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Rivers, lakes, oceans, mountains, forests; we don’t always stop and think about all the amazing, natural resources we have on our planet. April is Earth’s month to shine because it’s literally called Earth Month. To understand why we should protect our planet, it’s important to understand the environment.
Third graders at Meredith-Dunn School learned about weathering and erosion in a recent Louisville Water lesson. It was sandwiched between the February flooding and a more in-depth lesson with their teacher.
Students first discussed our drinking water source: the Ohio River, and how Louisville Water treats it and tests it to provide safe, clean, and clear water out of the faucet. Next, they learned the difference between weathering, the process that breaks down rocks, and erosion which moves rocks and soil, and water’s role in both.
“Water is a force, and it moves things, not just the rocks; it can move other things too,” said Rhonda Dazley, a Louisville Water educator.
The kids were pretty sharp, quickly answering things they already knew about weathering and erosion, and how they’re different but can also be connected. A hands-on experiment involving peppermint candies, water, and force illustrated how various factors affect the results.
“I knew that the hard one would die (dissolve), but I didn’t know this one (softer) would,” Ben exclaimed, noting the different textures of the candies.
The class saw firsthand how the material of the ‘rock’ (peppermint in this case) and the amount of force used when shaking the jar full of water determined how the rock broke apart. For Dazley, who taught middle school science previously, it was fun to see the lightbulb moment for the kids.
“I love them seeing how none of the candies are the same. They’re eroding at different phases and weathering, and how it’s carrying the ‘rocks’, and there’s still going to be particles in there,” she shared.
Little did the class know that they gained an advantage.
“You guys are going to learn more about this in your next chapter, and now you already know something about it!” Dazley told them.
