E A RT H S C I E N C E U N I T

EROSION AND DEPOSITION

ACTIVITY 24: WHERE SHALL WE BUILD?

Activity 24: Where shall we build?

Challenge . . . Where should Boomtown construct the new buildings?

Key Vocabulary . . . Landform Wetland Marsh Observation Inference

DEFINITIONS:

Landform: Physical shapes of the land.Examples: hillsides, cliffs, marshes, etc.

Wetland: Are areas characterized by a high proportion of water and watery land

Marsh: a wetland area dominated by grasses, while a swamp is designated by trees.

GLUE IN TRANSPARENCY 24.1

• Use this handout to complete the procedure on page C-5, using the pictures provided on page C-6.

WHAT WERE OBSERVATIONS AND WHAT WERE INFERENCES??

Example:

Observation Inference

Wetlands have been filled in and have less water

This has been bad for wildlife in the area

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS

1. Landform examples include:1. Valleys2. Canyons3. Plateaus4. Mountains5. Buttes6. Mesas7. Arches8. Etc.

2. A. Marsh:• No longer any water• Ground became solid• No more birds• Grasses and tree species replaced

B. Hillside:• Trees were replaced by roads and houses• Earth surface has fewer peaks and valleys

C. Cliff• House is built on top of cliff• Cliff seems to have crumpled near the house• Coastline seems to be less straight and barriers were added

4. A. Weather: amount of rainfall, because heavy rain could wash away the hills or the cliff and could flood the wetlands

B. Animals: animals could be endangered if construction destroys the habitat

C. Plants: plants could become scarce or endangered. Plants also prevent erosion by absorbing water and stabilizing earth with their roots

D. Housing Prices: Prices may go down if there is more housing available, or if the construction makes the area less attractive

E. Shape of the land: some landforms are not safe/difficult to build on