Will a Mountain Last Forever?

This week in science we continued our geology unit about rocks.  Your child learned about weathering, the process when solid rocks break into smaller pieces.  This can happen when plant roots grow into cracks or when freezing water expands in small cracks, exerting tremendous force on the rock to break into pieces.  Students also investigated how tumbling rocks can wear down and break apart by shaking sugar cubes.  We solved the mystery, “Will a mountain last forever?”

You can support this week’s learning by taking a walk with your child around where you live.  Together you can point out and discuss examples of weathering like cracks in the sidewalk, potholes in the street or bricks that have started to chip away. 

Here’s another idea:  to demonstrate how frozen water expands (key to ice wedging), you could try filling a glass bottle or jar completely full of water, closing it really tight and putting it in the freezer overnight.  It’s likely that the glass will burst so use a glass container that you don’t care about and put it in a bag so the pieces don’t scatter.  Be safe!