Department of Education

5 National Capital Region

SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE
MARIKINA CITY

Science
Quarter 4 – Module 1
WEATHERING AND SOIL
FORMATION

EDITH B. AGULTO
 What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
understand how rocks turn into soil. The scope of this module permits it to be used in
many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary
level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the
course.

After going through this module, you are expected to describe how rocks turn
into soil.

Specifically, after going through this module, you are expected to:
1. describe the processes on how rocks turn into soil;
2. compare mechanical from chemical weathering;
3. identify the agents of weathering (e.g. water, wind, people, animals, plants,
sun);
4. explain how the action of wind, water and sun contribute to rock
weathering; and
5. infer that continuous weathering lead to soil formation

What I Know

Read each item carefully and encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. It is the breaking of rocks physically.

A. Chemical weathering C. Soil Formation
B. Mechanical weathering D. Weathering

2. How does temperature break the rocks apart?

A. By cooling and heating, the rock becomes hard.
B. By cooling and heating, the rocks become smooth.
C. By cooling and heating, the rocks become colorful.
D. By cooling and heating, the structure of the rocks weakens.

3. Why is weathering useful to plants and animals?

A. Because of formation of soil
B. Because of formation of rocks
C. Because of the formation of fossils
D. Because of the formation of landscape

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4. It is the breaking down of rocks into smaller particles.
A. Erosion C. Rock elements
B. Formation D. Weathering

5. The following human activities causes weathering, EXCEPT

A. Mining C. Boating and fishing
B. Quarrying of rocks D. Building roads and tunnels

6. Which of the following is the product of continuous breaking of rocks?

A. Erosion C. Typhoon
B. Soil formation D. Weathering

7. This type of weathering happens when the rock changes its composition.
A. Chemical weathering C. Soil Formation
B. Mechanical weathering D. Weathering

8. The following tends to cause physical or mechanical weathering. Which is

NOT?
A. Dead plants that produces acids
B. Animal that burrows in the ground
C. Root of plants growing into the cracks in the rocks
D. Water that seeps into the pores and cracks of rocks

9. Which of the following occurs when carbon dioxide from the air or soil
sometimes combines with water?
A. Carbonation C. Hydrolysis
B. Erosion D. Oxidation

10. You noticed that some small plants are growing on the rocks. What do you
think will happen to this rock after some time?
A. The plants will break the rock.
B. The plants will make the rock hard.
C. The plants will make the rock rough.
D. The plants will make the rock smooth.

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 Lesson Weathering and Soil Formation

What’s In

GAME: 2 pic 1 word

Direction: Guess the hidden word based from the pictures.

H N C M E C I A A L L C E I C M H A

What’s New
Do this simple activity with the guidance of your parents/guardian.
MECHANICAL or CHEMICAL
Science Skills: observing, inferring, comparing
Materials Needed:
1 pc. small rock 1 pc. Chalk Hammer
Vinegar bowl

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Procedure:

1. Get a piece of small rock and hammer. Pound it using a hammer once. Then,
pound it again for 5 seconds. Observe what happen to the rock.

2. Get a piece of chalk and put it in a bowl. Pour vinegar on it and leave it for 2
hours.

3. Write your observations in the table below.

Material What happened after performing the activity

Small piece of rock
smashed by the
hammer

Chalk soaked in
the vinegar

4. Answer the following questions:

a. What did you apply to the rock when you pound it?
________________________________________________________________________
b. What are the changes you observed on the rock?
_______________________________________________________________________
c. What happened to the chalk after soaking it in the vinegar?
______________________________________________________________________

What Is It

Weathering is the breaking, shattering or dissolving of rocks caused by different

agents. It is an important process that contributes to the shaping of the Earth’s
surface. It also leads to the formation of soil after some time.

Two Types of Weathering

 Mechanical Weathering - also called physical weathering, is the breaking of

rocks physically. Breaking of rocks by smashing or pounding is a type of
mechanical weathering.

