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Students collaborate in groups of 2-3 to review factors that affect deposition of particles.

For nearly five billion years, the Earth's surface has been constantly built up and broken down by processes taking place above and below the Earth's surface, resulting in the wide range of beautiful and complex landscapes we see today. In this unit, students will continue to make connections between the Earth's systems when they study interactions between the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere by investigating the rock cycle, and the erosional processes of streams, wind, wave action, and mass movement.

The dynamic nature of streams is vital to civilizations, providing civilizations with drinking water and water for farming. Running water transports more material on Earth's surface than any other agent of erosion. In this 5E sequence students learn about the patterns of erosional-depositional systems in streams through observations of a stream table. Students will also work to develop their own explanation as to how rivers and streams work to constantly alter the surface of Earth.

Students will explore the processes associated with stream erosion by observing an actual small-scale erosional-depositional system.

Students will explore the processes associated with stream erosion by observing an actual small-scale erosional-depositional system.

Students model formation of sedimentary rock layers using various types of sediment. Students then model deformation of rock layers using clay. 

This booklet can be used with teams of teachers to work through the resources in Unit 4.