Our 4th graders visited the Foothills Learning Center this afternoon as a part of their unit of inquiry on landforms and how they change through natural events and disasters. The students rotated through 3 weathering and erosion stations under the guidance of two Foothills Learning Center instructors, Zac and Casey. Rebecca Piva, Carolina Brioso, and Jennifer Avery also lent a hand. (Thank you!)

At one station, the students studied how floods can alter different types of environments (erosion). They discussed how certain environments can be impacted more severely than others due to compaction and a lack of vegetation.

In another experiment, students shook jars containing different kinds of stones to observe how different kinds of rocks are changed by water friction (weathering). They also learned how different kinds of weathering can affect water quality and how not every kind of rock weathers at the same rate or in the same way.

The third station involved looking at different kinds of rocks to understand mechanical weathering (the kind of weathering that happens to rocks in Idaho rivers). Students observed how sharp-edged rocks can be rounded through the constant tumbling of rocks in rivers or lakes, as they tumble and bump against each other.

Several students spotted western fence lizards on our brisk walk into the foothills, but the real treat was seeing a coyote roam through the grounds (at a distance) which almost everyone involved was able to see. The information they gathered today will serve as background knowledge as they begin to explore how natural disasters can affect landscapes and communities around the world.  What fun!

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