Grade 3 Wind, Water & Ice worksheet
from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
How to explain it
- Weathering breaks rock into smaller bits.
- Erosion carries those bits to a new place by wind, water or ice.
- Plants and rows of trees (windbreaks) help hold soil in place.
Example: A river carries sand downstream. Weathering or erosion? The sand is being moved to a new place. Moving it is erosion. Answer: erosion
Question 1
What is changing the land: wind, water or ice?
Sort into: 🌬️ wind · 🌊 water · 🧊 ice
- 🏔️a glacier carves a valley
- ❄️frozen water splits a rock
- 🏖️waves wear away a cliff
- 🏞️a river carves a canyon
- 🪨blowing sand wears a rock smooth
- 🏜️blows sand into dunes
🌬️ wind: blowing sand wears a rock smooth, blows sand into dunes · 🌊 water: waves wear away a cliff, a river carves a canyon · 🧊 ice: a glacier carves a valley, frozen water splits a rock
Hint: Wind blows sand and dust. Water flows, splashes and washes things away. Ice freezes in cracks, and glaciers scrape the land.
Question 2
Which of these can wear away rock over a long time?
- 🌊flowing water
- 🌙moonlight
- 🌈a rainbow
🌊 flowing water
Hint: Wind, water and ice are strong enough to change the shape of the land.
Question 3
Farmers plant rows of trees beside their fields. How does this help?
🌳- the trees make the wind stronger
- the trees slow the wind, so less soil blows away
- the trees pull soil up into the sky
the trees slow the wind, so less soil blows away
Hint: Trees block the wind. Slower wind can't carry away as much soil.
Question 4
Ocean waves crash on a rocky cliff every day. Over many years, the cliff…
🌊- wears away
- turns into ice
- grows taller
wears away
Hint: Each wave breaks off tiny bits of rock. Over time, the cliff wears away.
Question 5
A valley shaped like a V was most likely carved by…
🏞️- a river
- the wind
- a glacier
a river
Hint: Rivers cut narrow V-shaped valleys. Glaciers scrape out wide U-shaped valleys.
Question 6
How does a river make a canyon? Put the steps in order.
- 🏞️a river flows over rock
- ⏳over many years, the river cuts deeper
- 🏜️a deep canyon forms
- 💧the water carries away tiny bits of rock
a river flows over rock → the water carries away tiny bits of rock → over many years, the river cuts deeper → a deep canyon forms
Hint: Moving water carries away tiny bits of rock. Over many, many years, the river cuts deeper and deeper.
Question 7
Moving bits of rock and soil to a new place is called…
🏞️- freezing
- erosion
- weathering
erosion
Hint: Erosion carries rock and soil away, like a river carrying sand downstream.
Question 8
Which helps stop soil from washing away?
🌱- pulling out all the grass
- plants with roots that hold the soil
- cutting down all the trees
plants with roots that hold the soil
Hint: Roots grip the soil like a net, so rain and wind can't carry it off as easily.
Question 9
Breaking rock into smaller pieces is called…
🪨- weathering
- melting
- erosion
weathering
Hint: Weathering breaks rock down. Wind, water and ice can all do it.
Question 10
What happens when water freezes in a crack in a rock?
🧊- it shrinks and glues the rock
- it disappears
- it expands and can split the rock
it expands and can split the rock
Hint: Water takes up more space when it freezes. That push can crack rocks apart.
Answer key
- 1. 🌬️ wind: blowing sand wears a rock smooth, blows sand into dunes · 🌊 water: waves wear away a cliff, a river carves a canyon · 🧊 ice: a glacier carves a valley, frozen water splits a rock
- 2. 🌊 flowing water
- 3. the trees slow the wind, so less soil blows away
- 4. wears away
- 5. a river
- 6. a river flows over rock → the water carries away tiny bits of rock → over many years, the river cuts deeper → a deep canyon forms
- 7. erosion
- 8. plants with roots that hold the soil
- 9. weathering
- 10. it expands and can split the rock
Want more than 10 questions?
In Gradelings the questions change every time and adjust to your child, with hints and kind feedback.