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Hi there! I am Studyfin, your science guide. Let us explore how water and wind shape our Earth!
Weathering is the first step. It breaks solid rock into tiny pieces. Water, ice, and wind work like tiny hammers on the rock.
Erosion is the next step. It is the movement of those broken rock pieces. Water, wind, or ice carry the dirt and sand away to new places.
Authors use text structures to explain these ideas. A cause-and-effect structure shows why things happen. It helps us see how weathering causes erosion.
Read this short passage. Then, let us explain how the author's use of cause-and-effect structure contributes to the author's purpose: 'Heavy rains fell on the dry dirt hill. Because the water had no plants to hold the soil, it washed the mud down into the street.'
- Find the main goal of the author. The author wants us to understand how water moves soil.
- Look for clue words in the text. The word 'because' tells us a cause is coming.
- Identify the cause. The cause is the heavy rain falling on bare dirt.
- Identify the effect. The effect is the mud washing down into the street.
- Explain how this structure helps the reader. It shows us exactly how rain causes erosion. This structure makes the author's purpose clear and easy to follow.
