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How could you survive a landslide?
The Birth of Rocks Unit | Lesson 5 of 5
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How could you survive a landslide?

The Birth of Rocks Unit | Lesson 5 of 5
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
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DISCUSS:

Why do you think all of the rocks come down at once?

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DISCUSS:

Imagine you were trying to decide when and where to go camping in a hilly area.

What would you look for to decide whether it's a safe place to camp?

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slide city image

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Slide City Design Show & Tell

After everyone finishes a design, your teacher will choose a few students to present their ideas. After each idea is presented, discuss:

1) What is one thing you really like about this idea?

2) Can you think of one thing that would improve this idea?

When you're done, check out the extensions for some real-world examples of how scientists stop landslides.

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Anchor Connection

DISCUSS:

Look at the "Wonder" column of your class See-Think-Wonder chart. Have any questions been answered by this lesson?

If you have any new questions after this lesson, add them to your class See-Think-Wonder chart.

In the next slides you will add to your "Ashfall Fossil Beds Evidence Chart."

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natural hazard


1 of 7

an event in nature (such as a landslide, earthquake, hurricane, or wildfire) that can be dangerous to living things
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erosion


2 of 7

when tiny bits of rock are moved from one location to another by water, wind, ice, or gravity
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landslide


3 of 7

when lots of rocks and soil roll down from a cliff or mountain
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slope


4 of 7

how much higher one side is than the other
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steep


5 of 7

something that is very high up on one end and very low at the other end
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engineer


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a person who uses science to come up with solutions to problems
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brainstorm


7 of 7

to come up with many new questions or ideas about something
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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Exploration
earthquake fissure by Gerry Thomasen , used under CC BY
flooding by U.S. Geological Survey
tornado by Justin Hobson , used under CC BY-SA
wildfire by John McColgan
falling rock by ArtBrom , used under CC BY-SA
LA skyline by Nserrano , used under CC BY-SA
lightning storm by Mary Qin , used under CC BY
thunder storm by Sarah Coyne , used under CC BY
Devore debris flow event by Mr. Davis (via USGS) , used under CC BY
landslide by Liz Roll
lightening storm by Dana Le
Taiwan boulder collapse by Lai Hong-wei (via Greg Draven) , used under CC BY
Hurricane Ridge by Ken Lund , used under CC BY-SA
rocky slope by LHOON , used under CC BY-SA
Bow Lake by Florian Fuchs , used under CC BY
Ofen Pass by mstefano80 , used under CC BY-SA
Landslide in Japan by Monty Mon , used under CC BY
landslide in Washington state by USGS
tent at High Shelf Camp by JJ Harrison , used under CC BY-SA
Activity
house by David Sawyer , used under CC BY-SA
landslide in Conchita by USGS
land management by Bureau of Land Management , used under CC BY
Post-it notes by Alan Stanton , used under CC BY-SA
note pad by Paul Williams , used under CC BY
Credits
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Grade 4

Earth's Features & Processes

Erosion, Natural Hazards, & Engineering

4-ESS3-2, 3-5-ETS1-2

17156 reviews

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students will learn about the types, causes, and dangers of landslides. In the activity, Slide City, students are faced with the engineering problems of protecting a house from a landslide and preventing a landslide from happening. They use a brainstorming technique to design creative solutions.
Preview activity
Number of students:

I have a Mystery Pack

Saving My Slide-City Home worksheet 30 copies
Post-Its (3")
300 post-its
Prep Instructions

You will need a large wall or board space where you can put up student Post-it notes.

Watch a 1-minute Video

To prepare for this brainstorming activity, we suggest teachers watch this short video demonstration of brainstorming.

Exploration

13 mins

Hands-On Activity

30 mins

Grade 4

Earth's Features & Processes

Erosion, Natural Hazards, & Engineering

4-ESS3-2, 3-5-ETS1-2

17156 reviews
Slow internet or video problems?
Credits