Mass Wasting Investigation - Slumps or Creeps?

While studying the earth processes of erosion and deposition, sixth graders investigated the difference between a slump and a creep.    Does the height of a slope affect the type of mass wasting that occurs?  Students compared different incline heights to see the difference in the way the soil moved downhill.   A slump is a landslide of loose debris that moves as a single unit.  A creep is a slower movement of debris downhill.  It affects all hillsides and can occur at different rates depending on how wet the soil is.   Students utilized the outdoor classroom to collect soil and experiment with slope heights.  Students concluded that the higher the incline, the more likely the mass movement of a  slump will be seen.