Science · 7th Grade

Active learning ideas

Erosion and Deposition: Moving Earth Materials

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to visualize processes they cannot easily observe. Hands-on simulations and collaborative discussions help them connect abstract concepts like energy loss in deposition to concrete outcomes. These methods also address common misconceptions by exposing students to the full range of erosion agents beyond rivers and oceans.

• Common Core State Standards
• MS-ESS2-1
• MS-ESS2-2

• 25–55 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 55 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Stream Table Erosion and Deposition

Groups use sand trays with a slight slope and add water to simulate a stream. First, they observe erosion and deposition patterns on bare sand. Then they add moss, grass plugs, or sponge pieces as 'vegetation' for a second run. Students compare channel shape, amount of material removed, and deposition patterns between runs and connect their findings to the role of vegetation in preventing soil loss.

What role does vegetation play in preventing the loss of soil?

Facilitation Tip

During the Stream Table Erosion and Deposition activity, circulate with guiding questions to help students notice how slope and water volume change sediment transport.

What to look for

Provide students with images of different landforms (e.g., U-shaped valley, delta, sand dune, landslide scar). Ask them to identify the primary agent of erosion and deposition responsible for each landform and write a brief explanation.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Human Acceleration of Erosion

Show before-and-after satellite images of an area before and after deforestation or major construction. Students individually estimate the change in erosion rate and list the specific factors responsible, then share with a partner. The class discusses management practices (cover crops, silt fences, terracing, riparian buffers) that could reduce the erosion rate.

How do human activities accelerate the natural process of erosion?

Facilitation Tip

In the Human Acceleration of Erosion Think-Pair-Share, provide real-world photos of construction sites or farmland to anchor the discussion in observable evidence.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine a large forest is cleared for a new housing development. Describe at least two ways erosion will be accelerated and one method that could be used to mitigate this increased erosion.' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their ideas.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Erosional and Depositional Landforms

Post eight stations with photographs and brief descriptions of landforms created by different agents: a river delta, a glacial U-shaped valley, a desert sand dune, an alluvial fan, a sea stack, a loess deposit, a landslide scar, and an oxbow lake. Groups rotate and match each landform to its erosion agent, noting one observable feature that distinguishes it from a landform made by a different agent.

Compare and contrast the erosional and depositional features created by glaciers and rivers.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk of Erosional and Depositional Landforms, assign small groups to prepare a 60-second explanation of their landform’s formation process before rotating.

What to look for

Students receive a card with one of the key questions from the unit (e.g., 'How do human activities accelerate erosion?'). They must write a 2-3 sentence answer, citing at least one specific example discussed in class.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should avoid presenting erosion as a single process limited to water. Instead, frame it as a set of mechanisms that vary by environment and energy level. Research suggests students grasp these concepts better when they first explore one agent through simulation, then compare across agents. Emphasize the role of energy loss in deposition, as this concept unifies many examples.

Successful learning looks like students accurately explaining how different agents move and deposit sediment. They should connect process to landform, such as linking glaciers to U-shaped valleys or wind to sand dunes. Evidence of understanding includes correctly labeling landforms in a gallery walk and citing specific examples in discussions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Stream Table Erosion and Deposition activity, watch for students who assume all erosion happens in water. Redirect them by asking: 'Where else might sediment move if water isn’t present?'

  During the Think-Pair-Share on Human Acceleration of Erosion, have students analyze an image of a desert dust storm or a hillside landslide to recognize wind and gravity as major agents.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share
• Gallery Walk