Unit 4 — The Earth's Land and Water
Description
Students identify where water is found on Earth in liquid and solid forms by gathering information from texts, maps, and digital resources. They observe patterns in landforms and bodies of water, noting differences between mountains and hills, and understanding that streams flow to larger bodies of water. Students develop models representing shapes and kinds of land and water in an area, such as maps showing local landforms and water features. They use text features and other media to communicate understanding of Earth's water and land distribution.
Essential Questions
- Where is water found on Earth?
- What shapes and kinds of land and water exist in different areas?
- How can we represent land and water features in models and maps?
Learning Objectives
- Obtain information to identify where water is found and that it can be solid or liquid
- Develop models representing shapes and kinds of land and water in an area
- Observe patterns in landforms and bodies of water
- Use maps, texts, and other media to locate and describe land and water features
Supplemental Resources
- Chart paper for creating maps and models of land and water
- Markers and colored pencils for drawing and labeling features
- Paper for sketching landforms and water bodies
- Sticky notes for labeling maps and diagrams
- Graphic organizers for recording information about Earth's water and land
Earth and Space Sciences
Students participate in shared research and writing projects using trade books and digital resources to support science learning across all units. They ask and answer questions about key details in informational texts, describe connections between scientific ideas and concepts, recall and gather information from provided sources to answer questions, write opinion pieces with evidence to support claims, create audio recordings and add visual displays to clarify ideas, and recount key ideas from texts read aloud or presented through media. These literacy practices are explicitly referenced in connection with standards 2-PS1-1 through 2-PS1-4, 2-LS2-1, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1, 2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-1, 2-ESS2-2, 2-ESS2-3, K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, and K-2-ETS1-3.
Students apply mathematical practices and content standards throughout the science units. They reason abstractly and quantitatively, model with mathematics, and use appropriate tools strategically when collecting and analyzing data from investigations. Students draw picture graphs and bar graphs with single-unit scale to represent data sets with up to four categories, read and write numbers to 1000 using base-ten numerals and expanded form, and use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve word problems involving lengths. These mathematical connections are explicitly referenced in relation to standards 2-PS1-1, 2-PS1-2, 2-LS2-1, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1, 2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-1, 2-ESS2-2, K-2-ETS1-1, and K-2-ETS1-3.
Formative Assessments
- Information gathered from texts identifying where water exists on Earth
- Observations of landforms and water bodies noting patterns and characteristics
- Sketches and drawings of local land and water features
- Maps developed showing shapes and locations of landforms and water bodies
Summative Assessment
Students determine what slow and fast changes to landscapes are caused by mudslides and develop a prevention plan.
Benchmark Assessment
— not configured —
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through sorting pictures of water and land features, matching landforms to verbal descriptions, or creating a simple model using manipulatives with teacher guidance instead of a written or drawn map. Sentence frames, word banks, and visual reference cards may be provided to support communication of observations.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students with IEPs may benefit from visual supports such as labeled diagrams of landforms and bodies of water to anchor new vocabulary and concepts throughout this unit. When gathering information from texts and maps, provide simplified or highlighted versions and allow students to demonstrate understanding through oral explanation, pointing, or drawing rather than written responses. For model-building and map-making tasks, offer graphic organizers or partially completed templates so students can focus cognitive effort on the science concepts rather than the organizational demands of the task. Extended time and frequent check-ins during multi-step activities, such as developing models or interpreting maps, will support sustained engagement and accuracy.
Section 504
Students with 504 plans should have access to a distraction-reduced workspace when engaging in close observation of maps or informational texts about land and water features. Extended time should be provided for any drawing or mapping tasks, and printed copies of any projected maps or visual resources should be made available so students can reference them independently at their own pace.
ELL / MLL
Multilingual learners benefit from a visual word bank of key geographic terms — such as mountain, hill, river, ocean, lake, and glacier — paired with illustrations and, where possible, translations in students' home languages. Teachers should use physical gestures, realia, and image-rich maps to introduce landform and water concepts before asking students to read or write about them. Directions for observation tasks and model-building should be given in short, clear steps, and students should be encouraged to discuss their observations with a partner who shares their home language when available.
At Risk (RTI)
Students who need additional support should begin with familiar, local examples of land and water features before expanding to broader or less familiar geographic concepts. Providing a partially labeled map or a simple sorting activity connecting landform names to pictures can serve as a low-barrier entry point into the unit's content. Teachers should build on prior knowledge by connecting Earth's water features to students' everyday experiences — such as rain, puddles, or a nearby stream or pond — to make abstract concepts more concrete and accessible.
Gifted & Talented
Students who are ready for greater depth can investigate how the distribution of land and water on Earth influences climate patterns or the movement of people and animals, connecting geography to broader ecological and human systems. They may explore how maps have changed over time as explorers and scientists gathered new information, reflecting on maps as models with limitations rather than perfect representations. Encouraging students to research real-world examples of landscape change — such as how rivers shift course or how glaciers recede — and present their findings in a self-chosen format will foster independent inquiry and higher-order thinking beyond the core unit content.