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UNIT OUTLINE FOR WOSAT
Earth Science Wright State 2006-07
Lon L. Swihart
Lesson Summary
The purpose of this unit is to bring an understanding of the universally encompassing
concept of Plate Tectonics. The overall intention is to present inquiry type learning opportunities
that lead the students through a series of discoveries that help them piece by piece formulate the
concept of Plate Tectonics, much like the real scientists have.
The target audience is 10th - 12th grade Advanced Earth and Space Science students at
National Trail High School. The school district is in a rural setting in Preble County. The students
have already taken a minimum of Biology and some type of physical science. For some students,
this will be their third and final science credit for graduation. For others, it might be their 4th, 5th,or
6th credit. The last formal earth science instruction they have had is in 8th grade. There is an
increasing range of student ability and background in this course from special needs students to the
class valedictorian. In summary, this unit will need to allow for modifications and differentiation.
Critical Concepts Being Taught…
1.
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Scientific discovery can at times be planned, logical, and sequential and at other times
be driven by serendipities.
Major scientific theories have been built by the contributions of numerous individuals,
are modified as new observations are made, and will continue to change in the future.
The Earth’s crust is made up of about a dozen large “plates” that float on the mantle
and move about.
Convection currents from within the Earth’s interior provide the force to drive the
crustal plate movement.
The theory of Plate Tectonics can be used to explain a variety of Earth phenomena
(earthquakes, hot spots) and features (location of mountain ranges and volcanoes).
Society needs to take in consideration the dynamics of the Earth when planning land
usage, resource exploration, and building construction.
Science Processes Being Used
1. Triangulation of earthquakes
2. Utilizing the lag time between the p wave and s wave to calculate the distance between
the earthquake location and the seismometer.
3. Correlation of rock sequences
4. Construction of model buildings to withstand earthquakes
5. Interpreting magnetic field reversals across the mid-Atlantic ridge
6. Correlating the location of mountain ranges to plate boundaries
7. Correlating the location of volcanic arches to plate boundaries
8. Correlating the location of earthquakes to plate boundaries
9. Appling the concept of density to the movement and location of Earth’s layers
10. Producing convection currents in a beaker, and applying the concept to an Earth model.
Grade Eleven State Standards:
Earth and Space Sciences
1. Describe how the early Earth was different from the planet we live on today.
8. Describe the normal adjustments of Earth, which may be hazardous for humans. Realize
that societies are vulnerable to natural processes of change.
15. Use historical examples to show how new ideas are limited by the context in which they
are conceived; are often rejected by the social establishment; sometimes spring from
unexpected findings; and usually grow slowly through the contributions from many different
investigators.
16. Describe advances in Earth and space science that have important long lasting effects on
science and society.
Scientific Inquiry
1. Formulate testable hypotheses.
2. Evaluate assumptions that have been used in reaching conclusions.
Scientific Ways of Knowing
3. Apply science inquiry to evaluate results of scientific investigations, observations,
theoretical models, and the explanations proposed by other scientists.
4. Demonstrate that scientific explanations adhere to established criteria, it must be
logically consistent and be open to questions and modifications.
7.
Explain how theories are judged by how well they fit with other theories, and how well
they are at predicting new findings.
Grade Twelve State Standards:
Science and Technology
1. Explain how science often advances with the introduction of new technologies.
2. Describe how new technologies often extend the current levels of scientific
understanding.
Scientific Ways of Knowing
3. Select a scientific model, concept, or theory and explain how it has been revised over
time based on new knowledge, perceptions, or technology.
Instructional Sequence
1. Show short video clips of San Francisco earthquake and fire, volcanic eruptions, summit
of Mt. Everest to introduce the unit.
2. Students will be asked to propose a connection between the videos.
3. Reading assignment on Alfred Wegener and his original observations and conclusions
4. Cut out 12 mixed up map sections that correspond to the major plates. Arrange them
into a world map. Students then label each plate.
5. Distinguish between convergent, divergent, and transverse boundaries
6. On a world map, locate Earth features and phenomena at each of the three boundary
types (ie. Himalaya Mt., Andes Mt., mid-Atlantic ridge, East-Pacific Rise, San Andreas
fault, Mariana Trench, Rocky Mts.
7. Locate convergent, divergent, and transverse boundaries on Earth map.
8. Draw arrows showing the direction the major plates are moving based on the
corresponding plate boundaries.
9. Quiz on plates, plate boundaries, surface features, and relative plate movement.
10. Reading assignment on Earth’s interior
11. Observe relative age of rocks on both sides of the mid-Atlantic ridge
12. Observe magnetic fluctuations on both sides of the mid-Atlantic ridge
13. Apply concepts of plate tectonics to explain the location of ancient mountain ranges such
as the Ural Mts. And the Appalachian Mts.
14. Apply concepts of Earth plate tectonics to theoretical plate movements on other planets.
15. Construct a “new planet” with their own plates and surface features
16. Graph side profile of Tonga trench and Chile trench to illustrate subduction
17. Use subduction to explain the location of ocean trenches
18. Predict the side profile of other ocean trenches
19. Graph location of Hawaiian Island chain vs. age of each island.
Explain the occurrence of volcanoes in the middle of a plate.
20. Use Hawaii and Yellowstone Park as examples of “Hot Spots”
21. Have students construct models of seismometers
22. Distinguish three earthquake waves
23. Use lag time between s and p waves to calculate distance the earthquake focus is away
from the seismometer
24. Triangulate earthquakes
Resources
Heath Earth Science
Volcanoes.com
Discoveryschool.com
Volcanoworld.com
scotese.com/newpage13.
geology.com/pangea.htm
tsunami.geo.ed.ac.uk/local-bin/quakes/mapscript/home.pl
sciencecourseware.org/eec/Earthquake/
pangaea.org/wegener
pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/wegener
pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bowege
Concept map Theme: Plate tectonics
Key words by RANK
abstract
Plates
Fault
Epicenter
Focus
Divergent
Sea floor spreading
Convergent
Triangulation
Transverse
Subduction
Volcanic arch
Seismic waves
Hot spot
Richter scale
Convection
Lag time
Polar reversals
Concrete
Key words by CLUSTER
Plates
Convection
Divergent
Convergent
Transverse
Subduction
Earthquakes
Fault
Epicenter
Focus
Triangulation
Seismic waves
Richter scale
Lag time
Sea floor spreading
Volcanic arch
Hot spot
Polar reversals