Earth's Changing Surface: Sculpting the Landscape
Mon, Feb 17, 2014 12:45 PM
Helpful for Understanding Surface Formation
This Science Object deals with the processes involved in forming the parts of the earth that we can see. For me, this is one of the most interesting parts of geology, because we can observe the effects of these processes just by looking--no microscopes or telescopes needed! This Science Object does a good job at tying together the various factors and processes involved in landscape formation.
The study begins by examining the necessary academic vocabulary for discussing the processes at work: for example, physical versus chemical erosion. It then examines common processes by which erosion and land sculpting takes place: flowing water (rivers), wind, ice (glaciation), ocean waves. Finally, the conclusion of the science object is a very interesting comparison of the eroding process of two different rivers: the Mississippi and the Colorado. I found this section to be the most fascinating, because it illustrates the dramatic differences that two rivers, similar in some respects, can have on a landscape due to varying factors (such as whether the surrounding environment is wet or arid, or what the gradient of the the river is).
Overall, I gave a high rating to this Science Object because I appreciated the way that it brought together many aspects of earth science (the water cycle, rock cycles) and showed how they fit together into this larger picture of how the landscape of the surface of the planet is sculpted. At several points along the way, there were also various "Common Student Misconceptions" that were offered, which would be helpful were I to incorporate this information into a curriculum (they were also a good check for my own misconceptions!).