Creating models of landforms helps kids understand geography.
Creating a clay landform helps kids learn about the earth's landscapes in a hands-on way. This project allows them to learn geography visually in three-dimensional form and gain knowledge about the shapes and purposes of each landform that they may otherwise be unable to grasp from reading in a textbook. No artistic experience is needed to create this display that will help children learn about and appreciate the physical features of the earth.
Instructions
1. Provide each child with at least three colors of clay, a jelly roll tray with at least a 1-inch lip along each edge and a printed picture of the different types of landforms. Ask the children to soften the clay by working it with their hands to make it more pliable.
2. Ask each child to choose which three landforms they'd like to sculpt. Examples include mountains, volcanoes, plateaus and islands. A volcano can be created by the child pushing the clay upwards in the tray into the shape of a triangle and then using her finger to push down a hole in the middle. To make a mountain or plateau, have them press a long clay strip into the tray and then form peaks, pointy for mountains or flat on top for plateaus.
For an island, kids can press a small ball of clay to create an oblong shape.
3. Set aside each of the kid's landform projects overnight so the clay can harden. Then allow each child to use the soil, sand or grass he brought from home to decorate his landform using craft glue. Let the glue dry completely, then add water to the tray to create ponds or rivers.
Tags: each child, each landform, helps kids, learn about, with least
