Lesson Plan

Earth’s Ever-Changing Surface

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

The Grand Canyon formed between five and six million years ago, but is it still changing? Scholars explore 10 sites in the United States, including the Grand Canyon, to better understand the geoscience processes that formed these features and that are still at work today. Through a video and online interactive, young geologists research, observe, and discuss evidence of weathering, erosion, deposition and more. The lesson fits as one part of a larger series from PBS on the Story of Earth.

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Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Extend the lesson by encouraging pupils to select an additional five sites to explore
  • Research local geological features and discuss how they might have changed throughout time
Classroom Considerations
  • Relies on prior knowledge of geological formations such as volcanoes, rivers, mountains, etc.
Pros
  • Designed to integrate seamlessly with Google Classroom
  • Easy to extend the lesson to sites outside the United States
Cons
  • None