Download History Helps When It Comes To Plate Tectonics

8th Grade Science Unit:
History Helps When It Comes To Plate Tectonics
Unit Snapshot
Topic: Physical Earth
Duration:
Grade Level: 8
10 days
Summary:
The following activities engage students in historical contributions that have
led to current day perspectives related to the Theory of Plate Tectonics.
Students will also take a deeper look into the internal workings of Earth, in
order to understand the physical mechanism of convection that drives plate
movement.
Clear Learning Targets
“I can”…statements
____ describe various historical theories and data evidence that have led to the
present-day Plate Tectonic Theory
____ describe Wegener’s Theory of Continental Drift.
____ model and explain the process of sea-floor spreading.
____ model and explain how convection currents in the mantle cause the
movement of tectonic plates.
Activity Highlights and Suggested Timeframe
Days 1-2
Days 3-4
Days 5-6
Days 7-8
Day 9
and on-going
Day 10
Engagement: The objective of this activity is to engage students and assess
student knowledge related to historical data and ideas that have led to the
current-day Theory of Plate Tectonics through an on-line simulation GIZMO.
Exploration: The objective of this activity is to provide students with the
opportunity to explore Continental Drift Theory which has led to the current-day
Theory of Plate Tectonics through reading and textbook activities.
Explanation: The objective of this activity is to provide students with the
opportunity to explore Sea-Floor Spreading which has led to the current-day
Theory of Plate Tectonics through reading, modeling, and textbook activities.
Elaboration: The objective of the following activities is to give students the
opportunity to apply acquired knowledge in order to understand the physical
mechanism of convection that drives the movement of the plates.
Evaluation: The objective of the assessments is to focus on and assess student
knowledge and growth to gain evidence of student learning or progress
throughout the lesson, and to become aware of students misconceptions related
to historical theories and data related to Plate Tectonics. A teacher-created
short-cycle assessment can be used to assess all learning targets (Day 9)
Extension/Intervention: Based on the results of the short-cycle assessment,
facilitate extension and/or intervention activities.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
1
LESSON PLANS
NEW LEARNING STANDARDS:
8.ESS.2a -Earth’s Crust consists of major and minor tectonic plates that move relative to
each other.
Historical data and observations such as fossil distribution, paleomagnetism, continental drift and seafloor spreading contributed to the theory of plate tectonics. The rigid tectonic plates move with the
molten rock and magma beneath them in the upper mantle.
Convection currents in the crust and upper mantle cause the movement of the plates. The energy
that forms convection currents comes from deep within the Earth.
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY and APPLICATION PRACTICES:
During the years of grades K-12, all students must use the following scientific inquiry and application practices with appropriate
laboratory safety techniques to construct their knowledge and understanding in all science content areas:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering) that guide scientific
investigations
Developing descriptions, models, explanations and predictions.
Planning and carrying out investigations
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)that conclude
scientific investigations
Using appropriate mathematics, tools, and techniques to gather data/information, and analyze and
interpret data
Engaging in argument from evidence
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating scientific procedures and explanations
*These practices are a combination of ODE Science Inquiry and Application and Framework for K-12
Science Education Scientific and Engineering Practices
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS for LITERACY in SCIENCE:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.3 Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking
measurements, or performing technical tasks.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with
a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using
search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the
data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
*For more information: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf
STUDENT KNOWLEDGE:
Prior Concepts Related to Forces, Movement and Igneous Environments
K-2: Properties of materials can change. Pushing and pulling can affect the motion of an object.
Grades 3-5: Forces change the motion of an object. Rocks have specific characteristics. Heat is a form of
energy. Energy can be conserved. Earth’s surface has specific characteristics. Heat results when materials
rub against each other. Gravitational force and magnetism also are studied.
Grades 6-7: Rocks have characteristics that are related to the environment in which they form. Thermal
energy is a measure of the motion of the atoms and molecules in a substance. Energy can be transformed,
transferred and conserved. Thermal energy can be transferred through radiation, convection and
conduction.
Future Application of Concepts
High School: Thermal energy, gravitational energy, radioactive decay and energy transfer are studied. In the
grades 11/12 Physical Geology course, further studies of plate tectonics, seismology and volcanism are
found.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
2
MATERIALS:
VOCABULARY:
Engage
Computer/Projector/Internet; If possible – computer lab, laptops, or
ipads.
