How Caves Are Formed

This scene takes the form of an explorable cave system which is located on a beach. The cave can
be explored in depth and the students can walk through a large underground cavern. To the side
of the scene there will be a cutaway showing where the cave originated and how it was formed
through erosion of limestone. There are several key areas: rock formations, icicles, water droplets
and stalactites.

# Learning Objectives

1.Identify the key features of a cave{.info}

2.Explain how caves are formed{.info}

3.Explain the geological features of a cave{.info}


# Inside the Cave{.objective .objective1}

In this section caves can be understood to come in all shapes and sizes. However, to earn the
name, they must be large enough for a human to enter. Students should explore the inside of the cave from the beach and look for any evidence they can find of how this cave might have been formed.


# How Caves Are Formed{.objective .objective2}

The formation and development of caves is known as speleogenesis and can
occur over the course of millions of years. Students will look for evidence of how this cave
has been formed by nature. They should consider: What water features have affected
the development of this cave?


# Geological Features{.objective .objective3}

In this section rock formations are called speleothems which cover the floor and ceiling of caves and there are icicle shaped formations that hang from the ceiling are known as stalactites and often form as water drips from the cave roof. Students should look for any features that they think could be unique to cave systems.


# Teaching Resources

### Download Teacher Notes

[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/735192/files/How%20Caves+Are+Formed+Teacher+Notes_01.pdf)

### Student Quiz Answers Document

[](https://avnfs.com/9Zc-qJl6Z-iENQVdTxvxOjyM74PwG-Vf9NI_l2_KpOQ?size=492394&type=application%2Fpdf&name=How+Caves+Are+Formed+Teacher+Notes+2.pdf)

### Download Student Quiz Document

[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/735193/files/How_Caves_Are_Formed_Student_Quiz.pdf)