Download Plate Tectonics Scaffolded Lesson Plan

Plate Tectonics Lesson
ELL scaffolds and strategies are in purple
Content and Language Objectives:





To develop an understanding of the theory of plate tectonics and articulate their
understanding of the theory of plate tectonics in terms of the different plate contacts
To understand and articulate why plates move using key science terms and vocabulary
To visualize the formation of the Earth’s current geography
To find and explain evidence of plate movement using the Hall of Planet Earth at the
American Museum of Natural History (inquiry)
Encourage work and cooperation in groups
Materials:






AMNH Plate Tectonics Puzzle
UC Santa Barbara Plate Tectonic Animations
Google Earth with USGS layers
AMNH Hall of Planet Earth activity graphic organizer
Content vocabulary photo/word cards
Sentence strips and visuals
Method:
I. Before Class








Display content and language objectives
Prepare rules on blackboard or other awesome giant poster medium.
Prepare vocabulary photo/word cards with key terms
Prepare sentence strips and visuals
Prepare graphic organizers
Copy student rubric
Cut out plate tectonics puzzle pieces
Set up tables for groups of five
II. Icebreaker(20 minutes)


Discuss content and language objectives and student rubric
Pangaea puzzle
o One large puzzle per table/group
o Rules
 Accurately reconstruct Pangea using the geographic data presented on
each continent
1
Questions to pose to the groups and individual students for assessment.
Questions will be posted for students to refer to throughout the lesson.
 Why do the fossils, glaciers and rock groups match up on the separate
plates?
 What three to five important facts do you know about the Theory of
Plate Tectonics?
 How long ago did Pangaea exist?
 How fast do plates move?
 What is the name of each plate?
 What is the asthenosphere and the lithosphere?
 Is there other evidence for plate motion? (Glacial, GPS)
As the groups finish, the teacher will show an animation of the break up on Google
Earth
The teacher will reiterate the sequential order of the break up using
first…second…next…then…finally…
The teacher will provide sentence strips and sequential words for students to use to
communicate the order of the break up in pairs or small groups. If needed, students
can also use a visual to match with each sentence strip.
o



III. Pre-hall Discussion (20 minutes)
Room should be arranged into 5 groups (5 per table). The groups will have maps/pictures of
each example on the tables. Vocabulary photo cards and bilingual/monolingual glossaries
will be provided at each table as well.
Magic Planet will be exhibited in the classroom as a prop.
Students will be shown quick animations of each plate movement and flown down in
Google Earth to witness each example boundary. The lecture will be in a classroom
discussion format. The teacher should continuously pose questions to the whole class and
not call on any one student more than once. Questions will be prepared in advance and
posted for students to follow both orally and by reading the question. The teacher will
model expected responses orally and in writing in terms of content and language.
Students will be given sentence frames that correspond to each question to support them
in constructing oral responses.
These four questions will be placed on the tables along with their corresponding map of the
region
Q1. Why did Africa and South America move apart?

Divergent plate movement ‘seafloor spreading’
o mantle vs. crust
o convection cells, the solid yet liquid mantle, ‘boiled’ by the iron core
2
o
seafloor age
Q2. Where’s (Where was) Japan during Pangaea? / How did Japan form?

Ocean-ocean plate convergence
o Subduction
 densities of oceanic and continental crust
o formation of volcanic island arcs and potential for new land/continents
o earthquakes and tsunamis, GPS measurements of Japan during and after
tsunami
Q3. Was India connected to Antarctica and Australia during Pangaea? / How did the Himalayas
form?


Continent-continent plate convergence
o Plateau and high mountains, folding, faulting
o results in a thicker continental crust
Why do we see limestones, and other fossils on the top of the Himalayas?
Q4. Why did the western US look different during Pangaea? What is the San Andreas fault?

Continent-ocean plate convergence
o When an oceanic plate converges with a continental plate, the oceanic plate
subducts.
o This leads to the formation of a volcanic arc, a forearc basin, and an accretionary
wedge
 Volcanic Arc
 When the subducting plate reaches a high enough temperature, it
melts
 The warm, less-dense melt rises, forming magma in the
continental plate
 Magma results in either (a) active volcanism, or (b) the eventual
creation of a pluton (example: the Sierra Nevada)
Accretionary Wedge
 High pressure at margin → highly deformed rocks (folding,
faulting)
 Some rocks of the continental plate are uplifted (example: the
Coast Range of California)
 Any “continental crust” (islands) on the oceanic plate are accreted
(or added) to the continental plate
Forearc Basin
3


