Lesson 10 of 11 · Earth Systems
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🌋 Rock RealmRivers Carry More Than Water
Earth Systems.
🎯 Your mission
Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.
⚡ The twist
The slowest changes are the biggest ones.
Mind = Blown
🪨 Every grain of sand on every beach used to be a mountain.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: which will erode faster?
What You'll Learn
A fast river picks up and carries sand, silt and even boulders. When it slows at a bend or a river mouth it drops the heaviest load first, which is how sandbanks, beaches and deltas are built.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- tray
- sand
- jug
- water
- camera
Safety First
- Mop spills at once — wet floors are a slip hazard.
- Wash hands after handling sand.
Steps
Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.
Tilt a tray of sand and pour water from a jug at the top, first slowly and then fast. Photograph the channel each time and mark where material was picked up and where it was dropped.
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2A river drops its heaviest load when it:
Where you see this in real life
Today's weather, tomorrow's beach, next century's coastline — all this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Look at the sky for 5 minutes and try to predict tomorrow's weather.
For the dinner table
“What's the slowest change you can think of?”
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Rivers Carry More Than Water
Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.
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