Erosion and Deposition Reading and Worksheet

Use this erosion and deposition reading (set of two!) to teach students how erosion and deposition contribute to Earth’s changing surface.

Includes TWO readings, TWO worksheets, and a graphic organizer that summarizes both!

Article #1 – EROSION: Read about how Earth’s surface is shaped by wind, water, ice, and gravity erosion and learn how these processes helped to shape Earth in rapid and slow ways. Includes a corresponding worksheet.

Article #2 – DEPOSITION: Read about the process of deposition and different landforms that are created by deposition. Includes a corresponding worksheet.

In this activity, students will:

• READ an article (two included).
• ANSWER text-dependent questions on a worksheet (two included). No prior knowledge is necessary! All the information needed to answer the questions is in the texts.
• Complete a GRAPHIC ORGANIZER to summarize what they’ve learned about landforms created by erosion and deposition.

Topics include:

• What is erosion?
• What is deposition?
• How can wind cause erosion and deposition?
• What landforms are created by wind erosion and deposition? (sand dunes, loess deposits, etc.)
• How can water cause erosion? (including coastal erosion)
• What landforms are created water erosion and deposition? (canyons, meanders, etc.)
• Examples of ice erosion (movement of glaciers)
• What landforms are created by ice erosion? (glacial valleys, moraines)
• How can gravity cause erosion? (mass wasting)

Teacher Notes:

• GO PAPERLESS! Includes a digital Google Slides option to assign. A link to make a digital copy is included in the downloadable PDF.
• Includes an answer key.
• Please note that this erosion and deposition reading is not editable.
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Related Standards:

• NGSS MS-ESS2-1: Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
• NGSS MS-ESS2-2: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales.

You’ll find lots of related resources in the Earth’s Changing Surface Section of Our Store!