GIZMO Student Worksheets
Explore
Computer/Project/Internet
Earth Science Textbooks
Student Textbook Worksheets
Explain
Computer/Project/Internet
Earth Science Textbooks
Student Textbook Worksheets
Elaborate
Earth Science Textbook
2 large glass jars – large canning jars work well or glass flasks
Hot Plate/Pot to heat water
Hot and Cold Water
Red and Blue Food Coloring
A spoon for stirring
2 Large index cards
A tray to set the experiment in – large enough to hold any spilled
water from the jars.
Student Copies of the Convection Demo Worksheet
Students Textbook Worksheets
SAFETY
ADVANCED
PREPARATION
ENGAGE
(2 days)
(What will draw students into the
learning? How will you determine
what your students already know
about the topic? What can be
done at this point to identify and
address misconceptions? Where
can connections be made to the
real world?)
Primary
Continental Drift
Convection Currents
Sea-Floor Spreading
Paleoclimate
Paleomagnetic
Paleontological
Plate Tectonic Theory
Secondary
Core
Density
Magma
Mantle
Pangaea
All CSS Safety and Laboratory Procedures/Rules apply.
Be careful when using heating elements to warm the water.
Glass bottles can breaks if not handled carefully.
Hot glass looks the same as cold glass.
Gather materials for laboratory investigations/demonstrations
Copy student worksheets and articles
Reserve the computer lab/laptop cart if possible
Objective: The objective of this activity is to engage students and assess
student knowledge related to historical data and ideas that have
led to the current-day Theory of Plate Tectonics through an on-line
simulation GIZMO.
What is the teacher doing?
Building Pangaea GIZMO (Days 1-2)
Teachers Guide, Student Pages,
and Teacher Answer Key can all
be accessed through the
www.explorelearning.com
website.
-If you are unfamiliar with using
GIZMOs or do not know your
username and password, please
contact the science
department at 365-5297.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
What are the students doing?
Building Pangaea GIZMO (Days 1-2)
3
Pre-Gizmo activity: Matching
coastlines (10 - 15 minutes)
Using a classroom world map,
ask students to look closely at
the coastlines of Africa and
South America. Ask them what
they notice, and whether they
think that the fit of these
continents is just a coincidence
or something important.
1. Students are engaged in the
teacher led discussions about
matching coastlines.
Prior to using the Gizmo (10 - 15
minutes)
Before students are at the
computers, pass out the Student
Exploration sheets and ask
students to complete the Prior
Knowledge Questions. Discuss
student answers as a class, but
do not provide correct answers
at this point. Afterwards, if
possible, use a projector to
introduce the Gizmo and
demonstrate its basic operations
using the GIZMO Warm-up. Be
sure to demonstrate how to take
a screenshot and paste the
image into a blank document.
2. Students answer the priorknowledge questions.
3. As a class students complete the
GIZMO warm-up.
Gizmo activities(10 - 15 minutes
per activity)
Assign students to computers.
Students can work individually or
in small groups. Ask students to
work through the activities in the
Student Exploration using the
Gizmo. Encourage students to
paste screenshots of their results
into a document so they can
compare their work.
Alternatively, you can use a
projector and do the Exploration
as a teacher-led activity.
Follow-up with a discussion
about each activity.
4. Students complete GIZMO
activities A, B, and C either as a
class, partners, or individuals.
Consider showing the following
Discovery Ed Video Clip if needed:
Pangaea: The History of the Continents
[2:23]
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
4
Objective: The objective of this activity is to provide students with the
opportunity to explore Continental Drift Theory which has led to the
current-day Theory of Plate Tectonics through reading and textbook
activities.
What is the teacher doing?
What are the students doing?
Wegener and Continental Drift Theory
(Days 3-4)
Wegener and Continental Drift Theory
(Days 3-4)
Show the following Discovery
Ed Video Clip if needed:
Continental Drift [2:21]
EXPLORE
(2 days)
(How will the concept be
developed? How is this relevant
to students’ lives? What can be
done at this point to identify and
address misconceptions?)
Drifting Continents
Assist students with reading the
Earth Science Textbook pp.
136-140.
Discuss Figure 12 on pp. 138139.
OPTIONAL: Guided Reading
and Study: Drifting Continents
(can be found on p.320-321 in
the Earth Science All-in-one
Teaching Resources Unit 1
Book.)
Distribute the Analyzing
Evidence: Continental Drift
Hand-out.
