Landforms

Landforms

Grade 5

FOSS Overview

FOSS Web

Narrative Summary:

GOALS

The Landforms Module consists of five investigations that introduce students to these fundamental concepts in earth science: change takes place when things interact; all things change over time; patterns of interaction and change are useful in explaining landforms. Students also learn about some of the tools and techniques used by cartographers and use them to depict landforms.

FOSS EXPECTS STUDENTS TO

  • Gain experience with models and maps.
  • Gain experience with the concepts of erosion and deposition.
  • Observe the effect of water on surface features of the land, using stream tables.
  • Plan and conduct stream-table investigations.
  • Relate processes that they observe in the stream-table models to processes that created famous landforms.
  • Become familiar with topographic maps and some of the techniques used to create them.
  • Gain experience with the concepts of contour and elevation.
  • Use measurement in the context of scientific investigations.
  • Apply mathematics in the context of science.
  • Acquire vocabulary associated with landforms and the processes that create landforms.
  • Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, and relating.

Check out the 2006 "Unit Designs" -
a correlation to RI GSE's using the Understanding by Design format

Unit Design