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Rebecca Lambrix and Sara Tiesenga Plate Tectonics A 6th Grade Unit Lesson 1: Plate Tectonics Standards: E.SE.06.51 Explain plate tectonic movement and how the lithospheric plates move centimeters each year. E.SE.06.53 Describe layers of the Earth as a lithosphere (crust and upper mantle), convecting mantle, and dense metallic core. S.IP.06.16 Identify patterns in data. S.IA.06.11 Analyze information from data tables and graphs to answer scientific questions. Objectives: Objective 1: TSW correctly label a picture of a cross cut section of the earth. Objective 2: TSW define the pushes and pulls of the lithospheric plates Objective 3: TSW explain how the pushes and pulls on the plate result in movement . Objective 4: TSW identify patterns in locations of frequent earthquakes and volcanoes in relation to the plate boundaries. Objective 5: TSW interpret the patterns observed to be the location of plate boundaries Day 1 To begin students will watch this video and write down questions that come up to them during it. Video: http://science.discovery.com/tv-­‐shows/greatest-­‐discoveries/videos/100-­‐greatest-­‐discoveries-­‐plate-­‐
tectonics.htm As a class we will write the common questions on the board as a reminder of what we want to learn during this unit. As questions are answered throughout the unit we will go back to the board and check them off so students can mark their own progress and learning. Students will work together to create a foldable booklet with each page representing the different layers of the earth, from the crust to the inner core. This booklet will be used to help them define each layer and also key characteristics of each layer like if it is solid or fluid. This will help them grasp that there is a Rebecca Lambrix and Sara Tiesenga fluid mantle that is convecting, which is playing a key part in plate movement. They will obtain the key facts for their booklet by explore the following cite on the computers. http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/structure.html Day 2 Students will watch the first 2 minutes of this video to get a better picture of how the plates are moving. They will be able to see the pushing and pulling of the plates and how the mantle convection assists in the process of plate movement Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-nIb8JkFrg Students will be asked to talk in small groups about the video and then share key findings and possible questions with the class. After the film students will be divided into groups of 3 or 4 students and be asked to come up with a creative way to present sea floor spreading and subduction zones to the rest of the class. They will have to describe how a plate is pushed and pulled while it is moving. They will have 10 minutes to create their presentation and then 1-­‐2 minutes to present to the class. Students will be asked to use the rest of the class time to complete a worksheet that shows a cross section of the earth and also subduction zones and mid ocean ridges. They will be asked to label each layer of the earth and show the direction of plate movement with the ridges, describing the pushes and pulls acting on the plate in the crust of the earth. This will show if they understand the pushes and pulls of the plates and also the layer of the earth. We could use this picture as an outline for the worksheet to fill out. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics/images/convectioncurrent.gif Rebecca Lambrix and Sara Tiesenga Day 3-­‐ Students will be divided into small groups and presented with two maps, one showing volcanic activity and the other showing earthquake activity around the earth. They will be asked to find patterns the maps are showing and draw them on a smaller map of the earth that will be provided. The patterns should indicate where volcanoes and earthquakes are located and from this they will see the relationship between the location of volcanoes and earthquakes and their presence on the plate boundaries. They will then visit google earth and take a trip around the world to see if their patterns matched up with the plate boundaries shown. Working with a partner, students will receive a set of plate puzzle pieces that are each labeled with the plate name. They will work together to assemble the plates and complete the map of the earth. Knowing the names of the plates is not as important as knowing how they are fitting together and where the boundaries are. The following image is what will be used to create the plate puzzle. http://geology.com/plate-­‐tectonics.shtml Students will be given a blank map of the earth and asked to draw the plate boundaries on the map once the puzzle is completed. This will be turned in to assess their knowledge of the relationships between the puzzle pieces and plate boundaries. Students will complete this map individually not with their partner. The teacher will create a bulletin board of the plates of the earth to have displayed for the rest of the unit. Each plate should be labeled along with the continents. Rebecca Lambrix and Sara Tiesenga Lesson 2-­‐ Earthquakes Standards: E.SE.06.52 Demonstrate how major geological events (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain building) result from these plate motions. S.IP.06.11 Generate scientific questions based on observations, investigations, and research.S.IP.06.12 Design and conduct scientific investigations. S.RS.06.15 Demonstrate scientific concepts through various illustrations, performances, models, exhibits, and activities. Objectives: Objective 1: TSW describe how earthquakes occur based on plate movement. Objective 2: TSW distinguish between characteristics of normal, reverse and strike-­‐slip faults Objective 3: TSW research and develop a model of an actual earthquake. Objective 4: TSW will present their findings to the class. Day 1: Show the following video to the students as a review of plate tectonics and an introduction to earthquakes. This video demonstrates how the earthquakes occur based on the plate movement. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cavq2HFBa-U Start the video clip at 1: 30 and watch until the end. Students will be asked to record anything they find interesting or questions they have based on the clip. This will result in a class discussion where students begin to wonder how exactly earthquakes are forming. To emphasize that the plates are constantly moving and earthquakes are happening due to the tension built up and released students will explore the xQuake app on the computers and label 2 or 3 earthquakes they find interesting. They will include the location and strength of the earthquakes and ask 1 question they have about the earthquake. Students will pin their findings on a map of the earth the teacher put up on the bulletin board at the end of lesson 1. This will show students the relationship between plate boundaries and earthquake activity. Day 2: Students will be paired up and given two pieces of wood to represent plates. They will be asked to spend a few minutes exploring how the plates can interact or move past each other. They should record Rebecca Lambrix and Sara Tiesenga their findings in drawings, labeling which way the plates are moving past each other with arrows indicating direction. After 5 – 10 minutes of exploration the teacher will ask students to share their findings with the class. They will give the three types of movement their names as normal, reverse, or strike slip faults. The picture below shows the movements the students should have found. http://www.hp1039.jishin.go.jp/eqchreng/af1-­‐2.htm Using the pictures above the students will create a 3 tab foldable distinguishing between the three main types of earthquakes and write a short description in their own words of what happens in each situation. Informal assessment will be done by the teacher as they walk around and have short conversations with students about what they are learning about the different types of earthquakes. Students will fill out an exit card answering the question of what are the three types of earthquakes and at least 1 question they have about the lesson. This is not for a grade, just to be sure the students are on the right track. Rebecca Lambrix and Sara Tiesenga Day 3-­‐ The teacher will demonstrate the mechanics of an earthquake based on this video clip. