Access Prior Knowledge Lesson 3: What is weathering?

1. Access Prior Knowledge Lesson 3: What is weathering? Opening Activity Open Science textbook to page 272. Open Science workbook to page 89A to review home learning. Open Science folder to review vocabulary words and outline for the chapter. Open Science journal and answer the following questions: 1. What evidence do we see on the Earth's surface that plates are 
moving? Review Content Cards and Q-Cards in bin, sharing with partners quizzing each other 
quietly. Log in to clickers using student ID number. Be ready to review home learning when timer goes off. Don't forget to write your 
home learning in your 
agenda page 90A.

2. Do you agree with the statement? 1 Weathering is an explosive force that blows rocks apart. Yes No

3. Do you agree with the statement? 2 Gravity and ice can cause mechanical weathering. Yes No

4. Do you agree with the statement? 3 Chemical weathering occurs faster in deserts than in rainforests. Yes No

5. Do you agree with the statement? 4 Weathering helps to make the mixture of sediments that make up soil. Yes No

6. Mechanical Weathering When rocks break into smaller pieces (sediments) by forces due to 
gravity, ice, plant roots or other forces is mechanical weathering. Water can get into cracks of rocks and when it freezes it expands 
splitting the rock (ice wedging). Plant roots can grow into cracks of rocks and after time can break the 
rock into sediments. The rate of mechanical weathering depends on the materials in a rock 
and the conditions around it. First paragraph pg. 272 Second paragraph pg. 272

7. Chemical Weathering When there is changing of materials in a rock by 
chemical process is chemical weathering. Rain can cause chemical weathering because it can be 
made of carbonic acid dissolving parts of the rock 
forming caves where stalactites form because of dripping 
water. Areas with a lot of rain will have a lot of chemical 
weathering. Fungi and other organisms can also give off chemicals 
that can change rocks. Some rocks are affected by chemical weathering faster 
than others, for example soft limestone weathers more 
quickly than hard granite. First paragraph pg. 274 Weathering

8. Soil There are three types of soil that are made up of a mixture of sediment, decayed 
material, gases from air and water. Topsoil- has a large amount of decayed material from plants, animals, bacteria and 
other organisms. Subsoil- contains many minerals but only a little bit of decayed materials. Bedrock- nearly solid rock that lies underneath the surface that will eventually become 
soil sediment. Third paragraph pg. 274 Soil

9. MatchQuest Mechanical Weathering Chemical Weathering Plant roots Forces Gravity Chemicals Ice wedging

10. TextQuest 1. Do hard or soft stones show the most weathering? 2. In which soil layer are the most decayed materials found? 3. Describe how soil is made. 4. Compare and contrast mechanical and chemical 
weathering? 5. What are two ways mechanical weathering changes 
rocks? Don't forget to write your 
home learning in your 
agenda page 90A.