Download Lesson Plan: Plate Tectonics

Incorporating Misconceptions in Plate Tectonics
Lesson Plan:
High School Content Expectations:
Michigan content standards
E3.3A: Explain how plate tectonics accounts for the features and processes (sea floor
spreading, mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, earthquakes and volcanoes, mountain
ranges) that occur on or near the Earth’s surface.
E3.3B: Explain why tectonic plates move using the concept of heat flowing through
mantle convection, coupled with the cooling and sinking of aging ocean plates that result
from their increased density.
In this high school class students will study the science of plate tectonics with a nature of
science approach. They will start with recording their own ideas of how the world works
and with each new piece of evidence, they will revise their ideas. This lesson plan is not
for one day as I can’t imagine that we could get through all this but my goal is for
covering the entire topic in probably a few days. I’m guessing a class may be able to get
through two-three steps a day. If this is for a whole week, then after step 7, more in-depth
projects could be done. As a teacher I would plan a four day goal, with the fifth day as
review or projects day, or as catch up day as I don’t know how long these projects could
take as a beginning science teacher (I’m sure I’ll learn pretty fast!)
Pre-class requirements: Study of waves and density.
Vocabulary on board at beginning of class (‘What we will learn today / this week’)
volcano, earthquake, faults, continental plates, layers, fossils, ocean ridge, basalt, granite,
subduction.
Plate Tectonics Lesson Plan:
Students write/draw on paper their answers or questions at each table. They move around
the room and can discuss with others at the table but must write their own paper.
Step 1) Misconceptions and Preconceived Notions:
1) What are volcanoes? Can you draw one?
Do you know the name of one? Where are they?
2) What are earthquakes? What are faults?
Do you know of a name of a fault? Where are they?
3) Look at this map of the world:
Are there any places that look like they fit together? Why?
4) What does the inside of the earth look like? Is it hot or cold?
Is it denser or less dense inside the earth? Why?
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Note* I think students’ misconceptions or lack of knowledge depends on the area they
live, for example students in California will understand earthquakes but maybe not how it
relates to plate tectonics. I would guess that most students in Michigan do not have a
clear idea of volcanos or earthquakes unless they watch some discovery programs or had
a good science teacher in earlier classes. At a high school level students should have
learned something about the inside of the earth but my geology professor told me that
students even at university level persist on believing there are caves going to the center of
the earth like the Jules Vern story ‘Journey to the center of the earth’.
Step 2) Tests:
Students go back to original tables but now some new information is revealed
(earthquakes and volcanoes are at the same table to make it easier). Students review their
earlier ideas after looking at the tests and change where necessary.
1) Waves through earth show layers, a thin layer at top on a softer denser layer
and liquid near center. Very hot so hot to make rocks melt. Show picture of layers.
2) Earthquakes and volcanoes usually are near each other in a ‘ring of fire’.
Show map of world with volcanoes and earthquakes.
3) Geologic tests of South America and Africa show same rocks and fossils
Show fit together with rocks and fossils) Show picture of Pangea with date and
fossil evidence.
Step 3) Making a Theory:
1) Students get together and discuss their ideas of how it all connects to make a
theory and write it on their paper.
2) Teacher explains Wendell’s Theory of Plate Tectonics, but something is missing
– the mechanism. How?
Step 4) New Discovery:
Students walk around the room on a treasure hunt to find new information that is hidden.
1) A map of the ocean Mid-Atlantic ridge on a world map
2) A map showing age of rock bands along ridge, younger to older.
3) A few pictures of the volcanic nature of the ocean ridge, showing new magma cooling
and spreading, or ‘black smokers’.
4) A video capturing an underwater eruption (from newsdiscovery.com).
Step 5) Revise Theory:
1) Students: Discuss in groups and revise theory and write it down.
2) Teacher: After sometime bring class together and show ‘power point’ of earth
with layers and discuss less dense continental plate floating on more dense
ocean floor. Teach ocean basalt and continental granite. Ask class what happens
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when something dense meets something lighter, does it go on top or under?
Teach the word subduction. Then show example of boiling water and convection.
3) Ask students to draw a diagram of what is happening, using ocean ridge,
continental plates, earthquakes and volcanoes.
Step 6) Bringing it All Together:
1) Show diagram of subduction of ocean plates under continental plates, explain
earthquakes and volcanoes. Show map with plates and earthquakes and
volcanoes on it.
2) Using drawing technique to engage students (using example from
geology.com). Draw in parts on board and have students guess as
we go along – don’t just show the whole picture. First draw
just the ocean ridge and moving outward, calling this sea-floor spreading.
Ask what happens when it hits the continental ridge.
3) Demonstrate with towels (example from geosociety.org) showing the deformation
and earthquakes. Then draw subduction, ask whether it is hot or cold, show
heat rising. Ask students about volcanoes and what comes out of them (basalt).
4) Make complete diagram with everything labeled: Volcanoes, earthquakes,
subduction zone, sea floor spreading, ocean ridge, continental plates,
mantel convection, basalt, granite.
Step 7) Proof of Learning:
Teacher erases the board and has students in groups recreate the diagram. If enough time
write under the diagram a paragraph about what is happening using all the vocabulary
words on the board. If not, do it for homework or as a review the next day. Finally
students should have time to review revised original sheet with all the changes from
original ideas and discuss how it is to be a ‘working’ scientist.
Step 8) Further Projects:
If there is more time in the week, the students could work on more in-depth projects like
making posters of all that we covered in class plus one more topic to choose from. For
example: how mountains are made, demonstrations on the movement of Pangea with
puzzle like pieces, or building an experimental boiling earth with floating pieces on top to
show how the mantel convection drives the movement of the plates.
Websites:
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Underwater Volcano, News Discovery:
http://news.discovery.com/earth/videos/earth-underwater-volcano-caught-onvideo.htm
Plate tectonics drawing technique, geology.com http://geology.com/nsta/
Towel geology: http://www.geosociety.org/educate/lessonplans/towelgeology.pdf
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