Matt Coglon
EDTEP 587 Science Methods II
March 14, 2003
Unit Planning Matrix
Day 1:
1) Students will:
Share their experiences and knowledge of earthquakes, including what it was like to live through one and/or why they think earthquakes happen where they do. This will lead into mapping several past earthquakes and then as a class, mapping a few earthquakes each day on a large map at the front of the room. All students will also come up with their first, tentative hypotheses about plate tectonics, and a list of questions they’d like to answer. (Inquiry phase 1)
2) Learning objective:
Students will relate what they know to some of what we know about earthquakes, specifically, where they occur and that it isn’t random.
3a) Why introduce this now?
Earthquake evidence for plate tectonics is the most accessible to them, given our location, and as good a place as any – volcanoes would work well, too, and the activity could be varied post Rainier/Adams/St. Helens eruptions.
3b) Why teach it this way?
Starting with their ideas ties them into the content and will provide a good foil for later learning.
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
From class discussion I’ll have an idea of where the class is with respect to knowledge of the patterns that earthquakes have. A small exercise will be in their lab/comp book for later assessment, and the map will be a continuous informal activity throughout the unit.
5) Resources?
Small photocopied maps of the earth with latitude and longitude marked on them, large wall map with colored push pins (coded for depth of earthquake),
Day 2-3:
1) Students will:
Use Slinkys to observe different kinds of earthquake wave motion. They will work in groups of 2-4 (depending somewhat on the number of Slinkys) and hypothesize about which kind of wave will travel faster, conduct as fair a test as possible and record their results. They will also communicate their results to the class. (Inquiry phases 2 - 5)
2) Learning objective:
Students will learn that earthquakes produce different kinds of waves and these waves travel at different speeds.
3a) Why now?
P- and S-wave arrival time differences help scientists locate the earthquake epicenters. Earthquake waves also give us information about the interior of the earth. Knowing that there is a difference and this difference is measurable is important for their understanding of earthquakes. Possible misconceptions include that the two types represent two different earthquakes on a seismogram.
3b) Why this way?
The movement of the Slinkys gives students a clear vision of how the energy in earthquake waves move.
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
This lab will also be part of their lab notebook, and I’ll be able to informally assess them as I walk around in class while they are working.
5) Resources?
Slinkys, stopwatches, tables or clear floor space.
Day 3-4:
1) Students will:
Practice reading a P- and S-wave time differential graph, and begin to apply that by trying out their own triangulation. They will work on their own or in small groups if they like, and finish a worksheet with most of the data provided for them. They will also practice subtracting time.
2) Learning objective:
Students will know that P- and S-waves travel at different speeds
Students will know that information from at least three seismograph stations are required to triangulate earthquake epicenters.
3a) Why introduce this now?
Earthquake location patterns are an important part of determining where plate boundaries are.
3b) Why introduce it this way?
I want them to see that data collection isn’t necessarily a mysterious process, and that it can take many forms.
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
The completed worksheet will be a part of their lab book, and part of the quiz on this section will have a problem with triangulation on it.
5) Resources?
Practice worksheets, compasses for triangulation.
Day 5:
1) Students will:
Watch a film (NOVA on intensity differences between Northridge and Kobe quakes), and make observations about what the local differences that caused the differences in intensity.
2) Learning objective:
Students will make generalizations about what factors may cause differences in earthquake intensities.
3a) Why introduce this now?
After learning about Richter magnitudes, the Mercalli scale is more human-related way of talking about earthquakes.
3b) Why teach it this way?
This film does a great job of showing how earthquakes of equal magnitude can have very different intensities. Some students learn well from audio-visual stimulation as well, and I want those students to have an opportunity to learn this subject matter well.
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
In their lab books, their observations will be recorded and the cause and effect relationships should be clearly marked.
5) Resources?
NOVA video, VCR, TV.
Day 6-7:
1) Students will:
Create a couple of maps of Mercalli scale readings from more famous earthquakes (hopefully from the Kobe, Northridge and the Nisqually quakes). They will discuss the factors from the film in describing the differences, and transfer that analysis to the Nisqually quake. They will record their discussion and keep their maps with their lab book. (Day 6, they will make a preliminary guess about what place they’d like to do their geologic hazard report on).
2) Learning objective:
Students will compare their generalizations from the film to the damage seen in a third earthquake (Nisqually).
3a) Why introduce this now?
This is a follow up to the prior day’s film to cement their understanding of the human impact content from earthquakes.
3b) Why teach it this way?
I want them to practice creating maps (an skill that is important for geologists) and displaying data in a variety of ways (not just graphs and charts).
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
Their maps and lab book should help elucidate their thinking.
5) Resources?
Data for intensity measurements from the Kobe, Nisqually and Northridge quakes. Colored pencils if the students aren’t required to have a set (or even if they are . . .).
Day 8:
1) Students will:
Watch faulting demonstration; direction instruction regarding the three types of faults and what kinds of movement might cause them.
2) Learning objective:
Students will understand the process of faulting and how this causes earthquakes.
3a) Why introduce this now?
After dealing with intuitive and easily observable earthquake phenomena, the students should be ready for less easily observable phenomena. It will give them some science vocabulary to tie their experience and knowledge of earthquakes to.
3b) Why teach it this way?
Faults aren’t easily observable without experience in most cases, and the students may capture this knowledge more efficiently than trying an activity or lab sheet.
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
This is the hardest to tell, but from their questions during lecture and from the quiz the next day I should be getting the picture of how much they’ve picked up.
5) Resources?
Fault blocks (1 set or several, if each lab group would like an opportunity to work with them hands on).
Day 9:
1) Students will:
Review for and then take a quiz on earthquake causes.
2) Learning objective:
Assessment of their understanding and knowledge of earthquakes.
3a) Why introduce this now?
I want to get them all on the same page before moving forward, and some of this material, although important for understanding geology and earthquakes, won’t be essential to answering the essential question (I’m thinking most specifically about triangulation – it’s important for us to clarify how scientific data is taken, and this method is related to the topic of earthquakes but won’t be that helpful in describing what our state will look like 5 million years from now).
3b) Why teach it this way?
This snapshot assessment will help me see which concepts they are struggling with and what I need to emphasize later in the unit.
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
Their answers to the exam questions will give me clues as to what they’ve learned and what they haven’t.
5) Resources?
Quiz.
Day 10 (first part):
1) Students will:
Revisit their earthquake maps and pinpoint where volcanoes occur on the earths surface in a different color than the earthquake map. They will also pinpoint a few on the large class map and continue to do so for the rest of the unit as new eruptions occur. They will draw connections between the location of earthquakes and volcanoes on their maps and make any observations or notes about these connections in their lab book, giving a tentative hypothesis about what might cause both these phenomena. (Inquiry phases 1 and 2)
2) Learning objective:
Students will analyze the patterns that earthquakes and volcanoes share.
3a) Why introduce this now?
This second piece of evidence for plate boundaries is important for their understanding of plate tectonics.
3b) Why teach it this way?
The visual of the maps superimposed is a powerful way to demonstrate what occurs at plate boundaries.
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
From their written thoughts on the patterns and their hypotheses.
5) Resources?
List of volcano locations (longitude/latitude) and an overhead to help model the mapping.
Day 10-11
1) Students will:
As a class, we’ll start by discussing their knowledge of the volcanoes of the Cascade range and Hawaii; and watch a demonstration of volcanic activity with vinegar/baking soda eruption. Students will present their ideas about why a liquid might move more quickly vs. more slowly, and why a volcano can be steep or broad. (Inquiry phase 1)
2) Learning objective:
Students will understand the causes of the several threats that volcanoes pose, including threats from ash, lava, mudflows and lahars.
3a) Why introduce this now?
This will tie in nicely as a model for their geologic hazard report. It is also important to have the students think about what they must consider when living in a geologic active area. It will also help them visualize how the Washington landscape may change over time.
3b) Why teach it this way?
The demonstration presents a visual way of seeing how a lava flow might move. The difference between the types
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
As a class, we’ll come to a consensus of what the difference between the different volcanoes are, and these conclusions should be recorded in their lab book for future reference in the hazard report.
5) Resources?
Map or maps of recent eruptive activity of Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens, maps of recent flows in Hawaii.
