Download Investigation 1

6th Grade
Dynamic Planet
Calendar &
Pacing
Unit 1
Plate Techtonics
and Earth’s
Structure
36 days
total
Inv. 1: 6
days
Inv. 2: 6
days
Inv. 3: 5
days
Inv. 4: 5
days
Inv. 5: 6
days
Inv.6: 8
days
Standard
1a. Students know evidence of plate
tectonics is derived from the fit of
the continents; the location of
earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean
ridges; and the distribution of
fossils, rock types, and ancient
climatic zones.
1b. Students know Earth is composed
of several layers: a cold, brittle
lithosphere; a hot, convecting mantle;
and a dense, metallic core.
1c. Students know lithospheric plates
the size of continents and oceans
move at rates of centimeters per
year in response to movements in the
mantle.
1d. Students know that earthquakes
are sudden motions along breaks in
the crust called faults and that
volcanoes and fissures are locations
where magma reaches the surface.
1e. Students know major geologic
events, such as earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, and mountain building,
result from plate motions.
1f. Students know how to explain
major features of California geology
(including mountains, faults,
volcanoes) in terms of plate
tectonics.
1g. Students know how to determine
the epicenter of an earthquake and
know that the effects of an
earthquake on any region vary,
depending on the size of the
earthquake, the distance of the
region from the epicenter, the local
geology, and the type of construction
in the region.
Academic
Language
plate tectonics
continents
climatic
ancient
eruption
epicenter
fault
lithosphere
midocean ridges
model
observation
evidence
seismograph
crust
core
convection
density
hydrosphere
inquiry
sediment
data
plate boundry
subduction
biosphere
fault
magma
pressure
theory
pangea
Teacher Notes
Blackline Masters
Investigation 1:
Pre-Assessment
Journal Entry-Evaluation
Sheets, Checklist
1-1 Class Data Sheet
1-2 Earth’s Interior
Structure
1-3 P Wave Shadow Zone
Investigation 2:
2-1 Experimental Setup
2-2 Relative Motion
of Lithospheric Plates
2-3 Lithosphere
2-4 Type of Plate
Convergence
2-5 Cross section of
Continent-Continent
Convergence
2-6 Collision of the
Indian and Asian Plates
Activities
Summary
Investigation 1:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Waves travel at a certain
rate in a uniform material.
2. Waves carry energy with
them as they move through a
material.
3. Waves are refracted when
they enter material of a
different density.
4. Compressional waves can
travel through solids, liquids,
and gases, but shear waves
can travel only through
solids.
5. The Earth’s interior has a
layered structure including
crust, mantle, and core, which
we have inferred from
the study of seismic waves.
6. Models can be revised and
improved with additional
data.
Investigation 2:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. The Earth’s crust consists
of thick, less dense
continental
crust and thin, more dense
oceanic crust.
2. The lithosphere is not one
continuous piece, but instead
exists as large and small
pieces or plates.
3. Plates can be moving apart
from one another, moving
toward one another, or sliding
past one another.
4. Plates with ocean crust are
denser and slide under
plates with continental crust
when they collide.
Investigation 1:
Earth’s Inner and Outer
Layers
Students investigate
wave speed (using
water), kinds of waves
(using Slinkys®),
to become familiar with
the evidence that
scientists have
used to model the Earth’s
interior
Investigation 2:
The Movement of the
Earth’s Lithospheric
Plates
Students begin to explore
the surface processes
and features that result
from plate motion by
using use simple
materials to simulate
motions and events at
plate boundaries
6th Grade
Dynamic Planet
Calendar &
Pacing
Unit 1
Plate Techtonics
and Earth’s
Structure
36 days
total
Inv. 1: 6
days
Inv. 2: 6
days
Inv. 3: 5
days
Inv. 4: 5
days
Inv. 5: 6
days
Inv.6: 8
days
Standard
1a. Students know evidence of plate
tectonics is derived from the fit of
the continents; the location of
earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean
ridges; and the distribution of
fossils, rock types, and ancient
climatic zones.
