Download Construction of Earth

Department: Science
Understanding by Design
Course: Earth Science
Construction of the Earth – (8-13)
Standard(s):
12.11.82 Indicate that the earth's crust is made from mostly igneous and metamorphic materials and was formed as a result of
partial melting of part of the mantle rock. Know that there is a thin layer of sedimentary rock on top in many places.
12.11.83 Understand that geologic time can be estimated by observing rock sequences and using fossils to correlate the
sequences at various locations. Understand that current methods include using the known decay rates of radioactive isotopes
present in rocks to measure the time since the rock was formed.
12.11.84 Understand that most scientists believe that the sun, the earth, and the rest of the solar system formed from a nebular
cloud of dust and gas 4.6 billion years ago.
12.11.85 Understand that interactions among the solid earth, the oceans, the atmosphere, and organisms have resulted in the
ongoing transformation of the earth system. Understand that we can observe some changes (such as earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions) on a human time-scale, but many processes (such as mountain building and plate movements) take place so
sporadically or so slowly (over hundreds of millions of years) that we cannot observe them but only infer that they take place
from other kinds of evidence
12.11.86 Identify the various features of the ocean floor which furnish evidence for plate tectonics: magnetic patterns, age, and
topographical features.
12.11.87 Identify the properties of rocks and minerals based on the physical and chemical conditions in which they are formed,
including plate tectonic processes.
12.11.88 Understand why earthquakes occur and how scales are used to measure their intensity and magnitude, specifically the
Richter and Mercalli scales.
12.11.89 Differentiate between the two main kinds of volcanoes: one kind with violent eruptions producing steep slopes and
another kind with voluminous lava flows producing gentle slopes.
12.11.96 Understand that Earth's climate has changed over time, corresponding to changes in Earth's geography, atmospheric
composition, plate movement, and the cyclic changes in the orientation of Earth's axis of rotation and the shape of its orbit
around the sun.
Stage 1: Desired Results
Understandings
Students should be able to:
Earthquakes and the Earth’s interior
Compare and contrast the epicenter and focus of an earthquake
Identify the cause of earthquakes
Compare and contrast aftershocks and foreshocks
Identify the three types of seismic waves
Explain how to locate the epicenter of an earthquake
Describe the different ways earthquakes are measured
Describe the factors contributing to earthquake damage
Identify other dangers associated with earthquakes
Explain the potential for earthquake prediction
List the layers of Earth based on composition and physical properties
Describe the composition of each layer
Plate Tectonics
Describe the hypothesis of continental drift
Evaluate the evidence in support of continental drift
Identify the main objections to Wegener’s hypothesis of continental drift
Explain the theory of plate tectonics
Identify the three types of plate boundaries
Explain how seafloor spreading and continental rifting cause formation of new lithosphere
Describe the process of lithosphere destruction that takes place at subduction zones
Differentiate among subduction at oceanic-continental, oceanic-oceanic, and continental-continental convergent boundaries
Describe the action of plates at a transform fault boundary
Explain how paleomagnetism and magnetic reversals provide evidence that supports the theory of plate tectonics
Evaluate how earthquakes, ocean drilling, and hot spots provide evidence that supports the theory of plate tectonics
Compare the mechanisms of slab-pull and ridge-push as a contributing to plate motion
Relate the unequal distribution of heat in Earth and the mechanism of mantle convection to the movement of tectonic plates
Volcanoes
Explain the factors that determine the type of volcanic eruptions that occur
Describe the various types of volcanic materials that are ejected from volcanoes
List the three main types of volcanoes
Distinguish how the different types of volcanic landforms form
Describe the origin of magma
Explain the relationship between plate tectonics and volcanism
Explain where intraplate volcanism occurs
Mountain Building
Identify the factors that determine the strength of a rock and how it will deform
Explain how rocks permanently deform
List the three main types of folds and identify the main types of faults
Explain how mountains are classified
Explain the difference between folded mountains and fault-block mountains
Describe the formation of a dome
Identify the type of mountains formed by ocean-ocean convergence and mountains formed by ocean-continental convergence
Identify the type of mountains associated with divergent plate boundaries
Explain how isostatic adjustment is involved in mountain formation
Geologic Time
Explain how rocks allow geologists to interpret Earth’s history
Recognize how uniformtarianism helps explain Earth’s features
List the key principles of relative dating and describe how geologists use relative dating in their work
Define fossils and explain how fossils are made
State the principle of fossil succession
Define radioactivity and half-life
Explain radiometric dating
Describe how carbon-14 is used in radiometric dating
Describe the geologic time scale
Explain how the geologic time scale is organized
Identify some complications in dating rocks
Essential Questions
Knowledge and Skill
How has plate tectonics shaped our state, country, and world?
See the attached templates for Chapters 22-25
How is the present the key to the past?
How can building be earthquake safe?
What does the geologic time scale relate to you?
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
Test, quizzes, labs, homework, worksheets (see district curriculum folder).
Performance Task Summary
Quizzes
Practice problems
Labs
Unit test
Self-Assessments
Self evaluation of "I Can" statements on K&S sheet.
Locate an epicenter
Predict the effect of an earthquake
Create layers of the earth
Rubric Titles
Other Evidence, Summarized
Other assessment information will be obtained through
observations, classroom participation, class discussion &
interactions, and scaffold learning. The final assessment will be
analyzed with Mastery Manager for teachers to improve future
instruction.
Stage 3: Learning Activities
Pangaea Puzzle
Compare and contrast plate boundaries
Plate tectonics investigation
Seafloor spreading model
Convection Lab
Where are volcanoes located?
What makes volcanoes explosive?
Compare and contrast intrusive igneous forms
Hot spot lab
Models folds and faults
Interpreting a geologic map
Relative dating principles
Matching fossils
Half life lab
Create your own geologic time scale
Create a geologic time brochure