One of our top blog posts is about erosion vs weathering. We explain what erosion and weathering are, show pictures of both and I also offer a set of printables to reinforce the learning of the difference between erosion and weathering. Visit our What is the Difference between Weathering and Erosion or Kids? post after you read this one!
Erosion is mass wasting of a rock structure. Pieces of dirt and rock are worn away or broken off by different processes. Mountains are eroded by water, wind or ice picking up and carrying away pieces of them so they become leveled or, at best, shorter than before.
Weathering is the process where rocks dissolve rock pieces where structures of mountains may stay up, but they look eaten away. Soil and rock that is loose will fall off and leave the stronger, harder rock standing as always. See images below.
Reminder! Don’t forget to check out our awesome hub for all kinds of erosion, weathering and deposition printables and activities!
Discover the fascinating world of erosion vs weathering with these awesome science STEM activities! Delve into the forces that shape our planet through hands-on experiments and engaging projects. Unleash your inner scientist and watch as rocks transform before your eyes.
With these exciting activities, you’ll be inspired to learn more about the incredible processes that have shaped the Earth we know today. Don’t miss out on this chance to explore and understand the wonders of erosion and weathering. Get ready to be amazed!
Weathering and Erosion Project Ideas
It is important for students to know the difference between erosion and weathering when they are studying Earth Science. To do this, we read some books on both concepts and I made some weathering printables after our Summer trip (where we discussed erosion and weathering at length). In exploring these processes, materials like poly film rolls can be used to show how barriers protect soil from eroding, much like natural features do.
But now, we will show you one of the Science STEM activities we did to reiterate our learning. We also studied about some of the natural wonders of the world to expound our research on the topic. So what is the difference between weathering and erosion? Find out here!
I just loved that we used our knowledge on erosion and weathering to come up with a Science experiment. Of course, we read some books, researched online and used the Scientific Method to conduct our experiment.
Children’s Books about Weathering and Erosion
What is the difference between weathering and erosion? Find out with these fantastic books! The erosion pictures for kids to study up-close are amazing in these books! Don’t forget to also compare erosion and deposition for kids to also know about that topic.
You can discuss these topics and answer the following questions:
- What is erosion?
- What causes erosion?
- How to stop erosion
- What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
- What is the definition of weathering?
- What causes weathering?
- How to prevent weathering?
Erosion: Changing Earth’s Surface
Cracking Up: A Story About ErosionExamining ErosionWeathering and ErosionWeathering and ErosionA Look at Erosion and Weathering
Erosion vs Weathering Science STEM Activities
Let’s prep for this awesome STEM experiment! You will need:
- colorless gelatin
- 2 small bowls (that hold about 1 cup of liquid and that if turned upside down, they resemble a small mountain, enough to cover one of the bowls and enough dirt or to cover 3/4 of the other bowl)
- small rocks and sediments (rocks broken down into smaller pieces)
- dirt with small pieces of rock or tiny gravel
Now Foods Beef Gelatin Natural Powder 1 lbKnox Unflavored Gelatine, 16 Ounce (Pack of 2)
1 Cup Glass Storage Containers and Lids – Set of 4
Quart Jar, Wide Mouth, Set of 12
Take 2 cups of water and boil slightly. Turn heat off and add 1/2 cup of gelatin. Use a whisk to mix well. Let it rest and cool a little.
Meanwhile, place rocks in a bowl until they go to the top, but don’t go past the brim. In the other bowl, put enough dirt, soil or sand to cover about 3/4 of the bowl.
Slowly, pour the gelatin into each bowl until the bowls are completely filled.
Don’t mess with the bowl with rocks in it. Use a knife to gently mix the gelatin into the soil (sand) until mixed well. Place in refrigerator and let it solidify for a few hours or overnight.
Scientific Method Printable
There are many easy experiments using scientific method and this is definitely one of them. What are the steps of the scientific method? You can use the technology part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) acronym to do your research or you can go print this Science experiment printable!
