Learning about Landforms and Bodies of Water
Hey y'all! We've been back from winter break for a week now and it is so refreshing to be back into the swing of things. We've reviewed behavior expectations and absolutely LOVED Winter STEAM Centers. And now it's time to get down to business.
This upcoming week, we'll be starting our Earth science unit. We'll start by learning about how to read maps, then get into the nitty-gritty about different landforms and bodies of water. After that, we'll get into soil, rocks, and erosion.
My class loves science centers for so many reasons. One, they are able to do them independently, which makes them feel "big" and allows me to ask deeper questions.
We start the week with a whole group activity. For this unit, we'll be discussing each feature and sorting them into land or water forms. The whole class lesson is perfect for addressing any misconceptions and getting the kids excited to know more.
Tuesday through Thursday, the kids go to six different science stations, exploring each in their small groups. (Side note: I absolutely love this class and how their science groups have become mini-families within our class family!)
This unit includes self-checking vocabulary puzzles, a book about landforms, a book about water bodies, and two stations where the kids build each land/water form with clay.
On Friday, students compare and contrast two different landforms and/or water bodies using a Venn diagram. This could be done in small groups, whole class, or independently—depending on what your class needs.
This unit ties in perfectly with the other Earth science units in this series. They are designed to be used in succession but could be used with your district's curriculum as well.
Thank you for stopping by! I hope this post gave you some ideas about how to make landforms more interesting for your students. More science stations will be coming soon, so stay tuned and be sure to follow me on TPT so you don't miss a thing! Have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon.