INTERMEDIATE LEVEL SCIENCE: SHAPING THE EARTH’S SURFACE
| Core Concepts | Suggested Activity |
| 2.1g. The dynamic processes that wear away Earth’s surface include weathering and erosion. | Examine images of weathering, erosion, and other surface processes. |
| 2.1h. The process of weathering breaks down rocks to form sediment. Soil consists of sediment, organic material, water, air, and living organisms. | Examine soil under a stereomicroscope. |
| 3.2a. During a physical change, a substance keeps its chemical composition and properties. Examples of physical changes include freezing, melting, tearing, and crushing. | Study the effects of shaking pieces of various rocks, with and without water. |
| 4.2d. Most substances expand when heated and contract when cooled. Water is an exception, expanding when changing to ice. | Freeze water in a tightly-closed container (with suitable protection.) |
| 3.2c. During a chemical change, substances react in characteristic ways to form new substances with different physical and chemical properties. | Study examples of chemical changes, such as the rusting of steel wool. |
| 4.2e. Temperature affects the solubility of some substances in water. | Study reaction rates when an effervescent tablet is dropped into waters of different temperatures and acidity. |
| 2.1i. Erosion is the transport of sediment. Gravity is the driving force behind erosion. Gravity can act directly or through agents such as moving water, wind, and glaciers. |