Topic: What is mass movement (slope movement)?

Addressee

A student of class I of the secondary school (extended scope), a student of class II of the upper secondary school (extended scope)

Core curriculum

A student of class I of the secondary school

General requirements

II. Skills and application of knowledge in practice.

2 . Analyzing and explaining phenomena and geographic processes as well as diversifying the natural, socio‑economic and cultural world.

Specific requirements

V. Dynamics of geological and geomorphological processes: the most important events in the history of the Earth, minerals, the genesis and use of rocks, sculptural processes and their effects (weathering, erosion, transport, accumulation, mass movements), geological outcrop.

Student:

6 ) shows the influence of natural factors and human activity on gravitational mass movements and gives ways to prevent them and minimize their consequences.

A student of class II of the upper secondary school

General requirements

I. Recognition of regularities regarding the natural environment, life and human economy as well as interrelations and dependencies in the human‑nature‑economy system.

Specific requirements

5 . Spheres of the Earth – a lithosphere.

Student:

8 ) shows the influence of the features of geological structure and human activity on gravitational mass movements (tearing, performing, landslides).

General aim of education

You will learn what surface mass movements are.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• explain the concept of „surface mass movements”;

• give and discuss examples of surface mass movements;

• demonstrate the influence of natural factors and human activity on gravitational mass movements and give ways to prevent them and minimize their consequences;

• give examples of threats related to the occurrence of surface mass movements.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Introduction

• The teacher explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

• The teacher initiates a conversation introducing the topic.

  • What do you know about ...?

  • Have you ever met ...?

Realization

• The first stage of the lesson is the independent work of students with an e‑textbook. Students will learn the lesson „What are surface mass movements?” and note in the notebook definitions of the following concepts: mass movements; falling off and peeling; downhill creep; mud rush; landslide.

• The teacher launches a film presenting simple experiments simulating the emergence of mass movements due to natural factors.

• The teacher initiates a discussion about the negative effects of mass movements and dangers associated with finding himself in an area where mass movements occur (eg landslides in the mountains, places where rock fragments are torn apart, places where mud raids occurred).

• Work of the whole class team. Students stand in a circle. The teacher encourages them to play: throws a ball or mascot to one of the students, saying the English word or notion learned in the lesson. The student gives the Polish equivalent, mentions another word in English and throws a ball or mascot to a friend or colleague.

Summary

• The final stage of the lesson is its summary, which serves, among others, to clarify students' doubts and complete the notes..

• The teacher asks: If there was going to be a test on the material we have covered today, what questions do you think would you have to answer? If the students do not manage to name all the most important questions, the teacher may complement their suggestions.

• The teacher asks the students questions:

  • What did you find important and interesting in class?

  • What was easy and what was difficult?

  • How can you use the knowledge and skills you have gained today?

  Willing/selected students summarize the lesson.

Homework

• The teacher also asks pupils interested in voluntary homework, which consists in conducting independent experiments presented in the lesson.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

What is mass movement (slope movement)?

Mass movement (mass wasting, slope movement) may occur in any place with inclined land which means majority of land. Loose rocks and products of weathering may move down the slope, influenced by gravitational force. For the movement to occur, there need to be some factors disturbing balance, hitherto maintained along the slope. These may include natural causes, such as seismic shocks, rain, snow, weathering or river wearing away base of the slope.

Some movement may be caused by human activity: overloading slopes with any buildings or cutting through inclined landforms by building roads, railways etc.
In steep mountains or at some shores, rocks move down suddenly, sometimes even losing contact with the ground below (topple, rockfall). On slopes with lesser inclination, superficial layer of weathered rocks may slip down very slowly (soil creeping) or abruptly if strong liquid precipitation occurs mud flow. There is also a frequent mass movement called landslide. It may occur when a large amount of eluvium or rocks suddenly slides down the skid surface. A sliding layer may have depth reaching a few metres, significant area and weight up to a few millions of tonnes.

Geological structure of Carpathians particularly favours emergence of mass movement. Civil engineering structures, transport routes, destruction of vegetation and operation of stone quarries – all these factors weaken integrity of mountain slopes. In such terrain, any abundant liquid precipitation and thus saturation of thick layers of soil cause sudden rise of mud flows (mud avalanches) and other slope processes, therefore posing a serious threat for human life and activity. A distinctive majority of landslides in Poland, namely 95%, occurs in the Carpathian Mountains, however, such movement is also present in other places such as steep slopes in the valleys of Vistula, Bug or Narew, spanning a few tens of metres in length.

• Gravitation, land inclination, natural phenomena and human activity may cause mass movement.