Model Slow Changes to Earth Activities for 4th Grade Science

The Kesler Science Model Slow Changes to Earth unit for 4th grade focuses on modeling and describing slow changes to Earth's surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice. This fully editable, low-prep lesson includes presentations, worksheets, choice projects, and assessments designed for differentiated, student-led learning aligned with the 2021 TEKS 4.10B standard.

Following the 5E Model, the lesson begins with engaging objectives and vocabulary in English and Spanish, along with class discussions and activities. During exploration, a nine-station, student-led lab offers multimodal learning experiences through hands-on demos, readings, videos, and research tasks. Output stations allow students to demonstrate understanding through organizing, writing, drawing, and assessments. Bonus challenge stations offer enrichment opportunities.

The explanation phase features editable PowerPoints, interactive notebook templates, and note-taking guides. Students extend learning through creative choice projects and demonstrate mastery with STAAR 2.0-aligned assessments, review questions, and worksheets. The materials are flexible for both classroom and virtual environments.

Engage your 4th-grade students with this interactive, student-led station lab aligned with the 2021 TEKS 4.10B standard. Designed to explore Earth’s gradual processes—erosion, deposition, and weathering—this resource encourages students to take charge of their own learning through hands-on and inquiry-based activities. The lesson promotes critical thinking as students describe the forces that shape Earth’s surface and model these natural changes over time.

The station lab features nine differentiated activities that allow students to work independently or in small groups, either in person or virtually. Input stations help students encounter new concepts through a variety of methods: Explore It! offers hands-on learning, Watch It! engages students with a video and questions, Read It! provides reading passages with comprehension questions in both English and Spanish, and Research It! presents facts, images, and graphs for deeper exploration. These stations are designed to cater to various learning styles and ensure that every student can engage with the material effectively.

Students demonstrate their understanding through output stations, where they apply their knowledge using different methods. They organize information with manipulatives in Organize It!, draw visual representations of Earth’s processes in Illustrate It!, and respond to prompts in Write It! using complete sentences. The Assess It! station challenges students with questions and vocabulary exercises, while a bonus Challenge It! station offers extension activities such as crosswords, games, and mini projects for advanced learners. This flexible, low-prep resource supports active learning and can be adapted for both classroom and virtual environments.

The Modeling Slow Changes to Earth Student Choice Projects align with the 2021 TEKS Earth science standard 4.10B, offering 4th-grade students a range of project options to match their preferred output style. A project page outlines six student-led options and a “design your own” project, with an editable rubric for teacher, peer, or self-assessment. This resource is also part of the Model Slow Changes to Earth Complete Lesson for TEKS 4.10B.

These flexible, multimodal projects allow students to creatively demonstrate their understanding, with two versions of the project page supporting differentiation. Modified options assist students needing remediation, while advanced learners can take on additional challenges using the same rubric. 

The resource includes nine project choices, a “design your own” option, a teacher directions page, and editable rubric pages assessing vocabulary, concepts, presentation, clarity, and accuracy. Projects use standard classroom supplies like paper, markers, and scissors, and many options can be completed digitally.