Download Task 3 - Geysers and Hydrothermal Vents

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The following instructional plan is part of a GaDOE collection of Unit Frameworks, Performance Tasks, examples of Student
Work, and Teacher Commentary. Many more GaDOE approved instructional plans are available by using the Search Standards
feature located on GeorgiaStandards.Org.
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Geysers and Hydrothermal Vents – 6th Grade
Subject Area: Earth Science
Grade: 6th
Standards (Content and Characteristics):
FOCUS STANDARDS:
S6E3. Students will recognize the significant role of water in earth processes.
c. Describe the composition, location, and subsurface topography of the world’s oceans.
d. Explain the causes of waves, currents, and tides.
S6E5. Students will investigate the scientific view of how the earth’s surface is
formed.
a. Compare and contrast the Earth’s crust, mantle, and core including temperature,
density, and composition.
d. Describe processes that change rocks and the surface of the earth.
e. Recognize that lithospheric plates constantly move and cause major geological events
on the earth’s surface.
f. Explain the effects of physical processes (plate tectonics, erosion, deposition, volcanic
eruption, gravity) on geological features including oceans (composition, currents, and tides).
SUPPORTING STANDARDS
S6E5. Students will investigate the scientific view of how the earth’s surface is formed.
b. Investigate the contribution of minerals to rock composition.
c. Classify rocks by their process of formation.
S6E6. Students will describe various sources of energy and with their uses and
conservation.
b. Identify renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Enduring Understanding:
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another.
Some changes in the earth’s surface are abrupt (such as earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions) while other changes happen very slowly (such as large-scale plate movement
and wearing down of mountains).
Heat sources near the earth’s surface can produce geologic features not located at major
plate boundaries.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Earth Science  6th Grade  Geysers and Hydrothermal Vents
JULY 2008  Page 1 of 4
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Geysers and Hydrothermal Vents – 6th Grade
Essential Questions:
Where are plate tectonic features located other than at plate boundaries?
How are hydrothermal vents and geysers produced?
Where are sources of geothermal energy on the sea-floor? On continents?
What are renewable resources produced by tectonic processes?
ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES
Outcome /
Performance
Expectations:
General
Teacher
Instructions:
explore the interior of a hot spring and geyser in an online feature;
predict where hydrothermal vents might be found;
do an online simulation to visit hydrothermal vents;
learn about hydrothermal vents by doing an online simulation
compare hydrothermal vents to land-based geysers;
use a plate tectonics map to hypothesize the regions where hydrothermal
vents might be most likely to occur;
read about and view pictures of four creatures that live near hydrothermal
vents; and
Background for Teachers
The Earth's tectonic plates can move apart, collide, or slide past each other. The MidOcean Ridge system - the Earth's underwater mountain range - arises where the
plates are moving apart. As the plates part, the seafloor cracks. Cold seawater seeps
down into these cracks, becomes super-heated by magma, and then bursts back out
into the ocean, forming hydrothermal vents.
Hydrothermal Vents
A hydrothermal vent is a geyser on the seafloor. It continuously spews super-hot,
mineral-rich water that helps support a diverse community of organisms. Although
most of the deep sea is sparsely populated, vent sites abound with a fascinating
variety of life. Tubeworms and huge clams are the most distinctive inhabitants of
Pacific Ocean vent sites, while eyeless shrimp are found only at vents in the Atlantic
Geysers
Most of us are familiar with "Old Faithful" in Yellowstone National Park. This
famous geyser erupts several times a day. It spouts a column of water heated by
volcanic rock deep within the Earth's crust.
Students will use National Geographic's Fantastic Journeys: Yellowstone to learn
about the processes that drive geysers.
Hydrothermal vents are geysers located on the ocean floor in the deep sea. Students
will learn about these vents by doing a simulation and viewing pictures of animals
that live near the vents.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Earth Science  6th Grade  Geysers and Hydrothermal Vents
JULY 2008  Page 2 of 4
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Geysers and Hydrothermal Vents – 6th Grade
Materials
Needed:
Task with
Student
Directions:
Computer with Internet access
Iron-sulfide minerals, iron-oxides
Part 1.Geysers
Have students read the text at National Geographic's Fantastic Journeys:
Yellowstone. Ask them if they have ever seen a geyser up close or on TV. What
did it look like? How long did it last? Why does a geyser erupt?
From this geyser page, ask students to click on "Plumb the Depths." where they
will be taken to an interactive feature that sends them down into the spring.
If restricted Internet access makes it difficult for you to do the above steps, an
alternative would be to draw a diagram on the board showing the different levels
of a hot spring or geyser. Point to each level as you describe what can be found
there.
Part 2. Hydrothermal Vents
Tell the class that geysers can also be found in the ocean. These geysers are called
hydrothermal vents. They are generally found at least 7,000 feet (2,134 meters)
below the ocean surface in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. They spew
hot water for the same reasons that land-based geysers do.
Have students look at the pictures of hydrothermal vents at National Geographic's
Dawn in the Deep and the National Geographic magazine article Deep Sea
Vents: Science at the Extreme. If possible, also have them view the video at the
Dawn in the Deep page (there's a link on the right side of the screen). In what
ways do these vents look similar to the land-based geysers they've seen? In what
ways do they look different?
Have students look at the map of the Earth's plates at Extreme 2000: Voyage to
the Deep or in a book. If they have already learned about plate tectonics, briefly
review the concept.
Ask students to predict, based on the plate tectonics map, where in the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans they might find the greatest numbers of hydrothermal vents.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Earth Science  6th Grade  Geysers and Hydrothermal Vents
JULY 2008  Page 3 of 4
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Geysers and Hydrothermal Vents – 6th Grade
Resources:
Related Links:
About Geysers
American Museum of Natural History Expeditions: Black Smokers
Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents
National Geographic News
Voyage to the Deep: Creature Features
Voyage to the Deep: Plate Tectonics
American Museum of Natural History: Expeditions—Black Smokers
Extreme 2000: Voyage to the Deep
National Geographic Magazine: Deep Sea Vents—Science at the Extreme
National Geographic News
National Geographic: Dawn in the Deep
National Geographic: Fantastic Journeys—Yellowstone
Homework /
Extension:
Conduct a class discussion on the reasons that geothermal energy exists. Have
students use the internet to find the timing of eruptions of a geyser and the
duration of each eruption. Students can study the eruption patterns of several
geysers and make comparisons and conclusions.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Earth Science  6th Grade  Geysers and Hydrothermal Vents
JULY 2008  Page 4 of 4
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved