Middle School Science / 6th Grade
Sinkholes
How can we keep sinkholes from swallowing us up?
In this unit, students are challenged to assess the local risk of sinkholes in order to answer the question, How can we keep sinkholes from swallowing us up? Students explore the soil and rocks in their region and compare them to areas where sinkholes are prevalent. As students learn how to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process, they update their initial models. Students also learn how human activities can cause or accelerate sinkhole formation. To conclude the unit, teams finalize and present mitigation plans that explain the likelihood of sinkholes and the most appropriate strategies for keeping residents safe.
Unit length: 4 weeks (20 hours)
”"This isn't the same old, same old history. I'm learning about things that matter to me."
Ruby, Student
