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Rain Protection for Mountain Trail Steps

Use rain-test data to judge designs that protect mountain trail steps from washed-out soil without leaving puddles.

Grade 3ScienceInteractive · Printable

Aligned to3-ESS3-1

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What’s included

Single worksheet
Auto-graded online
1 NGSS standard
Printable answer key
14 questions
Classroom-ready

Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 3
Subject: Science
Question types: Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students compare rain-test evidence to judge designs that reduce soil loss beside mountain trail steps.
Students evaluate protective designs using soil-loss and puddle limits.
Students support a design recommendation with data and identify needed follow-up tests.

How to use

Read the model investigation together and review the graph's scale. Have students use both test records to judge the designs, then discuss how to improve and retest a cover.

Curriculum

NGSS standard covered

3-ESS3-1

Judge a design that reduces the damage from a weather hazard such as floods, strong winds or lightning.

Preview

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Name Date

Rain Protection for Mountain Trail Steps

Compare model designs that protect the soil beside stone steps.

Investigate Rain Damage

Read about the model test. Use the graph to compare how much soil washed away.

A Stone Stairway on the Mountain

A mountain trail has stone steps set into soil. During heavy rain, flowing water can wash soil from beside the steps. A step could become loose if it loses support. Trail workers want to protect the soil. They also want to avoid puddles on the steps, where hikers could slip.

A class compares four designs using small indoor models. The bare design leaves the soil uncovered. A fiber mat covers the soil beside the step. A pebble band surrounds the soil with small stones. A flat cover places a waterproof sheet over the soil, with its low edge facing the step.

Students build each model in a shallow tray. Each starts with 24 level spoonfuls of clean soil and one matching block that stands for a stone step. The soil slope, block position, and tray size stay the same. The protective design is what changes.

An adult pours 500 milliliters of room-temperature water through a watering head over each model for one minute. The pouring height stays the same. Students collect soil washed out of each model in a strainer. They let it drain for five minutes, then measure it with the same spoon. They also check whether a puddle remains on the step after one minute. The graph shows the soil lost in Test 1.