Mass movement
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand mass movement and know how gravity causes sediments to move downhill.
Key learning points
- Mass movement is the downhill movement of sediment under the influence of gravity.
- The main types of mass movement are rockfall, sliding, and slumping.
- Slumping is common on coastlines.
- Weathering and erosion lead to mass movement when combined with wet weather conditions.
Keywords
Mass movement - the downhill movement of material under the influence of gravity
Weathering - the process of being worn down due to long exposure to the atmosphere
Erosion - erosion is the process of Earth’s surface, e.g. rock or soil, being worn away and transported from its original site
Common misconception
Students may believe that mass movement only occurs in mountainous areas or during extreme weather events.
Mass movement can happen anywhere there are slopes, even in places with mild weather conditions. While extreme weather can trigger events, even light rainfall can cause mass movement if the slope is steep or the material is already weathered.
Teacher tip
Use real-life examples, such as famous coastal cliffs or landslide events, to make the topic more relatable. Show videos to highlight the dramatic effects of mass movement, and consider using physical demonstrations (e.g., using sand and water to simulate a mudflow) te exemplify.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these jobs would most likely need knowledge of geology?
Q2.Which of the following helps form new soil?
Q3.Which of these is an example of erosion?
Q4.Why is soil considered a carbon store?
Q5.What is the rock cycle?
Q6.What are the three main types of rock?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.What is mass movement?
Q2.Which of the following best describes weathering?
Q3.What is the difference between erosion and mass movement?
Q4.Which of the following could cause mass movement?
Q5.Where can mass movement occur?
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Mass movement, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Mass movement, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the Rocks, weathering and soil: Why is geology important? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.