1. Students view the videoclip
and discuss any questions they
may have.
2. Students read pp.136-140.
3. OPTIONAL: Complete the
guided reading and study
worksheet using Earth Science
Textbook pp. 136-140.
4. Students complete the
Analyzing Evidence:
Continental Drift Worksheet.
Consider for HW or RICA: Earth
Science Textbook Enrich – The
Curious Case of Mesosaurus
(This can be found in the All-inone Teaching Resources Unit 1
Book p.323.
Objective: The objective of this activity is to provide students with the
opportunity to explore Sea-Floor Spreading which has led to the
current-day Theory of Plate Tectonics through reading, modeling,
and textbook activities.
EXPLAIN
(2 days)
(What products could the
students develop and share?
How will students share what they
have learned? What can be
done at this point to identify and
address misconceptions?)
What is the teacher doing?
What are the students doing?
Sea-Floor Spreading (Days 5-6)
Sea-Floor Spreading (Days 5-6)
Consider showing the following
Discovery Ed Video Clips
The Sea Floor is Spreading
(Greatest Discoveries with Bill
Nye [4:01]
The Ocean Floor: Clues about
Continental Drift on Earth [2:40]
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
1. Students view the video clip
and discuss any questions they
may have.
2. Students read pp.136-140.
5
OPTIONAL: Guided Reading
and Study: Sea-Floor
Spreading (can be found on
pp.326-328 in the Earth
Science All-in-one Teaching
Resources Unit 1 Book.)
Facilitate Earth Science
Textbook Skills Lab: Modeling
Sea-floor Spreading (can be
found on pp.331-334 of the Allin-one Teaching Resources Unit
1 Book).
Assist students with Review and
Reinforce: Sea-Floor Spreading
Worksheet (can be found on
p.329 in the Earth Science Allin-one Teaching Resources Unit
1 Book.
OPTIONAL: Complete the
guided reading and study
worksheet using Earth Science
Textbook pp. 136-140.
3. Complete Skills Lab: Modeling
Sea-Floor Spreading.
4. Students complete the Review
and Reinforce: Sea-Floor
Spreading Worksheet.
-Use Earth Science Textbook
pp. 141-147 as a resource.
Objective: The objective of the following activities is to give students the
opportunity to apply acquired knowledge in order to understand
the physical mechanism of convection that drives the movement of
the plates.
ELABORATE
(2 days)
(How will the new knowledge be
reinforced, transferred to new
and unique situations, or
integrated with related
concepts?)
What is the teacher doing?
What are the students doing?
Convection Currents (Days 7-8)
Temperature and Density Demo
See TEACHER PAGE
Gather materials for the
demonstration.
Use student volunteers to help
during the demonstration.
Consider showing the following
Discovery Ed (Unitedstreaming)Video
Clip:
How the Inner Structure of Planet Earth
Affects Plate Tectonics [5:43]
Convection Currents (Days 7-8)
1. Students are engaged in the
temperature and density
demonstration.
2. Students complete aligned
worksheet.
Convection and the Mantle
Assist students with Review and
Reinforce: Convection and the
Mantle (can be found on
p.316 Earth Science All-in-one
Teaching Resources Unit 1
Book.)
What’s Happening During Convection
Assist students with Enrich
Worksheet (can be found on
p.317 Earth Science All-in-one
Teaching Resources Unit 1
Book.)
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
3. Students view the Discovery Ed
video clip.
4. Students complete Earth
Science Textbook Review and
Reinforce activity.
-Use aligned Textbook pages
132-135.
5. Students complete Earth
Science Textbook Enrich
Activity.
-Use aligned Textbook pages
132-135.
6
Distribute Exit Ticket.
EVALUATE
(on-going)
(What opportunities will students
have to express their thinking?
When will students reflect on
what they have learned? How
will you measure learning as it
occurs? What evidence of
student learning will you be
looking for and/or collecting?)
EXTENSION/
INTERVENTION
(1 day or as needed)
COMMON
MISCONCEPTIONS
6. Complete Exit Ticket.
Objective: The objective of the assessments is to focus on and assess student
knowledge and growth to gain evidence of student learning or progress
throughout the lesson, and to become aware of students misconceptions
related to historical theories and data related to Plate Tectonics. A teachercreated short-cycle assessment can be used to assess all learning targets(Day
9)
Formative
How will you measure learning as it occurs?
