Name:

Date:
Science Erosion Lab

Experiment Sheet (Group A1 and A2)

Mr. Bexson Science 7 Earth

Question: What are the effects of erosion, weathering and deposition?

(Dont answer it now!)

Procedure & Analysis:

Group A
1. Look at your scenario. What setting does this represent? A beach? A lake? A1 only:
How deep is your river? Record your observations.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Take the funnel and carefully pour water into it over the toothpick. Observe. Do this
repeatedly (rotate people pouring and holding the funnel).
3. Record what you notice is happening to the earth. Be Specific.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____
4. A1: After a couple minutes of pouring, you may stop. A2: Once you see a distinct
pattern, you may stop.
5. What do you notice? Has there been any erosion or weathering? Any sedimentation
or deposition?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____
6. A1: The initial height of the earth was ______ cm high, what is it now?
___________________________________
A2: The initial land was completely flat. How deep is the deepest valley now?
__________________________
7. Record any additional observations you found.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____

Discussion:
From step 3, explain why or how you saw what you saw happening. Think of terms
we have learned in class.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
From step 5, explain why you thought erosion, weathering, sedimentation or
deposition was happening or why it was not.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
From step 6, state what this measurement proves.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Finally, from step 7, explain why any additional observations you made might be
important.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: What happens to materials when they are exposed to the elements
such as rain, running water, wind or ocean waves?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Name:
Date:
Science Erosion Lab

Experiment Sheet (Group B)

Mr. Bexson Science 7 Earth

Question: What are the effects of erosion, weathering and deposition?

(Dont answer it now!)

Procedure & Analysis:

Group B
1. Look at your scenario. What setting does this represent? A beach? A lake? Record the
height of the earth. Record your observations.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Make sure there is water (about an inch and a half) at the bottom of the pan. Take the
paddle provided and simulate waves by moving it back and forth carefully and
slowly! Continue to paddle back and forth (rotate people paddling)
3. Record what you notice is happening to the earth. Think: Could this be how caves
are formed?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4. After 2-5 minutes of paddling, you may stop.
5. What do you notice? Has there been any erosion or weathering? Any deposition?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____
6. The initial height of the earth was ______ cm high, what is it now?
_________________________________________
7. Record any additional observations you found.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____

Discussion:
From step 3, explain why you thought whether or not caves could be formed via this
method.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

From step 5, explain why you thought erosion, weathering or deposition was
happening or why it was not.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
From step 6, if you experienced a change, state what this measurement proves.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Finally, from step 7, explain why any additional observations you made might be
important.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: What happens to materials when they are exposed to the elements
such as rain, running water, wind or ocean waves?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Name:
Date:
Science Erosion Lab

Experiment Sheet (Group C)

Mr. Bexson Science 7 Earth

Question: What are the effects of erosion, weathering and deposition?

(Dont answer it now!)

Procedure & Analysis:

Group C
1. Look at your scenario. What setting does this represent? A beach? A lake? Record
your observations.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Take the funnel and carefully pour water into it over the toothpick. Observe. Do this
repeatedly (rotate people pouring and holding the funnel).
3. Record what you notice is happening to the earth. Be Specific.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
__
4. Once you notice the earth has started to move, stop pouring.
5. What do you notice? Has there been any erosion or weathering? Any sedimentation
or deposition?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____
6. There was originally no earth at the bottom of the cliff. How much is there now?
Record your measurement in cm. _______ cm.
7. Record any additional observations you found.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____

Discussion:
From step 3, explain why or how you saw what you saw happening. Think of terms
we have learned in class.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
From step 5, explain why you thought erosion, weathering, sedimentation or
deposition was happening or why it was not.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
From step 6, state what this measurement proves.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Finally, from step 7, explain why any additional observations you made might be
important.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: What happens to materials when they are exposed to the elements
such as rain, running water, wind or ocean waves?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Name:
Date:
Science Erosion Lab

Experiment Sheet (Group D)

Mr. Bexson Science 7 Earth

Question: What are the effects of erosion, weathering and deposition?

(Dont answer it now!)

Procedure & Analysis:

Group D
1. Look at your scenario. What setting does this represent? A beach? A lake? Record
your observations.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Take the squirt bottle and spray the mountain without toothpicks in it first. Then
spray the mountain with the toothpicks in it.
3. Record what you notice is happening to the earth. Is the mountain with the
toothpicks taking longer to break apart? Why? What would the toothpicks represent
in real life? What does the squirt bottle represent?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____
4. Once you notice the earth has started to move, stop squirting.
5. What do you notice? Has there been any erosion or weathering? Any sedimentation
or deposition?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____
6. There was originally no earth at the bottom of the cliff. How much is there now?
Record your measurement in cm. _______ cm.
7. Record any additional observations you found.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____

Discussion:
From step 3, explain why or how you saw what you saw happening. Think of terms
we have learned in class. Why did the mountain with the toothpicks take longer to
break apart?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
From step 5, explain why you thought erosion, weathering, sedimentation or
deposition was happening or why it was not.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

From step 6, state what this measurement proves.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Finally, from step 7, explain why any additional observations you made might be
important.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: What happens to materials when they are exposed to the elements
such as rain, running water, wind or ocean waves?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Experiment Grading Rubric

Level
Criteria

Excelle
nt

Profici
ent

Adequat
e

Limited
*

Insufficie
nt / Blank
*

Quality of
observations
and
illustrations in
lab sheet (x2)

Quality and
depth of
discussion
(x2)

Quality of
conclusion
(x1)

Student
observation
s are
correct,
thoughtful
and logical

Student
observatio
ns are
logical
and
correct

Student
discussion
elegantly
explains
their
situation

Student
discussion
accuratel
y explains
their
situation

Student
conclusion
states
precisely
the answer
to the
question of
the
experiment

Student
conclusion
states
accuratel
y the
answer to
the
question of
the
experiment

Student
observations
are correct
but lack
thought

Student
discussion
moderately
explains their
situation

Student
conclusion
states
vaguely the
answer to
the question
of the
experiment

Student
observation
s are
incorrect
or too
vague to
understand

Student
discussion
barely
explains
their
situation

Student
conclusion
does not
really
answer to
the question
of the
experiment

No score is
awarded
because there
is insufficient
evidence of
student
performance
based on the
requirements
of the
assessment
task.
No score is
awarded
because there
is insufficient
evidence of
student
performance
based on the
requirements
of the
assessment
task.
No score is
awarded
because there
is insufficient
evidence of
student
performance
based on the
requirements
of the
assessment
task.

* When work is judged to be limited or insufficient, the teacher makes decisions about appropriate intervention to
help the student improve.