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmU2cYWB1rQ This will get the students thinking about earthquakes again and focus them for the day. Students will be divided into groups of 3 or 4 students and asked to choose one of the earthquakes they found on the first day of exploration. They will asked to research what type of fault caused the earthquake, its location and the plates involved, the strength of the quake, and the damage it caused; also the epicenter of the earthquake and a few interesting facts along with tips on how to stay safe during an earthquake. They will be asked to create a presentation of their choosing to present their findings to the class the next day. They should be prepared to use the wooden block model to show how the plates involved moved. Day 4-­‐ The groups of students will present their findings from the previous day to the class one group a time. Presentations should last from 3 to 5 minutes. They must include all the information listed in the description in day 3. After presentations students will individually complete a short quiz distinguishing between the three types of faults. The quiz will also include a description of the earthquake they researched, describing how the plates would move. This shows their application of learning to their own research. Rebecca Lambrix and Sara Tiesenga Lesson 3: Volcanoes Content: S.IP.06.11 Generate scientific questions based on observations, investigations, and research. S.IP.06.12 Design and conduct scientific investigations. E.SE.06.52 Demonstrate how major geological events (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain building) result from these plate motions. S.RS.06.15 Demonstrate scientific concepts through various illustrations, performances, models, exhibits, and activities Objectives: Objective 1: TSW describe how volcanoes form based on plate movement Objective 2: TSW distinguish between characteristics of shield, cinder cone and composite volcanoes Objective 3: TSW investigate the appearance of volcanoes not along plate boundaries. Objective 4: TSW research a specific volcano and make an accurate model depicting key characteristics. Objective 5: TSW present findings to the class based on their research of certain volcanoes. Day 1: Students will be reintroduced to the video clip we viewed at the beginning of the unit. They will watch the first minute of it because this is where it deals with volcanism. Video: http://science.discovery.com/tv-­‐shows/greatest-­‐discoveries/videos/100-­‐greatest-­‐discoveries-­‐plate-­‐
tectonics.htm This short clip will draw the students into the new concept of volcanoes and how they form based on the plate movement. They will discuss in small groups something new they discovered about volcanoes from the video and then one member from each group will share their new fact with the class. Also students should write down any question they have from the video and what they want to learn more about. These will be written on the board to be answered as the lesson goes on. Students will then explore the maps of volcano eruption locations around the world. They will chart the patterns on their own map and then we will put the patterns on our classroom bulletin board that also shows the plate boundaries and earthquakes. This will further demonstrate to the students the patterns Rebecca Lambrix and Sara Tiesenga between the plate boundaries, volcanoes and earthquakes. This will also lead to the student’s discovery of volcanoes that do not occur on plate boundaries which are hot spots and will be discussed in the next class. Day 2: Students will complete an entry card asking how they think volcanoes form in the middle of the tectonic plates. We will explain that today we are talking about hot spots and how they create these volcanoes. Students will then watch this short clip on Hawaii and the volcanoes formed by the hotspot currently under the largest island. They will then do some online research with a partner to find other volcanoes around the world that have formed due to hotspots. With about 20 minutes left in class, students will report back to the class about their findings and we will place these hotspots on our map. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOCfb9ox_90 Day 3: Students will explore the following computer cite where they will gain information on volcanoes to construct a pyramid fold foldable where they will use each side to describe one of the three types of volcanoes. They must include how it erupts, if it is a danger to surrounding areas and one possible location where it might be found, also the shape of the volcano. These will be hung around the class so we can be reminded of the three types through the lesson. This activity will also give them a brief description of the inside of a volcano but that is not the focus of this activity. Volcano Explorer: http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/pompeii/interactive/interactive.html Day 4-­‐5: Now that students have some background information on different types of volcanoes they will be divided into groups of 3 or 4 and asked to choose a currently active volcano to research. They will find their volcano using the xQuake app that they used during the earthquake lesson. In their research students must find what kind of volcano theirs is, where it is located, when it last erupted and also create a cross section model of their volcano displaying the key internal structures. This will give them an overview to the internal structures and how a volcano actually works. We will ask the art teacher to help out with the construction of the model. Students must also be prepared to creatively share their findings with the class. Day 6: Students will present their presentations to the class in a 3 to 5 minute presentation. Then they will spend the rest of the class asking questions they have about the unit as a whole and also making sure that we have answered all the questions that were written on the board. This will happen in small group Rebecca Lambrix and Sara Tiesenga discussions and key questions can be raised to the whole class, to see if one student can answer another’s questions. Day 7: Students will complete an assessment that covers material from the entire unit. They will have to answer questions about their types of earthquakes and volcanoes, key characteristics of each and also how the plate movement is involved in both processes. There will be a few over arching questions on plate tectonics as well. After everyone has finished the assessment we will show this video to lead into our next unit on erosion and weathering. Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYv6V5EJAKc&feature=fvwp