1b. Students know Earth is composed
of several layers: a cold, brittle
lithosphere; a hot, convecting mantle;
and a dense, metallic core.
1c. Students know lithospheric plates
the size of continents and oceans
move at rates of centimeters per
year in response to movements in the
mantle.
1d. Students know that earthquakes
are sudden motions along breaks in
the crust called faults and that
volcanoes and fissures are locations
where magma reaches the surface.
1e. Students know major geologic
events, such as earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, and mountain building,
result from plate motions.
1f. Students know how to explain
major features of California geology
(including mountains, faults,
volcanoes) in terms of plate
tectonics.
1g. Students know how to determine
the epicenter of an earthquake and
know that the effects of an
earthquake on any region vary,
depending on the size of the
earthquake, the distance of the
region from the epicenter, the local
geology, and the type of construction
in the region.
Academic
Language
plate tectonics
continents
climatic
ancient
eruption
epicenter
fault
lithosphere
midocean ridges
model
observation
evidence
seismograph
crust
core
convection
density
hydrosphere
inquiry
sediment
data
plate boundry
subduction
biosphere
fault
magma
pressure
theory
pangea
Teacher Notes
Blackline Masters
Activities
Summary
5. Earthquakes, mountains,
and/or volcanoes often occur
at the boundaries between
plates.
Investigation 3:
3-1 World Map
3-2 Seismograph
Station Results
3-3 Global Volcanic
Activity
3-4 Major Mountain
Chains
Investigation 3:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Earthquakes occur when
rocks on either side of a fault
slide past one another.
2. Volcanoes result from the
eruption of molten rock,
volcanic fragments, and gases
at the Earth’s surface.
3. Gas content often controls
the explosiveness of a
volcanic eruption.
4. Most earthquakes and
volcanoes occur along plate
boundaries.
5. Most of the world’s major
mountain chains are formed
where two lithospheric plates
converge.
Investigation 3:
Major geologic Events:
Earthquakes,
Volcanoes,
and Mountain Building
Students plot the
locations of earthquakes,
volcanoes,and mountain
ranges on a world map to
explore the relationships
between these events
and features, and
plate tectonics.
Investigation 4:
4-1 World Map of
Continents
4-2 Ancient Mountain Belts
4-3 Distribution of Fossils
4-4 Ice Sheet Distribution
4-5 Pangea
4-6 Breakup of Pangea
Investigation 4:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Continent shapes appear to
fit together.
2. There are common fossils,
mountain chains, and glacial
deposits on different
continents, some of which are
now widely separated by
oceans.
3. The theory of continental
drift fell out of favor with
scientists until a mechanism
(plate tectonics) for moving
the continents was discovered
Investigation 4:
The Evidence for Plate
tectonics
Students explore several
lines of geologic and
geographical evidence for
continental drift during the
last 250 million years
6th Grade
Dynamic Planet
Calendar &
Pacing
Unit 1
Plate Techtonics
and Earth’s
Structure
36 days
total
Inv. 1: 6
days
Inv. 2: 6
days
Inv. 3: 5
days
Inv. 4: 5
days
Inv. 5: 6
days
Inv.6: 8
days
Standard
1a. Students know evidence of plate
tectonics is derived from the fit of
the continents; the location of
earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean
ridges; and the distribution of
fossils, rock types, and ancient
climatic zones.
1b. Students know Earth is composed
of several layers: a cold, brittle
lithosphere; a hot, convecting mantle;
and a dense, metallic core.
1c. Students know lithospheric plates
the size of continents and oceans
move at rates of centimeters per
year in response to movements in the
mantle.
1d. Students know that earthquakes
are sudden motions along breaks in
the crust called faults and that
volcanoes and fissures are locations
where magma reaches the surface.
1e. Students know major geologic
events, such as earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, and mountain building,
result from plate motions.
1f. Students know how to explain
major features of California geology
(including mountains, faults,
volcanoes) in terms of plate
tectonics.
