P-2, Advanced Proficiency, 6Th Grade, Earth Science

P-2, Advanced Proficiency, 6th Grade, Earth Science

Unit Plan

6th Grade Science - Earth Science

UNIT BACKGROUND
Unit Number and Title: Unit 2: Earth’s Structure and Plate Tectonics / Grade Level: 6
Subject/Topic: Earth Science
Key Words: Crust, Mantle, Core, Lithosphere, Athenosphere, Convection, Conduction, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Mountain Building, Continental Drift, Plate Tectonics
Length (in weeks / days): 16 Days (3.5 Weeks) / Semester: 1

Step 1: Creating Vision and Planning for Assessment

Unit GOAL

Technical:

·  Quantitative: Students will average 80% mastery of rigorous standards on the unit test.

·  Qualitative: Students will gain important foundational knowledge regarding Earth science spanning plate tectonics theory to the layers of the Earth to convection and conduction.

Motivating Vision of Student Success:

·  Students who achieve at least 80% mastery of rigorous standards on the weekly quizzes will be recognized as “Great Geologists”.

·  Students who achieve at least 80% mastery of rigorous standards on the unit test will be recognized as “Expert Earth Scientists.”

Unit Plan – Planning For Assessment

How will I measure my Unit Goal?

·  Mastery of objectives on the Unit Test

How will I measure progress toward the Unit Goal?

·  Pretest, Quizzes, Daily “Do Now”, Independent Practice, Labs, Performance Tasks

Unit Plan - What’s The Big Idea?

·  Plate Tectonics and Earth’s Structure

·  Energy in the Earth’s System

·  Heat

·  Investigation and Experimentation

Unpacking Your Standards

Unit Plan – Standards for this Unit

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.

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.

1e - Students know major geologic events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from plate motions.

1b - Students know Earth is composed of several layers: a cold, brittle lithosphere; a hot, convecting mantle; and a dense, metallic core.

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).

4c - Students know heat from Earth's interior reaches the surface primarily through convection.

Unit Plan – Enduring Understandings / Unit Plan – Essential Questions / Unit Plan – Tasks
To meet the standards, students will need to understand that:
·  Heat can be transferred through conduction and convection.
·  The Earth is divided into layers: the crust, the mantle, and the core.
·  The lithosphere includes the crust and the upper layer of the mantle.
·  The theory of plate tectonics explains plate movements and how the surface of the Earth changes. / To understand, students will need to consider such questions as:
·  What would happen to the Earth if the core ran out of heat?
·  What are similarities and differences between conduction and convection?
·  What relationships exist between the layers of the Earth?
·  How does heat from the Earth’s interior reach the surface?
·  Why have major geological events in history occurred?
·  What is plate tectonics theory and what evidence do we have that it is accurate? / What are the tasks implied by the verbs in the standards?
·  Identify the layers of the Earth on a diagram and explain the relationship among the layers.
·  Compare and contrast conduction and convection.
·  Explain how heat from Earth’s interior reaches the surface primarily through convection.
·  Explain how lithospheric plates the size of continents and oceans, move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the mantle.
·  Explain how major geologic events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from plate motions.
Unit Plan – Achievement Targets
To understand, students will need to have knowledge of:
Concepts:
Layers of the Earth
·  The layers of the Earth: crust, mantle, and core
·  The lithosphere and asthenosphere
Conduction and Convection
·  Cold liquids and gases are more dense that warm liquids and gases
·  Circular motion of liquids and gases in a convection current results from differences in density
How Heat from the Earth’s Interior Reaches the Surface
·  Heat from the Earth’s interior reaches the surface primarily through convection.
Plate Movement
·  Plates are constantly in motion.
Geologic Events
·  Geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building are caused by plate motions.
Plate Tectonics Theory
·  The fit of the continents, location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean ridges, and the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones provide evidence for the theory of plate tectonics.
Vocabulary:
Layers of the Earth
·  Crust
·  Mantle
·  Core
·  Lithosphere
·  Asthenosphere
Conduction and Convection
·  Convection – liquids and gases
·  Conduction – solids
·  Flow of matter
·  Thermal energy
·  Convection current
How Heat from the Earth’s Interior Reaches the Surface
·  Plates
Plate Movement
·  Transform boundaries
·  Divergent boundaries
·  Convergent boundaries
Geologic Events
·  Faults
·  Earthquakes
·  Volcanoes
·  Volcanic eruption
·  Mountain
·  Mountain building
Plate Tectonics
·  Continent
·  Continental drift
·  Fossils
·  Rock types
·  Ancient climatic zones / To understand, students will need to be able to:
Layers of the Earth
·  Identify the layers of the Earth on a diagram and explain the relationship among the layers. (1b)
Conduction and Convection
·  Compare and contrast conduction and convection. (3c)
How Heat from the Earth’s Interior Reaches the Surface
·  Explain how heat from Earth’s interior reaches the surface primarily through convection. (4c)
Plate Movement
·  Explain how lithospheric plates the size of continents and oceans, move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the mantle. (1c)
Geologic Events
·  Explain how major geologic events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from plate motions. (1e)
Plate Tectonics Theory
·  Determine how the fit of the continents, the location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean ridges, and the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones provide evidence of plate tectonics. (1a)

