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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. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 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