Mass wasting

Lesson Plan is located at the bottom

• Watch youtube video once then go through video again and check for understanding.

• Complete worksheet with a partner then we will go over it as a class.

• Go over questions and help students better understand mass wasting/landslides.

Worksheet/Answer Key:

1. What are 3 factors that contribute to mass wasting?

Answer: Gravity, increased water content, and seismic activity can disrupt the consolidated and unconsolidated earth material stability.

2. Do human activities cause landslides?

Answer: Yes, in some cases human activities can be a contributing factor in causing landslides. Many human-caused landslides can be avoided or mitigated. They are commonly a result of building roads and structures without adequate grading of slopes, of poorly planned alteration of drainage patterns, and of disturbing old landslides.

3. How soon does the danger of landslides end after the rain stops?

Answer: It’s not possible to exactly predict the number of days or weeks that landslides remain a danger after heavy rain. Residents near mountain slopes, canyons, and landslide prone areas should stay alert even after heavy rain subsides.

4. What was the biggest landslide in the world?

Answer: The world’s biggest historic landslide occurred during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range in the State of Washington, USA. The volume of material was 2.8 cubic kilometers (km).

5. Where do landslides occur?

Answer: Landslides in the United States occur in all 50 States. The primary regions of landslide occurrence and potential are the coastal and mountainous areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, the States comprising the intermountain west, and the mountainous and hilly regions of the Eastern United States. Alaska and Hawaii also experience all types of landslides.

Lesson Plan: