Classroom Resource

Physical Weathering at Work

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Science

Grade(s)

4

Overview

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. Students will interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. This learning activity can introduce students to the concept of physical weathering or serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept. This classroom resource can be paired with the classroom resource "Chemical Weathering of Rocks," so students can compare and contrast these two destructive forces.

Content Standards

Science (2015) Grade(s): 4

SC15.4.14
Explore information to support the claim that landforms are the result of a combination of constructive forces, including crustal deformation, volcanic eruptions, and sediment deposition as well as a result of destructive forces, including erosion and weathering.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

landform
crustal deformation
sediment
deposition
erosion
weathering
topography
volcanoes
earthquakes
continental boundaries
trenches
ocean floor structures
constructive forces
destructive forces
eruption
geological processes

Knowledge

Students know:

Continents and other landforms are continually being shaped and reshaped by competing constructive and destructive geological processes.

Skills

Students are able to:

Compare and/or combine information across complex texts and/or other reliable sources to support the claim that landforms are the result of both constructive and destructive forces.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Changes in Earth's surface are caused by both constructive and destructive forces.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Crosscutting Concepts

Cause and Effect

Interdisciplinary Connection(s)

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.20
Use details and examples from a text to indicate what the text explicitly states.

Unpacked Content

Vocabulary

Details
Examples
Explicitly

Knowledge

Students know:

Explicit means directly stated within the text.
Specific details and examples from the text an be used to demonstrate an understanding of the text's explicit meaning.

Skills

Students are able to:

Identify details and examples from a text that demonstrates comprehension of the text's explicit meaning.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Explicit meanings are directly stated in text, and they can use specific details and examples from the text to show they understood the text's explicit meaning.

Link to Resource

https://www.readworks.org/article/Physical-Weathering-at-Work/c28c7941-c9ea-49a…

Content Type / Source

CR Resource Type

Learning Activity

Resource Provider

ReadWorks.org

Accessibility

Accessibility

Audio resources: includes a transcript or subtitles

License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

https://about.readworks.org/terms-of-use.html

Comments or Notes

ReadWorks is a website that provides K-12 teachers with free literacy resources (About ReadWorks). ReadWorks has literary and informational texts on a variety of subjects and reading skills. You may narrow your search using grade level or Lexile level, making this website a wonderful tool for differentiation. Students will complete their work digitally, and you will provide their score and feedback digitally. This makes it easy to go paperless for this activity.

Prior to implementing this activity, you will need to sign up for an Educator Account on ReadWorks. After setting up an account, create a class from the Class Admin tab, this will provide you with a Class Code to give to students. Next, use the Find Content tab to search for the informational article that will be used during this activity, "Physical Weathering at Work." After navigating to the article, click on the blue Assign button to assign it to your class.

Each student will need access to a digital device, such as a tablet or laptop. The first time students enter the website they will need to enter the Class Code that is listed on your Class Admin page. Alternatively, you can print the article for students, if digital devices are not available.

Approved Date

2020-04-01

Curated by

Design by Adaptive Theme