Name: ______________________________________ Date: _________ Period: __________

Essential Learning #5: I can explain how geological processes are caused by the
interaction of Earths spheres.

1. Which two
landform to

spheres of the Earth must interact in order for the

form?
__________________________________________
___________________________________________

2. Use all of the following terms to describe in detail how the alluvial fan above forms: erosion,
deposition, weathering, sediment, water, gravity.
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_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

Name: ______________________________________ Date: _________ Period: __________

3. Directions: Read the following passage regarding soil erosion and answer the questions below.
Soil erosion happens when soil is washed or blown away. In most places, trees, grass and other plants hold
soil in place. When vegetation is removed, winds and rains can carry soil away. Over the years, farmers have
removed unwanted grass, weeds and other vegetation from the soil before planting their crops. Cattle and
other farm animals can remove all the vegetation from an area if there are too many of them left in one place
for too long. Once gone, soil takes several hundred years to regenerate.
In response, groups concerned with soil loss looked for ways to recover the land. Workers replanted grass
and trees along waterways and showed farmers other scientific agricultural methods to help protect the soil.
One method was to put large numbers of animals out to graze on one piece of land for a short time period
and then move them to a new pasture. This allowed the animals to get the nutrition they needed while cutting
down on overgrazing and erosion.
Another method was no-till farming. A farmer using this method plants crops directly in the plant stems, stalks,
and leaves from the last harvest. For this method to work, the farmer must use herbicide to kill unwanted
grass and weeds. This method stops erosion, but some people worry that the herbicides may pollute the
underground drinking supply.
What are three or more spheres of the Earth that are interacting in the reading above? Provide examples from
the text to back up your claims.
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Name: ______________________________________ Date: _________ Period: __________

Essential Learning #6: I can use a model to explain how various Earth spheres
interact to shape Earths surface.

Your job as a lab group is to model a change to Earths surface over time using our stream tables. You will
then create a Google Slide presentation individually showing each step of the process with pictures and
detailed descriptions. Make sure to include all of the Earths spheres that are interacting in each pictures
description as well as the various geological processes involved. Please share this presentation with your
teacher online. See the rubric below for scoring...

Landforms*
Created

Earths
Spheres

Geological
Processes+

Struggling
(2)

Beginning
(2.5)

Developing
(3)

Demonstrating
(3.5)

Mastery
(4)

The landforms in
the picture are
not defined in
your own words
or in terms we
have learned.

The landforms in
the picture are
poorly defined in
your own words or
in terms we have
learned.

The landforms in the

picture are defined
and described in
terms we have
learned.

The landforms in
the picture are
defined and
described in both
your own words and
terms we have
learned.

The landforms in the

picture are clearly
defined and
described in both
your own words and
terms we have
learned.

The spheres
interacting in
each picture are
not defined in
your own words
or in terms we
have learned.

The spheres
interacting in each
picture are poorly
defined in your own
words or in terms
we have learned.

The spheres
interacting in each
picture are defined in
terms we have
learned.

The spheres
interacting in each
picture are defined
and described in
both your own words
and terms we have
learned.

The spheres
interacting in each
picture are clearly
defined and
described in both
your own words and
terms we have
learned.

The geological
processes in
each picture not
defined in your
own words or in
terms we have
learned.

The geological
processes in each
picture poorly
defined in your own
words or in terms
we have learned.

The geological
processes in each
picture defined in
terms we have
learned.

The geological
processes in each
picture defined and
described in both
your own words and
terms we have
learned.

The geological
processes in each
picture are clearly
defined and
described in both
your own words and
terms we have
learned.

*Landforms: canyon, meander, oxbow lake, alluvial fan, delta, mountain, plateau, floodplain
+

Geological Processes: weathering, erosion, deposition