Consider developing a
teacher-created formative
assessment
1. GIZMO can be used to assess
student’s prior knowledge related
to the movement of plates on
Earth’s surface.
2. Textbook activities can be used
to assess student knowledge
progression.
EXTENSION
Earth Science Textbook All-in-one
Teaching Resources Unit 1:
1. Laboratory Investigation:
Mapping a Future World
pp.347-352.
2. Drifting Continents – An
engineering activity:
http://www.teachengineering.
org/view_activity.php?url=coll
ection/cub_/activities/cub_na
tdis/cub_natdis_lesson02_activi
ty2.xml
3. Science News for Kids ArticleEarth’s Big Breakup by:
Stephen Ornes.
http://www.sciencenewsforkid
s.org/2012/10/powerfulmotions-beneath-the-indianocean-unleashed-a-series-ofearthquakes-near-sumatra/
Summative
What evidence of learning will demonstrate to
you that a student has met the learning
objectives?
1. Teacher-created short cycle
assessment will assess all clear
learning targets.
INTERVENTION
Earth Science Textbook All-in-one
Teaching Resources Unit 1:
1. Guided Reading and Study:
Convection and the mantle
pp.313-315.
2. Skills Lab: Modeling Mantle
Convection Currents pp. 342343.
3. Guided Reading and Study
Drifting Continents pp.320-321.
4. Review and Reinforce Drifting
Continents p. 322.
www.unitedstreaming.com related
video clips.
Only the continents move
The plates move at a fast rate
The plates used to move but currently have stopped moving
Weather patterns cause the plates to move
Plates only consist of continental crust
All geologic events are caused by plate movement
Present oceans only began as Pangaea broke apart - tied to general
idea that Pangaea was the original continent at the Earth's start (few
educational earth science films mention what came before Pangaea &
emphasis on Atlantic spreading leads to Pacific being overlooked).
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
7
The edge of a continent is the same thing as a plate boundary.
Strategies to address misconceptions:
Misconceptions can be addressed through the use of
www.unitedstreaming.com video clips, pictures/diagrams, as well as
through the use of models.
Misconceptions regarding Earth Science, including those dealing with
plate tectonics and Earth history, can be determined through a
professional “gallery walk.” Discussing the conclusions and findings can
be a very useful way to determine possible misconceptions that exist for
the class and address them. Carleton College offers a gallery walk
website at
http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/gallerywalk/misconceptions.html.
The Journal of Geoscience Education contains an article (Visual Abilities
and Misconceptions about Plate Tectonics), Sept. 2005, outlining the
use of student drawings to identify misconceptions at
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4089/is_200509/ai_n15668091/.
NASA provides a list of overarching Earth Science questions that address
many of the common misconceptions at this grade level. There are
resources and information that help address questions that center on
Earth Systems Science at http://science.nasa.gov/big-questions/
Misconceptions can be addressed through the teaching of
metacognition at “ah-ha” moments. A good resource for activities and
strategies that do this is “Strategies for Teaching Metacognition”
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/metacognition/tactics.html
Not all students have the same misconceptions, therefore “Think-PairShare” is an excellent peer strategy for challenging misconceptions.
Lower-level: Provide additional text resources (tradebooks, articles) that are
appropriate for the reading level of the student. For the
Investigation Labs consider mixed grouping strategies. Integrate
www.unitedstreaming.com videos into instruction.
Higher-Level: Consider having students create their own models to show
continental drift, sea-floor spreading, or convection. Consider
assigning extension activities.
DIFFERENTIATION
Strategies for meeting the needs of all learners including gifted students, English
Language Learners (ELL) and students with disabilities can be found at the
following sites:
ELL Learners:
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/DocumentManagement/DocumentDownload.aspx?DocumentID
=105521
Gifted Learners:
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/DocumentManagement/DocumentDownload.aspx?DocumentID
=105522
Students with Disabilities:
http://www.education.ohio.gov/GD/DocumentManagement/DocumentDownload.aspx?Docume
ntID=105523
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
8
Textbook Resources:
Pearson/Prentice Hall Earth Science Textbook
Chapter 5.1 Earth’s Interior pp.124-131
Chapter 5.2 Convection and the Mantle pp. 132-135
Chapter 5.3: Drifting Continents pp.136-140.