1g. Students know how to determine
the epicenter of an earthquake and
know that the effects of an
earthquake on any region vary,
depending on the size of the
earthquake, the distance of the
region from the epicenter, the local
geology, and the type of construction
in the region.
Academic
Language
plate tectonics
continents
climatic
ancient
eruption
epicenter
fault
lithosphere
midocean ridges
model
observation
evidence
seismograph
crust
core
convection
density
hydrosphere
inquiry
sediment
data
plate boundry
subduction
biosphere
fault
magma
pressure
theory
pangea
Teacher Notes
Blackline Masters
Activities
Summary
Investigation 5:
Nothing
Investigation 5:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. California is prone to
earthquakes
2. Earthquakes in California
are caused by stresses at the
boundaries between the
Pacific Plate and the North
American Plate.
3. Human preparedness can
reduce the impact of
earthquakes on communities
Investigation 5:
California’s Earthquake
Zones
Students investigate
community knowledge
about earthquakes in
their area, study
California’s earthquake
zones and consider
appropriate
preparedness.
Investigation 6
Final Investigation Evaluation
Sheet
Student Presentation
Evaluation Form
End of Unit Assessment
Review and Reflect Journal
Entry Evaluation Sheet
Investigation 6:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. California has a large
variety of different geologic
features.
2. California can be divided
into provinces each of which
has its own distinctive
geomorphology.
3. Different geomorphic
features have come about in
different ways.
Investigation 6:
The Geology of
California
Students use what they
have learned through this
unit to conduct a study of
the particular geologic
feature of California.
6th Grade
Dynamic Planet
Calendar &
Pacing
Unit 2
The Shaping of
Earth’s Surface
36 days
total
Inv. 1: 7
days
Inv. 2: 7
days
Inv. 3: 4
days
Inv. 4: 4
days
Inv. 5: 4
days
Inv. 6: 4
days
Inv. 7: 6
days
Standard
2a. Students know water running
downhill is the dominant process
in shaping the landscape,
including California’s landscape.
2b. Students know rivers and
streams are dynamic systems
that erode, transport sediment,
change course, and flood their
banks in natural and recurring
patterns.
2c. Students know beaches are
dynamic systems in which the
sand is supplied by rivers and
moved along the coast by the
action of waves.
2d. Students know earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, landslides,
and floods change human and
wildlife habitats.
Academic
Language
Dominant
Landscape
Stream
Dynamic
Erode
Transport
Sediment
Coast
Waves
Landslides
Wildlife
Habitat
Topography
Contour lines
Hypothesis
Variable
Geological cycle
Breakwater
Oxbow lake
Delta
Terminus
Teacher Notes
Blackline Masters
Activities
Summary
Investigation 1:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Topography is the shape of
the land surface.
2. Rocks and landforms are
part of the Earth’s systems
(geosphere).
3. There are many different
types of landforms.
Investigation 1:
Landforms in Your
Region
Students learn how to
interpret topographic and
geologic maps. They then
search for relationships
between local rock types
and local topography
Investigation 2:
Nothing
Investigation2:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Rocks break down through
a process called weathering.
2. Weathering involves the
geosphere, hydrosphere,
atmosphere, and biosphere.
3. Weathering is part of the
rock cycle.
4. Different types of rock are
affected differently by
weathering processes.
5. There are three types of
weathering: physical,
chemical,
and biological.
Investigation 2:
Rocks and Weathering
Students explore change
over time by forming
hypotheses and then
designing and conducting
fair tests on various
processes of rock
weathering.
Investigation 3:
Nothing
Investigation 3:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Erosional processes involve
the geosphere, the
biosphere, the atmosphere,
and the hydrosphere.
2. Erosion can be the result of
running water, wind,
glaciers, and gravity.
3. Some landforms are
shaped by erosion.
Investigation 3:
Erosional Landforms
Using models, students
investigate erosion of the
land by rivers and
streams and erosion by
waves at shorelines.
