Weathering is not necessarily a result of the weather. Scholars conduct an experiment to explore the effect of surface area and volume on the weathering process. They create their own sugar cube rocks using the same number of cubes—but different shapes—and simulate weathering by shaking them in a bag of gravel to analyze the results.

Concepts

weathering, physical weathering, erosion

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Use as a math and science interdisciplinary lesson
• For older age groups, have pupils quantify the surface areas and volume before and after shaking by taking measurements

Classroom Considerations

• Caution learners to shake the sample the same each time for accurate results

Pros

• Gives clear directions and uses photos for clarity
• Includes an extension to the activity

Cons

• None