion and to strengthen understanding of these concepts.

Standards:
Changes in Earth and Sky (slow erosion, weathering) and Properties of Earth Materials (physical and chemical properties of rocks and soils).

Materials:
Enough bite – sized Snickers candies for all students in the classroom.

Procedure:
Pass out [...]

Objective:
To demonstrate how large rocks can be broken down into smaller pieces of rock through changes in the state of water.

Standards:
Properties of Earth Materials (physical and chemical properties of rocks and water), Changes in Earth and Sky (weathering and erosion; diurnal and seasonal weather change – elements of weather i.e. temperature [...]