Lesson 4 of 6 · The Water Cycle
Experiment⭐ 30 XPHow Caves Form
The Water Cycle.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ 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
Caves form when slightly acidic water dissolves limestone over thousands of years. Stalactites hang from the ceiling and stalagmites grow from the floor as minerals are deposited.
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
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
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.
Draw a detailed diagram of what you observe.
Write a conclusion: what did your results show? Did they match your prediction?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is erosion?
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?”
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How Caves Form
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
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Checkout complete lesson on The Water Cycle for 5th Grade
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