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Lesson 2 of 6 · The Water Cycle

Experiment30 XP

How Sinkholes Form

🧪Lab Brief #2

The Water Cycle.

🎯 Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

⚡ The twist

Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.

🤯

Mind = Blown

🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.

🔮

Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.

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

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

  • rocks
  • water
  • plastic tray

Safety First

  • Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and keep the material away from your face.
  • Mop up spills straight away so nobody slips, and keep liquids away from sockets.

Steps

Step 1Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2Do

Model erosion: tilt a tray of soil and pour water from a cup at the top. Observe how channels form. Try adding plants or rocks to slow the erosion.

Step 3Observe

Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.

Step 4Record

Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What is an aquifer?

🌍

Where you see this in real life

This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.

🏆

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.

👨‍👩‍👧

For the dinner table

What's the most surprising thing you learned today?

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

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🧲Share card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

Ready?

How Sinkholes Form

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

Full screen — no distractions

🖨️

Checkout complete lesson on The Water Cycle for 5th Grade

Get the full The Water Cycle track as a printable PDF — all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

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How Sinkholes Form — The Water Cycle | 5th Grade Science | LittleActivity