Earth’s Landforms Science Unit for 2nd and 3rd Grade

Get ready to take your kids on a journey across Earth’s surface! Our no-prep Earth’s Landforms unit makes teaching foundational Earth science concepts engaging, accessible, and fun for 2nd and 3rd grade learners. Through hands-on investigations, interactive lessons, and meaningful activities, students will explore the natural features that shape our planet in an engaging and meaningful way.

Teaching landforms doesn’t have to be overwhelming or time-consuming. This comprehensive, 10-day unit is fully aligned with NGSS standards and designed to bring complex science concepts to life. With print-and-go materials and flexible resources that work across grade levels, you’ll have everything you need for two weeks of effective, real-world science instruction.

Teachers often struggle to:

Help students understand what landforms are and how to identify them on maps
Teach how natural forces like wind, water, earthquakes, and volcanoes create and change landforms over time
Guide students in recognizing major U.S. landforms and what makes each one unique
larify abstract ideas like elevation, sea level, and how land and water are represented on different types of maps
Plan engaging, age-appropriate lessons that connect physical geography to students’ real-world experiences and environments

Our Landforms unit solves these challenges with thoughtfully designed, differentiated materials that bring science to life. From teaching what landforms are and the five main types — mountains, hills, valleys, plains, and plateaus — to maps to exploring how landforms change over time through erosion, weathering, earthquakes, and volcanic activity, students will gain a deep understanding of Earth’s surface — while building a lifelong curiosity about the world around them.

What’s Included:

Daily lesson plans
4 PowerPoint lessons with detailed teacher notes
Student workbook with 10 engaging activities
Reading passages
Stop the erosion STEM challenge
Landform map challenge
Vocabulary cards
Task cards for review
Graphic organizer for vocabulary words
Comprehensive assessment
Complete daily lesson plans with NGSS standards

Topics Covered:

What landforms are and how they shape the surface of the Earth
Key vocabulary like elevation, plateau, valley, erosion, and sea level
How to identify and describe landforms such as mountains, hills, plains, valleys, and plateaus
How landforms change over time through natural forces like wind, water, earthquakes, and volcanoes
The relationship between elevation and sea level, and how land and water are represented on maps

How to Use in the Classroom:

Follow our 10-day structured sequence or modify to meet your classroom needs:

Day 1: What are Landforms?
Day 2: Models of Earth
Day 3: Landform Map Challenge
Day 4: How Landforms Change
Day 5: How We Protect Landforms
Day 6: Stop the Erosion STEM
Day 7: Landforms Reading Passage
Day 8: Science Stations
Day 9: Review with Task Cards
Day 10: Assessment

❤️❤️ Why You’ll Love This Resource ❤️❤️

Print-and-go format saves hours of prep time
Engaging mix of direct instruction and interactive activities
Leveled for grades 2-3, so you can choose what works best
Thoughtful guidance for teaching sensitive topics with confidence
Builds critical thinking skills through meaningful discussion
Watch your students develop deeper understanding as they explore the importance of equality and justice through this engaging, comprehensive unit!