Because of the angle of the subducting slab, there is a gap
between the volcanic arc and the accretionary wedge. This is the
forearc basin.
Transform movement
o Strike-slip fault motion
o This can lead to extension (an example: the Basin and Range province)
o In California, off-coast subduction shifted to strike-slip motion as the mid-ocean
ridge subducted.
IV. Hall Exploration (20 minutes)




Break class into 5 teams, each assigned to a different plate boundary:
o 3 Convergent (continent-continent, continent-ocean, ocean-ocean)
o 1 Divergent
o 1 Transform
Teacher will review what “evidence” means and will model what the expectations are
for collecting evidence orally and in writing.
Students will be asked two main questions when investigating the Hall of Planet Earth:
o While exploring the halls, what evidence (two – three pieces of evidence) can
you find of your team’s plate boundary type? They should recall their rocks and
minerals session.
o Try to find a cross-section of your plate boundary in the hall and draw it out.
o Teacher will provide a graphic organizer to support ELLs in collecting evidence
and producing drawing.
Each teacher will be assigned to a group and reinforce concepts from the topics in the
Pre-Hall discussion (1-2 groups per teacher).
V. Debrief (20 minutes)

Each group will present their findings while taking questions from their fellow students.
The teacher will follow each group with commentary relating to or building upon the
concepts learned above. Students are welcome to use our videos or Google Earth.




Mention your plate boundary
Draw a cross section on the board as best you can
o teacher will clean up any mistakes using the class’ suggestions
Describe evidence that you found of your plate movement
Where on Earth can your plate boundary be found?
4
Student Rubric
Task
No
Partially
Yes
What revisions
do I need to
make?
I can articulate my
understanding of
the theory of plate
tectonics.
I can articulate why
plates move.
I can visualize the
formation of the
Earth’s current
geography.
I can cite and
explain the
evidence that I
found of plate
movement using
the Hall of Planet
Earth at the
American Museum
of Natural History
I worked
cooperatively and
contributed to my
group.
5
Teacher Rubric
Criterion
Student articulated
understanding of
the theory of plate
tectonics in terms
of the different
plate contacts.
1
Student either
did not attempt
to articulate
understanding
of the theory of
plate tectonics
in terms of the
different plate
contacts, or
explanation
was not
understood due
to linguistic
errors.
Student articulated
why plates move
using key science
terms and
vocabulary.
Student either
did not attempt
to articulate
why plates
move or
explanation
was not
understood due
to linguistic
errors. Student
attempted to
use some key
science terms
and vocabulary.
Student cites and
explains the
evidence of plate
movement using
Student does not
cite or explain
the evidence of
plate
movement
2
Student
attempted to
articulate
understanding
of the theory
of plate
tectonics in
terms of the
different plate
contacts.
Linguistic
errors were
present that
obstructed
meaning at
times. Student
included some
content
vocabulary.
Student
attempted to
articulate why
plates move.
Linguistic
errors
obstructed
meaning at
times. Student
included some
key science
terms and
vocabulary.
3
Student clearly
articulated
understanding
of the theory of
plate tectonics
in terms of the
different plate
contacts. Some
linguistic errors
may be present
that do not
obstruct
meaning.
Choice of
content
vocabulary
aided
explanation.
4
Student clearly
articulated
understanding of
the theory of
plate tectonics in
terms of the
different plate
contacts and
added details.
Some linguistic
errors may be
present that do
not obstruct
meaning. Choice
of technical and
precise
vocabulary aided
explanation.
Student
articulated why
plates move
using key
science terms
and vocabulary.
Student
articulated why
plates move
using technical
and precise
science terms
and vocabulary.
Student cites
or explains the
evidence of
plate
Student cites
and explains
the evidence of
plate
Student cites and
explains the
evidence of plate
movement using
6
the Hall of Planet
Earth at the
American Museum
of Natural History
using the Hall of
Planet Earth at
the American
Museum of
Natural History,
or explanation
is not
understood due
to linguistic
errors.
Student worked
cooperatively and
contributed to his
or her group.
Despite
sufficient
teacher
scaffolds,
student did not
attempt to
work
cooperatively
and/or
contribute to
his or her group
movement
using the Hall
of Planet Earth
at the
American
Museum of
Natural
History.
Linguistic
errors were
present that
obstructed
meaning at
times.
Despite
sufficient
teacher
scaffolds,
student did
not fully work
cooperatively
and/or
contribute
sufficiently to
his or her
group
movement
using the Hall
of Planet Earth
at the American
Museum of
Natural History.
Some linguistic
errors may be
present that do
not obstruct
meaning.
the Hall of Planet
Earth at the
American
Museum of
Natural History,
adding details.
Some linguistic
errors may be
present that do
not obstruct
meaning.
Student worked
cooperatively
and
contributed to
his or her group
Student worked
cooperatively
and contributed
to his or her
group, taking on
a leadership role
7