Steps 2 and 3: Misunderstandings & Lesson Objectives

Standard / Daily Lesson Objective(s) / # of days, 1 day = xx min. / Potential Misunderstandings / Lesson Plan Notes
1b - Students know Earth is composed of several layers: a cold, brittle lithosphere; a hot, convecting mantle; and a dense, metallic core. / ·  SWBAT identify the location of the layers of the Earth.
·  SWBAT identify characteristics of the layers.
·  SWBAT explain the relationship among the layers. / .5
.5
1 / The interior of the Earth is cold. / Demonstration: How is an apple like Earth? (pg. 12)
3c - Students know heat flows in solids by conduction and in fluids by conduction and by convection. / ·  SWBAT describe conduction.
·  SWBAT describe convection.
·  SWBAT explain what causes convection currents.
·  SWBAT illustrate a convection current.
·  SWBAT compare and contrast conduction and convection. / .25
.25
.25
.25
.5 / Cold objects are more dense than hot objects. / Demonstration: How can heat cause motion in a liquid? (pg. 15)
4c - Students know heat from Earth's interior reaches the surface primarily through convection. / ·  SWBAT explain how heat from Earth’s interior reaches the surface primarily through convection. / .5 / Convection currents blend the layers within the Earth. / Performance Task: Journey to the Center of the Earth Travel Brochure
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. / ·  SWBAT explain that convection currents cause shifting of the lithospheric plates.
·  SWBAT state the rate at which continents and oceans move each year. / .5
.5 / Continents do not move.
Continents move because of earthquakes. / Lab: Hot Plates (pg. 38)
1e - Students know major geologic events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from plate motions. / ·  SWBAT describe the characteristics and types of earthquakes.
·  SWBAT describe the characteristics and types of volcanic eruptions.
·  SWBAT describe the process and types of mountain building.
·  SWBAT explain how earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building are the result of plate motions. / 1
1
1
1 / Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and mountain building happen superficially and do not require any other layers of the Earth.
Plates collide like bumper cars. / Lab: Stress in the Crust (pg. 44-45)
Jigsaw: Types of volcanoes
Gallery: Compare pictures of mountains with different types of faults. (pg. 46-47)
Lab: Modeling Movement Along Faults (pg. 52-53)
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. / ·  SWBAT describe the organization of the continents.
·  SWBAT identify the location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean ridges.
·  SWBAT identify the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones.
·  SWBAT explain how the fit of the continents, location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean ridges, and the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones provide evidence for plate tectonics theory.
·  SWBAT describe plate tectonics theory. / 1
1
1
1
1 / Plate tectonics theory is a fact. / Lab: How well do the continents fit together? (pg. 32)
Lab: Mapping Earthquakes and Volcanoes (pg. 82)
Lab: How are seeds moved from place to place? (pg. 21)
Lab: Stations that lead students to put together the theory of plate tectonics
Performance Task: Presentation on evidence for plate tectonics theory
Unit Review and Assessment / 2 / 1 Day of Review Unit Test (60 minutes)
Total / 16

Step 4: Sequencing & Scaffolding Objectives on Calendar

September

Monday (60 min) / Tuesday (45 min) / Wednesday (60 min) / Thursday (60 min) / Friday (60 min)
3
LABOR DAY / 4
Begin UNIT 2: PLATE TECTONICS AND EARTH’S STRUCTURE
Pretest for Unit 2 (10 min)
SWBAT identify the location of the layers of the Earth.
SWBAT identify characteristics of the layers.
Demonstration: How is an apple like Earth? (pg. 12) / 5
SWBAT describe convection.
SWBAT describe conduction.
SWBAT explain what causes convection currents.
SWBAT compare and contrast conduction and convection.
Demonstration: How can heat cause motion in a liquid? (pg. 15) / 6
SWBAT illustrate convection currents.
SWBAT explain how heat from Earth’s interior reaches the surface primarily through convection.
Performance Task: Journey to the Center of the Earth Travel Brochure / 7
SWBAT explain the relationship among the layers.
Quiz #1 (1b, 3c, 4c)
Performance Task: Journey to the Center of the Earth Travel Brochure
10
SWBAT explain that convection currents cause shifting of the lithospheric plates.
SWBAT state the rate at which continents and oceans move each year.
Lab: Hot Plates (pg. 38) / 11
SWBAT describe the characteristics and types of earthquakes.
Lab: Stress in the Crust (pg. 44-45) / 12
SWBAT describe the characteristics and types of volcanic eruptions.
Jigsaw: Types of volcanoes / 13
SWBAT describe the process and types of mountain building.
Gallery: Compare pictures of mountains with different types of faults. (pg. 46-47) / 14
SWBAT explain how earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building are the result of plate motions.
Quiz #2 (1c, 1e)
Lab: Modeling Movement Along Faults (pg. 52-53)
17
SWBAT describe the organization of the continents.
Lab: How well do the continents fit together? (pg. 32) / 18
SWBAT identify the location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean ridges.
Lab: Mapping Earthquakes and Volcanoes (pg. 82) / 19
SWBAT identify the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones.
Lab: How are seeds moved from place to place? (pg. 21) / 20
SWBAT explain how the fit of the continents, location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean ridges, and the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones provide evidence for plate tectonics theory.
Lab: Stations that lead students to put together the theory of plate tectonics / 21
SWBAT describe plate tectonics theory.
Quiz #3 (1a)
Performance Task: Presentation on evidence for plate tectonics theory
24
Review / 25
Unit 2 Test / 26
Begin UNIT 3: SHAPING EARTH’S SURFACE