1. After writing the key words can you work out what they mean?
Key Question: What is the evidence in the rock record that geological processes take place at different rates?
Key Words:
Gradualism
Catastrophism
Uniformitarianism
After writing the key words can you work out what they mean?

2. Main process or process
Starter
Copy out this table in your book:
A comparison table between 2 different geological processes
A volcanic blast
A river eroding
Main process or process
Speed of process
Size of area affected
Watch these two video clips
& fill in your table.
Mt. St Helens erupting
A river eroding

3. Lateral Blast / landslide!
Starter
Copy out this table in your book in pencil:
A comparison table between 2 different geological processes
A volcanic blast
A river eroding
Main process or process
Speed of process
Size of area affected
Lateral Blast / landslide!
Fluvial erosion
Fast
Slow
Large
Small
Watch these two video clips &
fill in your table.
Mt. St Helens erupting
A river eroding

4. Different rates of geological processes
Put this as a title and read the passage and answer the questions in your book.

5. Different rates of geological processes
‘Gradualism’
is the concept that landforms were shaped by very slow changes over a long period of time, and not by natural disasters e.g. formation of the Grand Canyon by river erosion

6. Different rates of geological processes
‘Catastrophism’
is the idea that past sudden natural disasters like floods and volcanic eruptions, shaped landforms, and caused species to become extinct in the process.

7. Different rates of geological processes
‘Uniformitarianism’
is ‘present is the key to the past principle’ proposed by Hutton.
e.g. Corals accumulating in oceans today must have done so in a similar way in the past.

8. Plenary
Work out on your sheet whether the processes are gradualism or catastrophism?

9. Homework
Research the extinction of the dinosaurs at 65Ma. Explain if this was a gradual or catastrophic event and explain why.
Or do the same for the last Ice Age
(Pleistocene 2.4Ma-10,000).
Minimum 2 paragraphs