Second Grade · Science · week 31

Erosion tray experiment

Run a real erosion test by pouring water over mounded soil, and describe how moving water picks up and carries soil, changing the land's shape.

Erosion is when wind or water picks up bits of soil, sand, or rock and carries them somewhere else, slowly changing the shape of the land. You already know erosion happens slowly in nature, but today you can watch a speeded-up version of it happen in minutes, right in a tray.

When you pour water onto a mound of soil, watch closely: the water does not just sit there, it picks up loose soil and carries it downhill, cutting a path called a channel as it goes.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Set up a real erosion tray outside using a baking tray or plastic bin, soil or sand, and a cup of water.
  • Let your child pour the water themselves and watch closely as it happens.
  • Repeat with a different amount or speed of water to compare results.
  • Connect the small tray directly to a real hillside or riverbank after a rainstorm.
Talk about it:
  • Where did the soil end up after the water moved it?
  • Did more water move more soil, less soil, or about the same amount?
  • How is this tray similar to a real hillside after a rainstorm?

Mastery looks like: They run and describe a real erosion test, explaining that moving water picks up and carries soil, changing the shape of the land.

Common stumbles: Pouring the water too fast to observe carefully what is happening; not connecting the small-scale tray result to real hillsides and riverbanks at a bigger scale.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Science for this learner.
← Back to todayAll coursesYear planner