In Exploring Land and Water, the guiding phenomenon is to experience different landforms to gather evidence of how events change Earth’s surface. The unit builds on student understandings about changing environments and weather patterns from the Kindergarten Performance Expectation K-ESS2-2, in which students explore how plants and animals change the environment. The unit also develops new understanding of Performance Expectation K-PS3-1, in which they learn about weather patterns and the effects of wind and water on land.

Students explore and solve problems related to the factors that affect the surface of the land.  Students explore concepts that include the following:

• Hills, mountains, valleys, rock arches, plains, geysers, volcanoes, sand dunes, and beaches are types of landforms.
• Quick changes to landforms include rockslides, landslides, mudslides, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
• Wind and water can erode rock, sand dunes, and beaches.
• There are different solutions to prevent water from changing the shape of rock and to prevent sand erosion.
• Glaciers are frozen forms of water.
• Flowing water moves earth materials.
• Maps are used to help locate things in nature.

CKSci is informed by the NGSS, which encourages student learning through hands-on activities and collecting data. This activity-centered approach requires, at times, that schools collect or purchase materials and equipment that will be needed to complete activities.

Complete materials supply list for CKSci Unit 3: Exploring Land and Water