Module Description & Pacing Guide

Students engage with the anchor phenomenon of earth materials that cover the planet’s surface. They observe the properties of rocks of various sizes and study the components of soil, study the results of weathering and erosion, locate natural sources of water, and determine how to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water on Earth. The driving questions are what are the properties of earth materials? and how do they interact and change?

Students use simple tools to observe, describe, analyze, and sort solid earth materials and learn how the properties of the materials are suited to different purposes. The investigations compliment the students’ experiences in the Solids and Liquids Module with a focus on earth materials and the influence of engineering and science on society and the natural world. Students explore how wind and water change the shape of the land and compare ways to slow the process of erosion. Students learn about the important role that earth materials have as natural resources.

Throughout the Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Module, students engage in science and engineering practices to collect and interpret data to answer science questions, develop models to communicate interactions and processes, and define problems in order to compare solutions. Students gain experiences that will contribute to understanding of crosscutting concepts of patterns; cause and effect; scale, proportion, and quantity; energy and matter; and stability and change.