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Science at key stage 3    (Year 9)

Unit 9G: Environmental chemistry
Section 2: What happens to rocks and building materials over time?

QCA

Objectives
Children should learn:
  • that rocks and building materials change over time
  • about factors that affect the way in which materials change

Activities

Outcomes
Children:
  • As a quick introductory activity, remind pupils of earlier work on local rocks and building materials and ask them to describe changes and compile a list of possible causes. Reinforce by showing video clips and/or photographs of a wide range of non-local weathered buildings and/or rocks and ask pupils to suggest a range of factors affecting weathering, eg nature of rock, climate, local conditions of air, water, soil, position, vegetation cover.
  • Ask pupils to identify factors that lead to extensive chemical weathering.
  • describe how the appearance of landforms and/or buildings may change over time
  • identify factors, eg low pH of air and rain together with high rainfall, that favour chemical weathering

Points to note
  • Pupils could be shown photographs of Cleopatra's Needle in London and a corresponding obelisk in Egypt to compare the two.
  • The effect of vegetation could be illustrated by showing a photograph of a boulder of granite that has not weathered above the surface but beneath the soil and vegetation has been eaten away.

Sections in this unit

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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
1. How are soils different from each other?
2. What happens to rocks and building materials over time?
3. What causes acid rain?
4. a. What are the effects of acid rain and how can they be reduced?
5. b. What are the effects of acid rain and how can they be reduced?
6. a. Is pollution worse now?
7. b. Is pollution worse now?
8. Is global warming happening?
9. Reviewing work