Landform Study

Over the past few weeks, the 1-2 kids have been learning about landforms: canyons, mountains, rivers, caves, caverns, valleys, lakes, glaciers, plains, oceans, islands, peninsulas, archipelagos, beaches, straits, isthmus, and coasts. Part of our research has come from watching Bill Nye exploring some of these landforms in his science videos. We have also been reading about them in an excellent book recommended to us by Ms. Moss. In addition, we have been looking around in our outdoor space for landmarks (or landmark lookalikes) to photograph and compile in a class lexicon of landforms. And we have been crafting and creating our own landform books. (pictured below)

The students have also been learning how landforms shift and change due to erosion - the effects of wind and water over time. Next week, we will be conducting mini erosion models to look more closely at the effects that the elements can have on landforms. For example, kids were surprised to learn that water can break apart rocks by seeping in through cracks and then expanding as it freezes. We are looking forward to taking our search for landforms and erosion to the Town Forest next week, now that the class has become expert identifiers! Now if we can just design ways to prevent or at least slow down the effects of erosion...

Check out the pictures below of pages from our landform books: