WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Science 5, Quarter 4, Week 2

The Extent of Soil Erosion in the Community and Its Effects on Living
Things and Environment

Name: ___________________________________________ Section: ______________

Most Essential Learning Competency

• Investigate extent of soil erosion in the community and its effects on

living things and the environment (S5FEIVb-2)

Learning Objectives:

1. Cite the effects of soil erosion on landforms and living things

2. Investigate / observe in the locality the effects of soil erosion
3. Identify the ways on how to reduce the harmful effects of soil erosion
on living things and environment.

Time Allotment: 2 Weeks

Key Concepts:
(Science 5 LM pp. 158-173)

Soil Erosion

When rocks are broken down into

different pieces, it does not stay in one place.
Some rock fragments become part of the soil.
Others are transferred from one place to
another. The movement of rock fragments and
soil from one place to another is called
erosion. Materials that are transported due to
erosion are called sediments.
Figure 1: Soil Erosion
Erosion of rock fragments greatly https://blogs.egu.eu/geolog/2018/0
contributes to the soil formation as well as 7/20/geotalk-severe-soil-erosion-
events-and-how-to-predict-them/
formation of landforms.

Author: Floribel C. Escoton

School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Division: Tandag City
email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph
Agents of Soil Erosion

Water

As water flows, it transports rock and soil particles from one place to
another. The speed of flowing water affects the rate of erosion. The faster the
water flows, the faster and farther the erosion would be. Faster movement of
water can cause many sediments to be carried away by the water.

Wind

As the wind blows, it carries light particles of rocks and soil,

transporting and depositing them in another place. Strong wind carries the
particles of soil in a distant place.

Wind erosion can take place in any area where the soil is not dense.
When the wind blows, the particles of sand move along with it. Erosion by
wind contributes a lot in shaping the Earth’s surface. Sand dunes is an
example of wind erosion.

Animals

Animals also contribute to the transportation of sediments. When

burrowing animals dig the ground, some rock and soil particles stick to their
bodies. As they move from one place to another, they carry such particles,
too.

Humans

Although erosion is a natural phenomenon, humans have a major

contribution too to the rate of soil erosion in the environment. Human
activities such as gardening, quarrying and building construction contribute
to soil erosion.

Effects of Soil Erosion

Any natural phenomenon, including soil erosion, impacts both living

and nonliving things here on Earth. Soil erosion not only shapes the
landforms of the Earth, but also affects the environment, especially if it occurs
suddenly.

Human activities such as deforestation, illegal logging, overgrazing, and

quarrying also worsen the effects of soil erosion in the environment. It takes
hundreds of years for the effects of soil erosion on landforms to alter the shape
and function of a certain landform. Soil erosion may kill vast masses of land
and transform a mountain into a hill or plateau. Excessive deforestation,
mining, and conversion of mountains to residential or commercial lands could
trigger erosion that can be destructive to the environment.

Author: Floribel C. Escoton

School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Division: Tandag City
email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph
 On living things, the effect of soil erosion would mean less production
of food. Plants get most of its nutrients from the topsoil. The topsoil contains
the organic materials produced by dead plants and animals. During erosion,
the topsoil is carried away by wind and water.

Too much soil erosion makes the soil unable to hold or absorb water.
Thus, the soil is dry, coarse, and eventually unfit for vegetation. As plants are
their main source of food nutrients, this can also affect animals and humans.
In addition to the lack of food supply, individuals who depend on agriculture
as their livelihood source would have problems if they do not have a good and
fertile soil on which to plant.

Ways to Control Soil Erosion

• Natural Vegetation - This is the simplest
and natural way of controlling soil erosion
which allows plants and trees to grow
naturally without human interference. Trees
can also serve as windbreaks. A windbreak
is a row of trees planted in a straight line to
cover and protect plants and crops from
strong winds that blow directly into the soil,
reducing soil erosion.
Figure 2: Natural Vegetation
https://www.teakrc.com/66-of-brazils-natural-
vegetation-is-protected-says-embrapa/
• Contour Plowing - Erosion easily takes
place on a slope, farmers who plant on
mountainsides follow the contours or
curves of the land instead of planting the
crops up and down the slope to slow down
the flow of water and the soil that it carries.

Figure 3: Contour Plowing

https://pt.slideshare.net/gevsln/preventing-soil-
erosion-02-2012/6

• Strip Cropping – This method involves

alternately planting different crops in
strips.