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 Chemical Weathering - involves the change in the composition of the rocks.
Usually, the rock reacts to a substance that causes it to breakdown.
The chemical change takes place in the presence of gases from the atmosphere
such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen.

Examples of Chemical Weathering

1. Carbonation
Carbon dioxide from the air or soil sometimes combines with water. This
produces an acid called carbonic acid, which can dissolve rock.
The decaying remains of plants, animals and fungi form carbonic acid
which can weaken and dissolve rock.

2. Oxidation
When oxygen from the air or water combines with iron, it produces rust
and weakens the rock and helps break it apart.

3. Hydration
Water weathers rocks either by dissolving their minerals to form a solution
or by combining directly with some minerals to form new minerals. Both
processes occur as a result of chemical reaction called hydration.

4. Acid Rain
Burning different materials releases chemicals into the atmosphere that
combines with moisture. They then fall back to the Earth as acid rain. This
acid rain makes the structure of the rocks weaken and eventually break
them.

Different Agents of Weathering

1. Human
Different human activities cause rocks to break
down.
 Gardening and farming – force used while
digging the garden or farm may contribute
to the breaking of rocks
 Quarrying - is the process of extraction of
rock, sand, gravel or other minerals from
the ground in order to use them to produce
materials for construction or other uses.
Dynamites and other explosives used in
quarry or open pit mine causes breaking of
rocks.

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  Development of subdivision- flattening of mountains or hills to build
houses also causes weathering.
 Repairing of roads – workers who use jackhammer to dig and repair
the road also cause weathering.

2. Animals
 Burrowing animals that live underground,
such as moles and rabbits, can break the
rocks apart.
 Other animals dig and stepped rock
causing it to slowly break apart.
 Dead animals produce acids that make
the rocks break.
3. Water
 Liquid water can flows into cracks of rock.
When water freezes, it expands. The ice
then will push the cracks of the rocks and
slowly widens the cracks and splits the
rock. When ice melts, liquid water will
carry away the tiny rock particles lost in
the split.
4. Wind
 Small rock particles that carried by the
blowing wind may scratch bigger rocks
and will cause weathering overtime.
5. Plants
 The seed of a tree may sprout in soil that
has collected in a cracked rock. As the
roots grow, they widen the cracks,
eventually breaking the rock into pieces.
Over time, trees can break apart even
large rocks. Even small plants, such as
mosses, can enlarge tiny cracks as they
grow.
 Dead plants produce acids that react to
the rock and break it eventually.
6. Temperature changes
 Changes in temperature cause rock to expand when heated and
contract when cooled and weaken its structure. Over time, it breaks.

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Importance of Weathering

The most important product of weathering is the soil formation. After millions of
years, the continuous breaking of rocks produces soil. Soil is composed of different
rock fragments and decayed animals and plants. Without soil, plants that make food
for animals and people will not grow.
Weathering also contributes to the formation of Earth’s surface. Mountains, hills and
even flat surface changed overtime because of the continuous breaking of rocks.

What’s More

A. Describe how each agent contributes to weathering. From your description,

identify if it is a mechanical weathering or chemical weathering. Write your
answers on the table below.

AGENTS OF How does it contribute to Chemical or Mechanical

WEATHERING weathering?

1. water

2.wind

3. animals

4. plants

5. temperature

6. human

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 What I Have Learned

Choose a word inside the box to complete the sentence.

weathering chemical mechanical soil formation

I have learned that __________________ is the process that breaks down rocks into
pieces.
____________________weathering is the physical wearing of rocks while
____________________weathering is the breaking of rocks by changing its composition.
After millions of years, weathering leads to the ___________________________.
Soil formation is an important product of ________________________.

What I Can Do

You live near Marikina River. You have noticed that some people are digging the sides
of the river to get some rocks without a permit. What do you think will happen after
sometime if they do not stop digging? As a Grade Five pupil, what are you going to do
to stop them? Write your answer on the space provided below.

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

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 Assessment

Read each item carefully and encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which of the following activities contribute to the breaking down of rocks?

