A landform is any natural feature on Earth's surface — from mountains to tiny sandbars.

Landforms are built by forces inside the earth: magma churns beneath the surface, causing volcanoes to erupt and harden into new land. The earth's crust is broken into seven plates that float on this magma and collide to form mountains and hills.

In contrast, weathering and erosion work to break landforms down, carving out valleys and canyons. Building-up and tearing-down happen simultaneously, every day

Landforms differ by region because conditions differ — rain drives lots of weathering/erosion, but deserts get little rain and still form distinctive landforms without it.

The activity: students will build a salt-dough model of an ocean island with various landforms, then test how those landforms interact with simulated rainfall.

Please RSVP by contacting us so we can prepare your child’s materials. We also ask that you complete and sign the waiver before arriving for class.