Earth Science

Second Grade

Ariel Kaiserman

Landforms

MountainsPlainsPlateausValleysHills

Mountains

Tall, rough, pointyRocky mountains and

Appalachian mountainsAnimals: vultures, llamas,

mountain goats

Plains

Plains: vast, flat, no great changes

Uses: growing crops, raising animals

Animals: buffalo, prairie dogs, coyotes

PlateausElevated level land

surrounded by steep slopesAbout 45% of Earth’s

surfaceLow: farming, high:

livestock grazing

Valleys

Surface depressions bounded by mountains or hills

Naturally slopes downward to lakes, streams, ocean

V-shaped: river erosion

U-shaped: Ice berg

HillsRounded slopes, “baby

mountains”Spread out in all other

landformsCaused by surface movement,

deep erosion

Slow Surface Changes

Natural, slowly and gradually (over time)

ErosionSurface materials changed

by Wind/Water/AnimalsNo large difference in

appearance

Rapid Surface Changes

All at once, not gradualLandslides, Volcanic

Eruptions, and EarthquakesMajor difference in

appearanceForms new land, mountains,

valleys

Landslides

Mountains / HillsStarts at top and growsSoil moisture, angle of

slope, constructionLandslide Example

Volcanic EruptionsMany kinds of volcanoes

(composite, shield, caldera)Opening in Earth’s crust,

magma comes through“Paint drawing”Hawaiian IslandsVolcanic Eruption in Hawaii

Earthquakes

Caused by sudden movement of Earth’s crust

Measured with a Seismometer (3-small, 7-serious damage)

Earthquake description

Water Sources: Wells

Structure drilled/dug under ground

Comes from an aquifer (layer of water)

SpringsGroundwater

flows out of cracks in Earth’s surface

Amount: size of area and human interaction

Usually clear, sometimes colored by iron deposits

LakesFreshwater

surrounded by land

Deeper than a pond, not part of the Ocean

Great Lakes of Michigan

RiversNarrow, freshwater, always

flowingFlows toward lakes,

oceans, or seasLongest river: The Nile

(4,135 Mi)

OceansAll salt water70% of Earth’s surfaceFour main: Pacific, Atlantic,

Indian, Arctic

Credits

Woodley Wonderworks, “Blue Marble (Planet Earth)” Taken on January 26, 2008 Via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution

Daveynin, “Prairie dog eating grass” Taken on June 22, 2010 Via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution

Lee Coursey, “Mountain Goat on the Highline Trail” Taken on August 23, 2009 Via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution

Kiwins, “Humboldt Mountains, South Island, New Zealand” Taken on March 10, 2007 Via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution

Rob Young, “Rape Seed Growing on Salisbury Plain” Taken on April 28, 2008 Via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution

Andrew Crump, “Narrowneck Plateau” Taken on January 29, 2008 Via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution

Wolfgang Staudt, “BIG RED” Taken on July 20, 2006 Via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution Alex Polezhaev, “Ak-Tru” Taken on May 10, 2009 Via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution Kota Kinabalu, “The “Back” of Kokol Hill, Sabah” Taken on June 1, 2010 Via Flickr, Creative

Commons Attribution Kashif Mardani, “Marvi Well” Taken on March 8, 2009 Via Flickr, Creative Commons

Attribution Zecharia Judy, “Warm River Spring in Targhee Feathered” Taken on June 4, 2009 Via Flickr,

Creative Commons Attribution NASA, “Great Lakes, No Clouds” Taken on August 28, 2010 Via Flickr, Creative Commons

Attribution Nicholas, “River View” Taken on June 15, 2008 Via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution Hamed Saber, “Welcoming Persian Gulf” Taken on November 7, 2007 Via Flickr, Creative

Commons Attribution