Chapter 5.4 Sea-Floor Spreading pp.141-149
Websites:
USGS: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/dynamic.html
PhET: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/plate-tectonics
Paleomap Project: http://www.scotese.com/
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/tectonics.html
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
Discovery Ed/Other Video Links:
Continents Adrift: An Introduction to Continental Drift and Plate
Tectonics [26:05]
Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye: Exploring the Earth [10:54]
The Endless Voyage: Making the Pieces Fit [27:22]
Literature:
Stille, Darlene R. (2007). Plate Tectonics: Earth’s Moving Crust.
Minneacpolis, Minnesota: Compass Point Books.
Silverstein, Alvin. (2009). Plate Tectonics. Minneapolis: Twenty-First
Century Books.
Hooper, Meredith. (2004). Island That Moved: How Shifting Forces Shape
Our Earth. New York: Viking Books.
Saunders, Craig. (2011). What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics? New
York: Crabtree Publishers.
Videos:
How the Earth Was Made [ DVD]. Produced by Pioneer Productions for
the History Channel; Director, Peter Chin. Journey in time to the erupting
volcanoes that created Earth's crust, to the depths of the ocean that
housed the first complex creatures, through devastating ice ages, and
finally to the future, when life on Earth comes to an end.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
9
Name________________________________________Date_________________________Period_______
Analyzing Evidence: Continental Drift
Is it Evidence?
Yes
Statements
No
Does it support
the idea
that the
continents
have moved?
Yes
No
1858: Geologist Eduard Seuss points out that fossils of the
Glossopteris plant are found in southern Africa, South
America, Australia, Antarctica, and India.
Wegener examines the location of tiny rocks and the
direction of grooves formed by large glaciers scraping
across southern areas of Africa, South America, Australia,
Antarctica, and India. He concludes that if all these
places were fitted together, they would form a
continuous ice sheet expanding outward in all directions.
Frankfurt News, January 6, 1 912: Announcement that
German scientist Alfred Wegener will speak at the
Geological Association meeting.
Popular Geology magazine, March 12, 1912: “Continents
are so large they must always have been where they
are.”
Wegener observes that a South American mountain
range in Argentina lines up with an ancient African
mountain range in South Africa when the two continents
are placed together. He writes: “It is just as if we were to
refit the torn pieces of a newspaper by matching their
edges and then check whether the lines of print ran
smoothly across. If they do, there is nothing left but to
conclude that the pieces were in fact joined
in this way.”
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
10
1927: Geologist Alexander du Toit observes rock layers on
the western coast of Africa in the following sequence:
basalt rock, shale containing fossil reptiles, coal layers
containing Glossopterisfossils, rocks containing
Mesosaurus fossils, and shale. He discovers an almost
identical sequence of rock layers on the eastern coast of
South America.
1944: Geologist Baily Willis calls Wegener’s theory a fairy
tale. He argues that the theory should be ignored.
1965: Geologist Edward Bullard uses computers to match
coasts of South America and Africa. They match
extremely well at an ocean depth of 1,000 meters.
1980s: Satellites and lasers are used to measure the
movement of continents. They continue to move at an
average of about 2 cm (0.8 in) per year.
Fossils of Megascolecina earthworms are found in South
America, Africa, India, and Australia, as well as the
islands of Madagascar and New Guinea.
Evidence Summary
Directions: List the evidence from the statements above.
Adapted from © 2012 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
11
Name____TEACHER ANSWER KEY_______Date_________________________Period_______
Analyzing Evidence: Continental Drift
Is it Evidence?
Yes
Statements
No
Does it support
the idea
that the
continents
have moved?
Yes
X
1858: Geologist Eduard Seuss points out that fossils of the
Glossopteris plant are found in southern Africa, South
America, Australia, Antarctica, and India.
X
X
Wegener examines the location of tiny rocks and the
direction of grooves formed by large glaciers scraping
across southern areas of Africa, South America, Australia,
Antarctica, and India. He concludes that if all these
places were fitted together, they would form a
continuous ice sheet expanding outward in all directions.
X
X
No
X
Frankfurt News, January 6, 1912: Announcement that
German scientist Alfred Wegener will speak at the
Geological Association meeting.
X
X
Popular Geology magazine, March 12, 1912: “Continents
are so large they must always have been where they
are.”
X
Wegener observes that a South American mountain
range in Argentina lines up with an ancient African
mountain range in South Africa when the two continents
are placed together. He writes: “It is just as if we were to
refit the torn pieces of a newspaper by matching their
edges and then check whether the lines of print ran
smoothly across. If they do, there is nothing left but to
conclude that the pieces were in fact joined
in this way.”
