Building and Recycling Mountains
Recycling through geologic time
What forces build mountains up and take them down as the Earth recycles them? Join us as we travel back in geologic time starting as long ago as 80 million years to uncover the answer. During this 30-45 minute virtual field trip, students 4th grade and up will join an educator on a journey revealing how the landscape of the Rocky Mountains has changed over time. Then, students will zoom into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, where forces such as volcanos, glaciers, and rivers have shaped what we see today.
Have all these forces changed the landscape? Students will start to learn about reading the landscape looking for geological evidence that such forces did and do exist. Volcanic lava flow, U and V shaped valleys, and erosion are all visible in the Rocky Mountains. Don’t miss this geologic adventure that meets standards in Earth Science for 4th grade and above.
Additional resources
YouTube videos
Building and Recycling Mountains
Grade Level: 4–12
Length: 45 minutes (35 of instruction & 5–10 for questions)
Learning Objectives:
- Introduce the processes that change a landscape over time
- Identify evidence in rock formations and rock layers of geologic changes in the landscape
- Analyze how forces such as volcanos, glaciers, and rivers change a mountain landscape
