Lesson 62 of 84 ยท Earth Systems
Experimentโญ 30 XP๐ Rock RealmCaves and Sinkholes (Part 2)
Earth Systems.
๐ฏ Your mission
Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.
โก The twist
The slowest changes are the biggest ones.
Mind = Blown
๐ชจ 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
Sinkholes form when underground limestone dissolves, leaving a cavity that collapses. They are common in areas with karst topography where water slowly dissolves the bedrock.
Key Words
- mineral
- climate
Materials Needed
- clay
- water
- plastic tray
- magnifying glass
- newspaper
- spray bottle
Safety First
- Keep small objects away from young children.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Test rock hardness using Mohs scale: try scratching rocks with your fingernail, a penny, and a nail. Rank them from softest to hardest.
Compare the before and after states.
Write your conclusion: did the results match your hypothesis? What would you change next time?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What causes ocean tides?
Where you see this in real life
Today's weather, tomorrow's beach, next century's coastline โ 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
โWhat's the slowest change you can think of?โ
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Checkout complete lesson on Earth Systems for 5th Grade
Get the full Earth Systems track as a printable PDF โ all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.