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
X
12
1927: Geologist Alexander du Toit observes rock layers on
the western coast of Africa in the following sequence:
basalt rock, shale containing fossil reptiles, coal layers
containing Glossopterisfossils, rocks containing
Mesosaurus fossils, and shale. He discovers an almost
identical sequence of rock layers on the eastern coast of
South America.
X
X
X
1944: Geologist Baily Willis calls Wegener’s theory a fairy
tale. He argues that the theory should be ignored.
X
X
1965: Geologist Edward Bullard uses computers to match
coasts of South America and Africa. They match
extremely well at an ocean depth of 1,000 meters.
X
X
1980s: Satellites and lasers are used to measure the
movement of continents. They continue to move at an
average of about 2 cm (0.8 in) per year.
X
X
Fossils of Megascolecina earthworms are found in South
America, Africa, India, and Australia, as well as the
islands of Madagascar and New Guinea.
X
Evidence Summary
Directions: Summarize the evidence that supports the idea that the continents have moved.
Similar plant and animal fossils found on various continents
Tiny rocks and Glacier groove marks in different countries, that would
match up if put together.
Mountain ranges on different continents that would match up if put
together.
Similar order of rock layers on different continents
Coastlines of different continents matching up.
Satellite and laser evidence showing continent movement.
Adapted from © 2012 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
13
Temperature and Density Demo – Teacher Page
Materials:
4 identical glass jars (large canning jars work well) or
flasks.
Hot water
Cold water
Food coloring
Large Index cards
A large, shallow baking pan/tray (if you don't have
one, do this activity over the sink--it can be messy)
Procedure:
1. Fill one of the jars with very hot tap water. Add a drop of red food coloring.
Ask students What happens to the drop? Watch for a minute, then put the red jar into the tray.
2. Fill the other jar with cold water. Add a drop of blue food coloring. What happens to that drop?
3. Slowly add more water to the blue jar until you can see a bulge of water over the rim of the jar.
Ask students to predict and record what they think will happen when the blue jar is placed on top of the red jar.
4. Lay the square card carefully onto the top of the blue jar. Tap the card gently with your finger. (Don't poke it.
You want the card to be flat and form a seal with the water and the jar.)
5. This part is very tricky. You may want to practice it a few times over the sink with a jar of plain water. Pick up
the blue jar and turn it straight upside-down. You don't need to put your hand on the card. The water will
hold the card in place. (Just flip the jar over. Don't hesitate. If the jar is tilted but not turned over completely,
the water will gush out and make a mess.) Put the upside-down blue jar right on top of the red jar.
6. Have someone hold onto both jars while you very slowly and carefully pull the card out.
What happens? What color is the water in the top jar? What color is the water in the bottom jar?
Ask students to record what actually happened when the blue jar is placed on top of the red jar.
7. Empty both jars. Rinse them. Repeat steps 1 through 6--but put the jar with the blue-colored cold water in the
baking pan and put the card on top of the jar with the red-colored hot water. Turn the red jar upside-down
and put it on top of the blue jar.
8. Slowly pull out the index card. What happens? What color is the water in the top jar? What color is the water
in the bottom jar?
Explanation:
Heating a substance causes molecules to speed up and spread slightly further apart, occupying a
larger volume that results in a decrease in density.
Cooling a substance causes molecules to slow down and get slightly closer together, occupying a
smaller volume that results in an increase in density.
Hot water is less dense and will float on room-temperature water.
Cold water is more dense and will sink in room-temperature water.
Video clip example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP2wDmaThjA
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
14
Name___________________________________________Date______________________Period______
Temperature and Density
When…
COLD
(blue)
HOT
(red)
HYPOTHESIS:
Predict what will happen.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
RESULT:
What actually happened?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
When…
HOT
(red)
COLD
(blue)
HYPOTHESIS:
Predict what will happen.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
RESULT:
What actually happened?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
15
Name__________________________________________Date_____________________Period______
Exit Ticket - CONVECTION CURRENTS
Label the arrows: Hot or Cold
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu
How does CONVECTION influence tectonic plate movement?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Name__________________________________________Date_____________________Period______
Exit Ticket - CONVECTION CURRENTS
Label the arrows: Hot or Cold
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu
How does CONVECTION influence tectonic plate movement?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
16