What causes Earth’s surface to change?
This unit develops science ideas about processes that build up and wear down Earth’s surface. Therefore, we think about how the Earth changes over long periods of time. To start the unit, we examine a puzzling phenomenon about how Mt. Everest, and 5 other mountains, change in height!
The Mt. Everest unit starts with a shared experience: a headline stating that the Himalaya mountain has grown taller. Students are encouraged to wonder about how a mountain can grow. Reading an article, students find out Mt. Everest not only grows taller but also moves in another direction! This leads students to wonder if other mountains behave similarly. So, they are given 5 other mountain sites to compare where they notice interesting patterns. Finally, students start to ask questions about the puzzling phenomenon and brainstorm ideas for investigations.
The Mt. Everest unit is designed for students to pose and answer their own (and each others’) questions. To answer their questions, students draw models of how they think mountains change. Students improve and revise their models with computer simulations and hands-on investigations. Some of those simulations involve exploring large sets of data through multimedia websites. The models are then used to explain what causes Mt. Everest to grow and/or move. Then, students continue their investigations to model and explain the 5 other mountains they looked at earlier.