Weathering and Erosion: Observations and Evidence
Weathering and Erosion: Observations and Evidence is a free, printable Grade 4 Science worksheet — 6 questions with an answer key, aligned to NGSS 4-ESS2-1. Lessonpress generated it in about a minute, and you can make your own for any K–5 grade, standard, or skill.
Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation
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Answer key
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- 1.
Compare weathering and erosion by filling in the table with information about each process.
Answer: Weathering: rock is broken down into smaller pieces, No, water or ice, cracks in a boulder from freezing water | Erosion: broken material is carried away, Yes, wind or water, sand carried by a river to a new location
- 2.
Imani measured how much soil was lost from four hillside plots during the same rainstorm. Each plot had different ground cover. Use the data in the bar graph to answer: Which type of ground cover lost the most soil? Which lost the least? What conclusion can you draw about how vegetation affects the rate of erosion?
Answer: Bare soil lost the most (95 g) and trees lost the least (10 g). Conclusion: Vegetation slows the rate of erosion. Plant roots hold soil in place, so plots with more plant cover lose far less soil during a rainstorm.
- 3.
A scientist notices that rocks near a riverbank are smooth and rounded, while rocks higher up on a cliff are jagged and sharp. Which statement BEST explains the difference in the rocks near the river?
Answer: Moving water carried and tumbled the rocks, wearing down their sharp edges over time.
- 4.
Priya sets up an experiment. She pours the same amount of water down two identical slopes. One slope is covered with dry, loose sand. The other is covered with packed soil and grass roots. She measures how much material collects at the bottom of each slope. Identify the independent variable and the dependent variable in Priya's experiment. Then explain what evidence from her results would tell her that vegetation affects the rate of erosion.
Answer: Independent variable: the type of ground cover on the slope (loose sand vs. packed soil with grass roots). Dependent variable: the amount of material that collects at the bottom of each slope. If the grass-covered slope loses significantly less material than the bare sand slope, that is evidence that vegetation slows the rate of erosion.
- 5.
Omar is studying how water erosion changes a hillside over time. In Year 1, a small stream carried 120 grams of soil away from the hill each month. After a flood removed most of the plant cover, the stream carried 340 grams of soil away each month in Year 2. How many more grams of soil per month were lost in Year 2 than in Year 1? Then explain in one sentence what this change tells us about how vegetation affects the rate of erosion.
Answer: 340 - 120 = 220 grams more soil lost per month in Year 2. This tells us that when vegetation is removed, the rate of erosion increases significantly because plant roots are no longer holding the soil in place.
- 6.
When water seeps into a crack in a rock and freezes, it expands and makes the crack larger. This is an example of ___ weathering caused by ice. Over many cycles of freezing and thawing, the rock will eventually ___ into smaller pieces. This process provides evidence that water and ice are agents of ___.
Answer: physical (or mechanical); break apart (or crack, split); weathering
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Common questions
What grade is the "Weathering and Erosion: Observations and Evidence" worksheet for?
Grade 4. It's calibrated to the Grade 4 reading load and content, and aligned to NGSS 4-ESS2-1.
What standard does this Science worksheet cover?
NGSS 4-ESS2-1, from the Next Generation Science Standards: Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation
Is this worksheet free to print or download?
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