All lessons › Shaping the land › Lesson 1
Australian primary science · Year 5 · Lesson 1 of 3
Rock stories
Inquiry question: How did weathering, erosion and deposition make Uluru and the Twelve Apostles?
Marked no materials needed
Research
What students learn
Weathering breaks rock down, erosion and transport carry the pieces away, and deposition drops them somewhere new. These processes can be very slow, like shaping Uluru, or fast, like a cliff collapsing.
Success criteria
- I can define weathering, erosion, transport and deposition.
- I can put the steps that formed a landform in order.
- I can classify a change as slow or fast.
Preparation and materials
Before this lesson: Students know rocks can break into smaller pieces, and that water and wind move sand and soil.
- iPads with Bottlebrush Education open (nothing else needed) — 13 (one per pair)
- Projector or big screen — 1
Teacher setup
- Open this lesson’s student view (the rock stories source) on your screen to demonstrate.
- Check the iPads are charged.
Safety and adaptations
Follow school science and equipment risk assessment procedures for the materials used.
Review your school policies and curriculum requirements before teaching.
How to investigate
The lesson sequence should leave pupils with evidence to interpret, not only an activity to finish.
- Pairs read the rock stories source.
- For each landform, record what did the weathering, what carried the pieces, and where they were deposited.
- Mark each change as slow, fast or both.
- Put the Uluru steps in order.
- Play Fast or slow? and Make a rock (the sandstone set).
Teacher modelling prompt
Read the Twelve Apostles paragraph. Think aloud: “Waves crash on the limestone cliff, wearing away weak spots. That’s weathering and erosion. The broken rock is carried away by the sea: transport. A cave becomes an arch, then a stack. This is slow, but the collapse in 2005 was fast.” Fill in the first row together.
Record and explain evidence
Recording question: How did weathering, erosion and deposition make Uluru and the Twelve Apostles?
| Landform | Weathering: what broke the rock? | Erosion and transport: what carried it? | Deposition: where was it dropped? | Slow, fast or both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Example recording headings; record actual observations, including inconclusive results.
Discussion prompt
Which claim fits the evidence in the source?
Check understanding
What should pupils know? What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
Explain with evidence: Explain how deposition helped make the rock of Uluru.
Apply the idea: A storm causes a cliff at your local beach to collapse. Is this slow or fast change? What will happen to the fallen rock over time?
Teacher answer guidance and saved classroom work are available through the main lesson experience where supported.