Mountains and Valleys Virtual Field Trip

Grades 4-6

Discover the stories in the stones around us! The Holyoke Range can tell us much about how the Earth’s crust is shaped. It is a geologically unique area, where we can find evidence of shifting tectonic plates, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciers, and erosion, all in one place!  In this virtual field trip, students will learn how the everyday landscape provides intriguing clues to the past. Together, we will explore local geology through video, hands on experimentation and an online meeting.

Field Trip Requirements

Prior to the live meeting, students should:

• Watch the pre-field trip video
• Watch the Erosion Lab video and try creating some of the land forms themselves at home. In this video, students observe someone exposing soil and sand to waves, wind, a stream and rain. We will discuss this video and student erosion experiments in our live meeting.
• Here is a list of materials students might use to create erosion at home:
  • A basin or deep baking pan
  • Spray bottle
  • Watering can
  • Straw
  • Soil
  • Sand
  • Water source – faucet
  • Cup
  • Small stones
  • Toothpicks

During the live meeting, we will:

• Discuss the virtual field trip video. Get feedback and questions from students
• Show photos of Skinner State Park rocks and elicit student knowledge about the rocks.
• Share the at-home erosion experiments students did.
• Take an Erosion Quiz!

Further resources:

• National Geographic video – Plate Tectonics 101
• PBS video Earthquakes: When Plates Collide
• Wandering stones of Death Valley explained
• Map of Skinner State Park with the areas in the virtual field trip highlighted.