Investigation 1:
Pre-Assessment
Journal Entry Evaluation
Sheets, Checklist
1-1 Contour Map and Cross
Section
1-2 Reading and Drawing
Contour Maps
6th Grade
Dynamic Planet
Calendar &
Pacing
Unit 2
The Shaping of
Earth’s Surface
36 days
total
Inv. 1: 7
days
Inv. 2: 7
days
Inv. 3: 4
days
Inv. 4: 4
days
Inv. 5: 4
days
Inv. 6: 4
days
Inv. 7: 6
days
Standard
2a. Students know water running
downhill is the dominant process
in shaping the landscape,
including California’s landscape.
2b. Students know rivers and
streams are dynamic systems
that erode, transport sediment,
change course, and flood their
banks in natural and recurring
patterns.
2c. Students know beaches are
dynamic systems in which the
sand is supplied by rivers and
moved along the coast by the
action of waves.
2d. Students know earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, landslides,
and floods change human and
wildlife habitats.
Academic
Language
Dominant
Landscape
Stream
Dynamic
Erode
Transport
Sediment
Coast
Waves
Landslides
Wildlife
Habitat
Topography
Contour lines
Hypothesis
Variable
Geological cycle
Breakwater
Oxbow lake
Delta
Terminus
Teacher Notes
Blackline Masters
Investigation 4:
4-1 Saving the Lighthouse
Investigation 5:
Nothing
Investigation 6:
Nothing
Activities
Summary
Investigation 4:
Coastal Erosion and
Deposition
Students design an
experiment to investigate
erosion by
waves at shorelines using
models.
Investigation 4:
Coastal Erosion and
Deposition
Students design an
experiment to investigate
erosion by waves at
shorelines using models.
Investigation 5:
Students will model how:
1. Deltas and floodplains are
formed by sediment
deposition.
2. Erosion involves the
biosphere, the geosphere, the
atmosphere, and the
hydrosphere.
3. The effects of erosion vary
with the type of particle
being moved, the speed
and/or volume of the water
moving the particles, the
angle at which the medium
contacts the particles, and
other factors.
Investigation 5:
Deltas and Floodplains
Students explore how
streams, rivers, and
waves move and deposit
sediment and create or
modify landforms.
Investigation 6:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Glaciers are masses of ice
that flow under their own
weight.
2. Glaciers can erode and
deposit particles to form
landforms.
3. Glaciers move, but very
slowly.
4. Erosional processes involve
the geosphere, the
atmosphere, the biosphere,
and the hydrosphere.
Investigation 6:
Glaciers, Erosion, and
Deposition
Students use models to
investigate how glaciers
and ice caps change the
land
6th Grade
Dynamic Planet
Calendar &
Pacing
Unit 2
The Shaping of
Earth’s Surface
36 days
total
Inv. 1: 7
days
Inv. 2: 7
days
Inv. 3: 4
days
Inv. 4: 4
days
Inv. 5: 4
days
Inv. 6: 4
days
Inv. 7: 6
days
Standard
2a. Students know water running
downhill is the dominant process
in shaping the landscape,
including California’s landscape.
2b. Students know rivers and
streams are dynamic systems
that erode, transport sediment,
change course, and flood their
banks in natural and recurring
patterns.
2c. Students know beaches are
dynamic systems in which the
sand is supplied by rivers and
moved along the coast by the
action of waves.
2d. Students know earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, landslides,
and floods change human and
wildlife habitats.
Academic
Language
Dominant
Landscape
Stream
Dynamic
Erode
Transport
Sediment
Coast
Waves
Landslides
Wildlife
Habitat
Topography
Contour lines
Hypothesis
Variable
Geological cycle
Breakwater
Oxbow lake
Delta
Terminus
Teacher Notes
Blackline Masters
Activities
Summary
Investigation 7:
Final Investigation-Evaluation
Sheet
Student PresentationEvaluation Form
End of Unit Assessment
Review and Reflect
Evaluation Sheet
Investigation 7:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Earthquakes, volcanic
Eruptions, landslides, and
floods
change human and wildlife
habitats.
2. Changes in habitats can
change the behavior of its
occupants.