Figure 4: Strip Cropping

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cott
on_Production_in_the_North_Carolina_Coastal_
Plain.jpg

Author: Floribel C. Escoton

School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Division: Tandag City
email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph

Figure 5: Terracing
https://www.flickr.com/photos/blatantwo
rld/5059155010
Figure 6: Crop Rotation
https://cropwatch.unl.edu/tags/crop
-rotation
Figure 7: Riprapping
https://www.venicehauling.com/riprap/
Figure 8: Forest Canopy
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Siharaja_Forest_Canopy_Sri_Lanka.jpg
Author: Floribel C. Escoton
School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Division: Tandag City
email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph
• Terracing – This method involves
planting on terraces or steps built on the
slopes of mountainsides.
• Crop Rotation – It refers to planting
crops in a different spot each year. Farmers
use this method not just to prevent pests
from destroying the plants but also to
maintain the good quality of the soil. A soil
that has good quality is moist. Moist soil
cannot be carried away easily by wind and
water.
• Riprapping – Another way of controlling
soil erosion is by building ripraps or
chunks of stones or rocks arranged on
the edge of a slope.
▪ The forests can also help in controlling
soil erosion. The forest canopy, which
is the uppermost layer of the forest and
contains the majority of tree branches
and leaves, serves as an umbrella,
reducing the effect of rain on the forest
floor. In this way, the rate of soil erosion
will be lessened.
Activity No. 1 – Erosion by Water
(Science 5 LM pp. 159)

What you need:

• 2 shallow pans
• 6 cups of garden soil
• 2 bottles of 500 ml water

What to do:
1. Get two shallow pans and fill them with garden soil. Label one pan as
A and the other as B.
2. Pour water gradually into the soil on the first pan. Observe very well
what happen to the soil. Describe the movement of the soil.
3. Repeat procedure no. 2 on the second pan. This time pour the water
rapidly into the soil. Then, observe very well what happen to the soil.
Compare the difference in terms of the movement of the soil from the
first one.
4. Record the time and measure the distance of your observations.

Guide Questions:

1. In which setup did the soil move faster? _____________________________

Why? _______________________________________________________________

2. In which setup did the soil move farther? ____________________________

Why? _______________________________________________________________

3. Which setup moved more soil?

Why? _______________________________________________________________

4. What changes can you observe in the soil after pouring water on it?
_____________________________________________________________________

5. What can you conclude about erosion in the experiment?

_____________________________________________________________________

Activity No. 2 – The Effect of Soil Erosion

What you need:

• paper
• pen

What to do:

1. Below are different situations that show good and harmful effects of soil
erosion on landforms, plants, human and animals.

2. List down these effects of soil erosion in the correct column of the table.

Author: Floribel C. Escoton

School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Division: Tandag City
email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph
 • formation of soil
• pollution of water
• removal of topsoil
• shaping of landforms
• deposition of mine tailings
• clogging of irrigation canals
• decrease in food production
• inability of soil to hold water
• landscapes such as sand
dunes
• quarrying and harnessing of
soil
• change in appearance of
mountains
• large masses becoming wonders of
nature
• loss of lives and shelter in some
instances
• plants receive little nourishment
from the soil
• plants cannot anchor themselves on
loose soil
• softening and loosing of soil causing
it to erode easily
• humans and animals are put at risk
due to landslides
• damages the slopes of mountains
and other high landforms

Landforms Plants Humans and Animals

Guided Questions:

1. How do humans increase the effects of soil erosion?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. In what ways does soil erosion can be beneficial and harmful to

humans and animals?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Author: Floribel C. Escoton

School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Division: Tandag City
email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph
Activity No. 3 – Let’s Investigate
(Science 5 LM pp. 166)

What you need:

• paper
• pen

What to do:

Investigate / observe in your community the effects of soil erosion. List down
at least five (5).

1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________________

Guide Questions:

1. What are the signs of erosion that you have observed around your community?
in other places?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. How does soil erosion affect us?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Activity No. 4 – Preventing Soil Erosion

(Science 5 LM pp. 170)

What you need:

• shoebox
• soil/sand
• dried leaves
• grasses

What to do:
A.
1. Plan your own model to show one way of minimizing the harmful
effects of soil erosion.
2. You are free to use materials found at home other than those
indicated above.
3. Explain how your model works.
B.
1. Go to a garden. Look for an area with and without plants.
2. Pour slowly 1 liter of water over each soil area with plants and
without plants.
3. Observe the movement of the soil.

