Science · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Landslides and Mass Movement

Active learning turns abstract forces like gravity and friction into visible, hands-on evidence students can measure and discuss. Building models, reading real events, and designing solutions give Year 5 learners concrete ways to connect causes such as slope angle and rainfall to outcomes like buried homes and blocked roads.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S5U02

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Problem-Based Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Tray Model: Trigger Tests

Provide trays with layered sand, soil, and rocks on inclines. Students add water, shake for earthquakes, or remove 'vegetation' sticks, then observe and measure slide distance. Groups record variables and results on charts for class sharing.

Explain the factors that contribute to the occurrence of landslides.

Facilitation Tip

During Tray Model: Trigger Tests, circulate with a protractor to model how to measure slope angle and reinforce that 10 degrees can slide if soil is wet.

What to look for

Provide students with a scenario: 'A heavy rainstorm has just occurred in a hilly area where many trees were recently removed.' Ask them to write two sentences explaining why this situation might lead to a landslide and one type of mass movement that could occur.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Problem-Based Learning
• 35 min · Pairs

Case Study Pairs: Aussie Events

Pair students with images and articles on Thredbo 1998 or Queensland 2022 landslides. They list causes, effects, and human factors, then compare to mudslide vs rockfall triggers using Venn diagrams. Pairs present findings to the class.

Compare the triggers for a mudslide versus a rockfall.

Facilitation Tip

When running Case Study Pairs: Aussie Events, give each pair a single A4 sheet so they must agree on the most important factors and effects before presenting.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are advising a community living on a steep slope. What are two important factors you would tell them to watch out for that could signal an approaching landslide?' Facilitate a class discussion, guiding students to mention signs like cracks in the ground, leaning trees, or unusual sounds.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Problem-Based Learning
• 50 min · Small Groups

Design Challenge: Risk Fixes

In small groups, students sketch and build mitigation models for a sloped 'town' using cardboard, straws for drains, and fabric for netting. Test models with water sprays, evaluate effectiveness, and propose improvements.

Design strategies to mitigate the risk of landslides in vulnerable areas.

Facilitation Tip

In Design Challenge: Risk Fixes, limit materials to 10 craft sticks and 20 grams of clay so students focus on structural logic rather than decoration.

What to look for

Show students images of different types of mass movement (e.g., a slow creep, a fast rockfall, a muddy flow). Ask them to label each image with the correct term and briefly explain one key difference between two of the images.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Problem-Based Learning
• 30 min · Whole Class

Mapping Whole Class: Local Risks

Project local maps; class brainstorms slope, rain, and land-use risks. Students mark zones with sticky notes, discuss triggers, and vote on priority mitigations. Compile into a shared risk poster.

Explain the factors that contribute to the occurrence of landslides.

Facilitation Tip

For Mapping Whole Class: Local Risks, provide a single large map so every group’s pins become part of a shared visual reference for the whole class.

What to look for

Provide students with a scenario: 'A heavy rainstorm has just occurred in a hilly area where many trees were recently removed.' Ask them to write two sentences explaining why this situation might lead to a landslide and one type of mass movement that could occur.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers anchor this topic in the concrete by starting with hands-on modelling before abstract case analysis. Avoid overloading students with too many variables at once; instead, isolate one trigger per activity so patterns emerge clearly. Research shows that students grasp cause-and-effect faster when they physically manipulate variables and record results in real time.

Successful learning looks like students explaining how gentle slopes can still slide after rain, naming two Australian events with clear triggers, and proposing one stabilisation fix for a local risk map. They should use terms like saturation, debris flow, and retaining wall with confidence.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Tray Model: Trigger Tests, watch for students who assume landslides only occur on steep mountain slopes.

  Use the tray to model a gentle 15-degree coastal dune and a steep 45-degree hill; have students compare the effects of adding water to both, measuring travel distance and depth of debris.

• During Case Study Pairs: Aussie Events, watch for students who claim landslides are completely random and unpredictable.

  Provide the Lockyer Valley rainfall data and ask pairs to circle dates when warnings appeared; prompt them to list patterns such as heavy rain within 48 hours before slides.

• During Design Challenge: Risk Fixes, watch for students who overlook human actions like vegetation removal.

  Require students to include a labeled section on their poster showing how fire or farming destabilized the slope before they propose a fix like terracing or replanting.

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Methods used in this brief

• Problem-Based Learning