Looking for an engaging way to help your students understand weathering and erosion? This hands-on science activity dives into the differences between physical and chemical weathering through an exciting, interactive experiment—featuring candy or ice cubes as “rocks!”

Aligned to 4-ESS2-1 and NGSS 4-ESS1.C and 4-ESS2.A, this Explore station is part of the Weathering & Erosion Science Stations set. Students observe how natural processes like freezing, erosion, and chemical reactions break down rocks over time.

Skills Covered:

• Identifying and describing physical vs. chemical weathering
• Making real-world connections between weathering processes and landforms
• Observing, recording, and analyzing scientific changes
• Exploring cause-and-effect in Earth’s changing surface

Included in this resource:

• Teacher Notes (material list & notes)
• Student Text in two formats
• Student Instructions
• Activity Sheets to record observations
• Differentiated Questions (short answer, fill-in-the-blank with and without a word bank, task cards, multiple-choice questions)
• Answer Key
• Google Form™️ with Reading Text & Differentiated Questions
• Google Slides™️ with Activity Directions & Worksheets to record results

While we have included Google Slides, this is a hands-on activity.

DIFFERENTIATED SCIENCE COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Each station includes four different ways to respond to the experience at the station:

• short answer questions
• fill-in-the-blank questions with a word bank
• fill-in-the-blank questions without a word bank
• task cards with short answers
• task cards with multiple-choice

All the variations are similar. Choose the format that best fits your classroom and students. Students are encouraged to use their science journals, but worksheets are also included.

Perfect for:

• NGSS-aligned science lessons
• Science stations or centers
• Substitute plans
• Test prep review
• Interactive notebooks and science journals
  

Bring Earth science to life and get your students excited about how the world around them changes every day!

This EXPLORE station is also available in a larger bundle Erosion and Weathering of stations at a discount.

Weathering & Earth Materials & Systems, Biogeology Fourth Grade Next Generation Science Stations include 12 different science stations where students deepen their understanding of how the weathering and erosion change the Earth’s surface. The focus is on 4-ESS1.A and 4-ESS2.E. Concepts include weathering, erosion, how landforms are created, rock formations, river erosion and deposition, the effect of vegetation on soil erosion, glaciers, physical and chemical weathering, forces that cause changes on earth as well as animals and plants that weather the Earth.

TERMS OF USE

Copyright © What I Have Learned, Jessica Boschen

Permission to copy for single classroom or homeschool family use only.

This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view.

Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.