Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Students investigate erosion, weathering, how this impacts the environment and how we can take action to reduce its impact.

Students will be able to:

• identify types of weathering caused by mechanical, chemical and biological means.
• explore what causes erosion and identify it in the natural environment.
• undertake scientific experiments to assess the health of the creek to see if it is impacted by erosion.
• take action to reduce the impact of erosion.

Overview of day

Students start the day by learning about what erosion and weathering is and their different types. Bunyaville teachers then lead the students through the forest to identify erosion/weathering in nature and explore it further. Throughout the Earthwalk, students undertake a variety of experiments to enhance their learning of erosion and weathering.

Students are shown the impact of erosion on an entire catchment and how erosion here has an impact down to the ocean. Understanding this, students undertake scientific investigations to assess the health of the creek. They test the abiotic (e.g. pH, turbidity) and biotic factors (macroinvertebrate types) of the creek. Is it healthy? Is erosion impacting it?

​The final activity allows students to consolidate their learning and take action to prevent erosion in the Bunyaville Conservation Park - they plant trees. ​