A. Mining C. Reading
B. Fishing D. Scuba diving
2. How do roots of plants contribute to the breaking of rocks?
A. The roots heated the rocks.
B. The roots absorbed rock particles.
C. The roots leave materials on the rocks.
D. The roots get bigger and push the cracks of the rocks.

3. How does temperature breakdown rocks?

A. Rocks break when it is cooled.
B. Rocks break when it is heated.
C. Rocks break when it is not exposed to water.
D. Rocks break when it is heated and then cooled.
4. Some animals dig up soil for shelter or to find food. How does this activity
contribute to the breaking down of rocks?
A. The rocks become hard.
B. The rocks become exposed to light.
C. The rocks break because of the food they get.
D. The force used while digging breaks the rocks.
5. What is going on when water, wind or animals break rocks?
A. erosion C. weathering
B. fermenting D. mountain building

Additional Activities

Write at least 2 importance of soil formation.

1. _____________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________

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 Posttest

Read each item carefully and encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. You noticed that some small plants are growing on the rocks. What do you
think will happen to this rock after some time?
A. The plants will break the rock.
B. The plants will make the rock hard.
C. The plants will make the rock rough.
D. The plants will make the rock smooth.

2. Which of the following occurs when carbon dioxide from the air or soil
sometimes combines with water?
A. Carbonation C. Hydrolysis
B. Erosion D. Oxidation

3. The following tends to cause physical or mechanical weathering. Which is

NOT?
A. Dead plants that produces acids
B. Animal that burrows in the ground
C. Root of plants growing into the cracks in the rocks
D. Water that seeps into the pores and cracks of rocks

4. This type of weathering happens when the rock changes its composition.
A. Weathering C. Chemical weathering
B. Soil Formation D. Mechanical weathering

5. Which of the following is the product of continuous breaking of rocks?

A. Erosion C. Typhoon
B. Soil formation D. Weathering

6. The following human activities causes weathering, EXCEPT

A. Mining C. Boating and fishing
B. Quarrying of rocks D. Building roads and tunnels

7. It is the breaking down of rocks into smaller particles.

A. Erosion C. Rock elements
B. Formation D. Weathering

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8. Why is weathering useful to plants and animals?
A. Because of formation of soil
B. Because of formation of rocks
C. Because of the formation of fossils
D. Because of the formation of landscape

9. How does temperature break the rocks apart?

A. By cooling and heating, the rock becomes hard.
B. By cooling and heating, the rocks become smooth.
C. By cooling and heating, the rocks become colorful.
D. By cooling and heating, the structure of the rocks weakens.

10. It is the breaking of rocks physically.

A. Chemical weathering C. Soil Formation
B. Mechanical weathering D. Weathering

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 Answer Key

Answers may vary

CHEMICAL What I Can Do
MECHANICAL What’s More
What’s In What’s New

What I Have Learned

5. C
Weathering
4. D
Mechanical
3. D
Chemical
2. D Answers may vary
Soil Formation
1. A Activities
Weathering
Assessment Additional

National Geographic Society. (2012, October 09). Weathering. Retrieved March 15,
2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/weathering/

Science. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2021, from https://www.enotes.com/homework-

help/what-12-agents-weathering-567325

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 Development Team of the Module

Writer: Edith B. Agulto

Content Editors: Jessica S. Mateo
Marilyn T. Cortez
Language Editor: Clodee E. Bagcal

Illustrator/
Layout Artists: Dinnes A. Masubay
Jemwel Dela Paz

Management Team:
Sheryll T. Gayola
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
OIC, Office of the Schools Division Superintendent

Elisa O. Cerveza
Chief, CID
OIC, Office of the Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

Jessica S. Mateo
EPS - Science

Ivy Coney A. Gamatero

EPS – LRMS

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Schools Division Office - Marikina City

191 Shoe Ave., Sta. Elena, Marikina City, 1800, Philippines

Telefax: (02) 682-2472 / 682-3989

Email Address: [email protected]