3. When habitats are changed
its occupants must adapt,
moved to a new suitable
environment to live
Investigation 7:
Changing Human and
Wildlife Habitats
Students investigate how
major geological events
can change human and
wildlife habitats.
6th Grade
Dynamic Planet
Calendar &
Pacing
Unit 3
Heat Energy
18 days
total
Inv. 1: 5
days
Inv. 2: 4
days
Inv. 3: 4
days
Inv. 4: 4
days
Standard
3a. Students know energy can be
carried from one place to
another by heat flow or by
waves, including water, light and
sound waves, or by moving
objects.
3b. Students know that when
fuel is consumed, most of the
energy released becomes heat
energy.
3c. Students know heat flows in
solids by conduction (which
involves no flow of matter) and
in fluids by conduction and by
convection (which involves flow
of matter).
3d. Students know heat energy
is also transferred between
objects by radiation (radiation
can travel through space).
Academic
Language
Energy
Heat
Sound
Fuel
Consumed
Conduction
Matter
Transfer
Radiation
Space
Thermal
Fossil fuel
Lignite
Bituminous coal
Amplitude
Kinetic energy
Potential energy
Teacher Notes
Blackline Masters
Activities
Summary
Investigation 1:
Pre-assessment
Journal Entry-Evaluation
Sheets, Checklist
1-1
House Diagram
Investigation 1:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Heat energy can be carried
from one place to another
in a predictable heat flow from
warmer objects to
cooler objects.
2. Insulating materials impede
heat energy from being
transferred.
3. The movement of heat
energy can be tracked.
Investigation 1:
Flow of Heat Energy
Students explore ideas
and questions and
investigate heat flow in a
building.
Investigation 2:
2-1 Stages in the Formation
of Coal
Investigation 2:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Dried plant matter is a
source of stored energy.
2. As plant matter
decomposes, it releases
gases.
3. Heat energy speeds the
decomposition of plant matter.
4. Peat and coal are formed
from plant materials through
the action of heat and
pressure over time. Peat,
coal,
petroleum, and natural gas
are sources of energy.
Investigation 2:
Fuels and Energy
Students experiment with
fossil fuels and model the
formation of natural gas.
6th Grade
Dynamic Planet
Calendar &
Pacing
Unit 3
Heat Energy
18 days
total
Inv. 1: 5
days
Inv. 2: 4
days
Inv. 3: 4
days
Inv. 4: 4
days
Standard
3a. Students know energy can be
carried from one place to
another by heat flow or by
waves, including water, light and
sound waves, or by moving
objects.
3b. Students know that when
fuel is consumed, most of the
energy released becomes heat
energy.
3c. Students know heat flows in
solids by conduction (which
involves no flow of matter) and
in fluids by conduction and by
convection (which involves flow
of matter).
3d. Students know heat energy
is also transferred between
objects by radiation (radiation
can travel through space).
Academic
Language
Energy
Heat
Sound
Fuel
Consumed
Conduction
Matter
Transfer
Radiation
Space
Thermal
Fossil fuel
Lignite
Bituminous coal
Amplitude
Kinetic energy
Potential energy
Teacher Notes
Blackline Masters
Activities
Summary
Investigation 3:
Nothing
Investigation 3:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Heat flows in solids by
conduction, involving no flow
of
matter;
2. Different solid materials
conduct heat energy at
different rates;
3. Heat energy is also
conducted in liquids and
gases.
Investigation 3:
Heat Conduction
Students investigate two
different examples of heat
conduction.
Investigation 4:
Students will collect evidence
that:
1. Waves travel at a certain
speed in a medium (like
water).
2. Wave properties can be
measured.
3. Energy, not the medium
(like water) is transmitted in
waves.
Investigation 4:
Waves and Energy
Students use models to
investigate energy wave
in water and sound waves
in air.
Investigation 4:
4-1 Parts of a Wave
Final Investigation Evaluation
Sheet
End of Unit Assessment
Review and Reflect Journal
Entry-Evaluation Sheet