This module covers eight to ten weeks of instruction. Students, for example, learn about geological erosion by using stream tables to run water through earth materials and then see the effects. The shaping of glaciers, deepening of canyons, movement of sand dunes and creation of a delta are just a few of the many views. Video segments are designed so students can stop the action and perform experiments related to what they are seeing. In addition, students construct a model of Mt. Shasta from materials included with the system.
Students then compare their model, first with an aerial photograph, then with a topographic map.
This allows students to line up their models on top of the representations so as to better interpret and understand them. Other prominent landforms, like Death Valley and the Grand Canyon, are explored similarly. The multimedia components of the BSS expose students to the best visuals and technology available. For schools offering the latter, students can genuinely interact with visuals. They are able to cut and paste segments to produce their own audiovisual reports, a task requiring reflective, organizational and reporting skills.