It will make your life so much easier. So, grab the printable or make your own list of the steps in the Scientific Method and then write down “The Difference between weathering and erosion” as the title on your sheet. Once the “mountains” are solid, it is time to use a knife to go around the inside of the bowls to loosen them.
Flip the bowls over and set them on a plate. Then place the plate on a cookie sheet or a tray with an edge. The sand/soil mountain will be our erosion model and the rock mountain will represent our weathering model. Explain to kids how water, ice, the elements like wind and such change the surface of mountains and land overtime.
Weathering and Erosion Activities for Kids
For this, it is best to work in the kitchen. Boil some water on the stove. Meanwhile, in their sheets, they write down their hypothesis on how erosion differs from weathering and what they think will happen when we pour hot water over each.
Once their hypothesis is written, they will draw what each mountain looks like now. Let them feel them and touch them to analyze them well. They can clearly see that they’re solid, they have a definite shape and they look different. We use the Math part of STEM to measure the height of each mountain (both measure the same).
Erosion is Different from Weathering
Now, the adult slowly pours hot water on the erosion mountain as the kids observe what is happening. We use the Math in STEM to count 10 seconds. The erosion mountain began disintegrating and falling apart. We noted that on our notebooking pages.
Then we did the same to the weathering mountain. The gelatin (which represents the softer elements in the composition of a mountain) disintegrated, but the rocks stayed stacked up. There were new gaps between the rocks, but the height stayed the same. We recorded that in our notes.
It is crucial for university students to deepen their understanding of concepts like erosion and weathering in Earth Science. As they delve into more complex topics, having a solid grasp of these fundamental concepts becomes essential. After all, these concepts serve as building blocks for more advanced studies in geology and environmental science.
It is important for students to continuously seek to enhance their knowledge and not feel hesitant to seek assistance with related questions. Whether it’s clarifying doubts, accessing supplementary materials, finding science homework help, or finding guidance on assignments. Many available platforms can provide additional resources and support to aid in their academic journey
Weathering and Erosion Printables
Continuing with the experiment of erosion vs weathering, we decided to pour hot water over each a second time for 10 second each. Look at the pictures below. The mountains fell apart even more into smaller pieces. We noted all of that in our Science experiment sheets. Then we drew what our mountains look like now.
Let me tell you that our printables in What is the Difference between Weathering and Erosion? {Free Printables} were super helpful and I highly recommend you get those, too. If you are interested in getting more Science notebooking pages and notebooking pages on any and every subject and topic you can think of, then GO HERE!
Want the entire set of Erosion, Weathering and Deposition printables for an amazing price? There are 3-part cards, weathering, erosion and deposition worksheets, images and more!
Discover the fascinating world of erosion and weathering with these awesome science and STEM activities! Learn about how these natural processes shape our Earth while having fun and getting hands-on with experiments.
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to engage and educate your kids. Get ready to be amazed and inspired by the power of nature. Buy now to embark on this exciting educational journey!
Sale!
Facts on Weathering, Erosion & Deposition BUNDLE
$7.50 $4.99
This bundle includes: Erosion and Weathering Printable Set, Erosion and Weathering 3-Part Cards, What is Erosion? Info Cards, What is Weathering? Info Cards, What is Deposition? Info Cards and Erosion, Weathering & Deposition Wheel Craft
Get these free Erosion and Weathering printable sheets to extend your unit! Enter your email below to get them!
More topics to research:
- chemical weathering, physical weathering, biological weathering, the word “erosion”, types of weathering and smaller particles, wind or water, effects of weathering on rocks and soil, geological processes, weathering processes, how weathering occurs, geological features, mechanical weathering, difference between weathering, acid rain, how plants and animals affect erosion, erosion and deposition for kids, how erosion affects the earth surface, physical weathering, etc.
<<<— Try some free samples of the notebooking pages!
Thank you for visiting our Weathering and Erosion Experiments for Kids post!
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