• This video and accompanying article demonstrates how different types of ground cover (specifically grass, dead leaves, or bare soil) affect the process of erosion. 
• Students will learn what erosion is, how water runoff is affected by different types of ground cover, what roots do underground, and the best way to prevent erosion. 

Positives

• This video provides a straightforward and engaging demonstration of how erosion works. 
• This resource provides links to additional resources and provides an example of an experiment that students could easily do in their classroom. 

Additional Prerequisites

• It may be helpful for students to have a basic understanding of the concept of erosion and how plants "drink" water. 
• The PBS link in the article is broken. 

Differentiation

• This experiment could be replicated in a classroom or teachers might choose to use the link to other Fun Science Demos referenced in the article. 
• The article provides a link to 14 other videos about erosion that could be used for extension activities. 
• Language arts classes could write a few sentences that compare and contrast the water runoff from the three containers, being sure to explain why the process works differently.
  
• Science classes could work in groups to research how human activities are impacting the land, rates of erosion, and our Earth. 
• Other resources on this topic include this video about slowing coastal erosion and this video which provides an overview of soil science. 

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.