Author: Floribel C. Escoton

School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Division: Tandag City
email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph
 C. Below is a diagram on ways to control soil erosion. Identify which
practices are used by choosing your answer inside the box correctly.
Write down your answer on the space provided for.

terracing canopy crop rotation contour plowing

strip cropping natural vegetation riprapping windbreaks

Guide Questions:

1. Which soil area was easily carried away by running water?

__________________________________________________________________
2. What prevented the soil from being easily carried away by running
water?
_________________________________________________________________
3. How does forest play a vital role in controlling soil erosion?
_________________________________________________________________

Reflection:

1. A river in a nearby town used to be narrow 15 years ago. The

townspeople found as time passed that the river was getting wider. Why
was the river getting wider than it had been in the past?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Author: Floribel C. Escoton

School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Division: Tandag City
email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph
 2. How can you help in restoring our denuded forests to prevent soil
erosion?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

References:

Books

Jenneth C. Basa et al., Sci-Bytes, Worktext in Science 5 (Manila:

Magallanes Publishing House,2013

Evelyn T. Sarte, et.al., Science Beyond Borders 5 (Quezon City: Vibal Group,
Inc.,2016

Photos:

(2021). Retrieved 28 February 2021, from

https://blogs.egu.eu/geolog/2018/07/20/
geotalk-severe-soil-erosion-events-and-how-to-predict-them/.ping

(2021). Retrieved 1 March 2021, from

https://www.teakrc.com/66-of-brazils-natural-vegetation-is-
protected-says-

(2021). Retrieved 1 March 2021, from

https://pt.slideshare.net/gevsln/preventing-soil-erosion-02-2012/6

(2021). Retrieved 1 March 2021, from

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_Production_in_th
e_North_Carolina_Coastal_Plain.jpg

(2021). Retrieved 1 March 2021, from

https://www.flickr.com/photos/blatantworld/5059155010

(2021). Retrieved 1 March 2021, from

https://cropwatch.unl.edu/tags/crop-rotation

(2021). Retrieved 1 March 2021, from

https://www.venicehauling.com/riprap/

(2021). Retrieved 1 March 2021, from

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siharaja_
Forest_Canopy_Sri_Lanka.jpg

Author: Floribel C. Escoton

School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Division: Tandag City
email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph
 email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph
Division: Tandag City
School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Author: Floribel C. Escoton
Activity 2
Landforms Plants Humans and Animals
1. shaping of landforms 1. plants cannot anchor 1. humans and animals
themselves on loose soil are put to risk due to
landslides
2. formation of soil 2. plant receive little 2. pollution of water
nourishment from the soil
3. inability of soil to hold 3. loss of lives and shelter
water in some instances
4. clogging of irrigation
canals
5. softening and loosing of
soil causing it to erode
easily
6. large masses becoming
wonders of nature
7. change in appearance
of mountains
8. landscapes such as
sand dunes
9. damage the slopes of
mountains and other high
landforms
Guided Questions:
1. Humans increase the effects of soil erosion through deforestation, illegal logging,
overgrazing, and quarrying.
2. Soil erosion is beneficial to humans and animals when there is another shaping
and formation of soil. Soil erosion is harmful when humans and animals are put
to risk due to landslides, pollution of water and loss of lives and shelter.
Activity 1
Guided Questions:
1. Setup B, because the pouring of water was rapidly done and so, the soil moved
faster.
2. Setup B, this is because of the rapid flowing of water to the soil and so the soil
moved farther away.
3. Setup B, because the of the rapid flowing of water and so it also moved more soil.
4. The color of the water was muddy and dark brown.
5. I conclude from the experiment, that soil erosion usually takes place due to heavy
rains, wind, animals, and human activities.
Answers Key
 email address: floribel.escoton002@deped.gov.ph
Division: Tandag City
School/Station: Bongtud Elementary School
Author: Floribel C. Escoton
RUBRIC FOR ESSAY QUESTIONS
CRITERIA EXPERT (5 CAPABLE (4 BEGINNER (3
POINTS) POINTS) POINTS)
Minimal to less
Sufficiently
Substantial, apparent point of
CONTENT developed content
specific and ideas. Limited
with adequate
OF WRITING demonstrates content with
elaboration of
strong ideas. inadequate
ideas.
elaboration.
Sophisticated
arrangement of Confused or
Generic use of
STRUCTURE contents, precise inconsistent proper
variety of words
use of words and usage of grammar.
OF and sentence
there is an Limited word
structures.
GRAMMAR evident control of choice.
grammar usage
Reflection:
1. The river as time passed was getting wider because of soil erosion. The rapid flowing of water
also made the soil moved farther away. This happened if heavy rains took place.
2. I can help in restoring our denuded forests in preventing soil erosion by participating actively
on tree planting in my community and be aware about on ways in preventing soil erosion such
as natural vegetation, contour plowing, terracing, riprapping and crop rotation.
Activity 4
1.riprapping 5. contour plowing
2.natural vegetation 6. canopy
3.strip cropping 7. terracing
4.crop rotation 8. Windbreak
Guided Questions:
1. Sloping area of soil
2. More plants and trees usually prevented the soil from being easily carried away by running
water.
3. Forest plays a very important role in controlling soil erosion because the forest canopy, the
uppermost layer of the forest where most tree branches and leaves are found, acts like umbrella
that lessens the impact of rain on the forest floor. This lessens the rate of soil erosion. The roots
of trees also hold the soil together. The more intact a soil is, the less prone to soil erosion.