Day 12
1) Students will:
Take a field trip to Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Rainier to see first hand some of the landforms caused by volcanism. Students will visit the lahar that underlies Enumclaw or that came down the Tuttle River, taking observations and seeing firsthand what we’ve talked about in class.
2) Learning objective:
Students will draw connections between what they’ve learned in class about volcanoes and the real world.
3a) Why introduce this now?
Students have studied volcanoes and earthquakes up to this point, and one of their assessments will be to report on the earthquake dangers or volcanic dangers of a student-chosen area of the world. This will give them some ideas about what to be looking for when they study this issue.
3b) Why teach it this way?
Seeing something like this firsthand is an opportunity not to be missed if at all possible. The
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
There will be a worksheet that helps students draw connections and make observations about the dangers of living next to volcanoes.
5) Resources?
This one needs permission slips, buses, lunches and worksheets for observations or a space and questions for their lab books.
Day 13
1) Students will:
Start by finalizing their choice on the geologic hazards report. Watch a demonstration on the difference between P- and S-waves and the difference in passing through different media (solid and liquid). They will listen to a lecture and ask questions about the structure of the interior of the earth that is inferred from this information. They will then have a chance to modify their models of the earth based on this information. (Inquiry phases 2 and 3)
2) Learning objective:
Students will know that the earth has layers of different temperatures and different phases (liquid and solid)
Students will understand how S-waves cannot pass through liquids and P-waves can.
3a) Why introduce this now?
They will use this information to further build on their plate tectonics models.
3b) Why teach it this way?
The demonstration could be pretty messy, but it is important for them to see why it is there is an S-wave shadow on the opposite side of the earth from an earthquake.
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
From informal assessment of their questions and in the modification of their models (if any)
Day 13 continued
5) Resources?
P-wave/S-wave generator with two hard pieces separated by a bag that contains water, and a way to measure them or observe the energy transfer (this idea hinges on being able to make this device). I may have to engage them in a thought experiment to get this point across.
Day 14-15:
1) Students will:
Listen to me lecture about earth’s magnetic field and demonstrate divergent plate boundaries. They will also get in groups and model convergent plate boundaries with different colored play dough or clay. They will get in their model groups and discuss any changes they may wish to make to their models or describe how this supports their model. (Inquiry phases 1, 2 and 3)
2) Learning objective:
Students will understand sea-floor spreading processes and convergent boundaries
Students will know that the sea-floor holds evidence that the earth’s magnetic field has reversed several times in the earth’s history.
3a) Why introduce this now?
Understanding this evidence will allow students to modify their model of plate tectonics at this point.
3b) Why teach it this way?
There isn’t much direct evidence students can examine for themselves regarding magnetic reversals or knowledge of mineral grains in rocks that might change due to altered magnetic fields.
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
They will record any changes in their thinking in or describe why this “new” evidence supports their model of the earth.
5) Resources?
Overhead, two to several sheets of legal paper to do the sea-floor spreading demonstration, enough play dough for several groups/several classes, a marker.
Day 16:
1) Students will:
Play with continental cut-outs and play with ways in which they may have fit together. As they receive more pieces of information that suggest ways they may fit, they have the chance to move their continents until they fit again. They work in small groups and after each “round” the class discusses their choice and reasoning.
2) Learning objective:
Students will understand how many lines of evidence (like similar rock types, shared mountain ranges and fossil evidence) can be used to reconstruct a historical picture of continental motion
3a) Why introduce this now?
We’ve just talked about divergent and convergent plate boundaries, and I want them to puzzle over the consequences of that in the form of plate motions.
Day 16 continued
3b) Why teach it this way?
This group exercise helps them learn to work with more than one idea and to help them see how an idea or theory is constructed through several lines of evidence.
4) What evidence do I have that they’ve learned or understood?
Informal assessments as I make the rounds, asking groups and individual students questions about their choices and thinking processes.
5) Resources?
Enough sets of continent cut-outs for the groups in each class.
Day 17:
1) Students will:
Compress the geologic timeline into a year on a calendar, with major time points provided for them (like earth forms, first bacteria, first multicellular life, etc.) They will do this individually in their lab books. We will then discuss what how slow processes working over long periods of time can make large differences.
2) Learning objective:
Students will understand that time scales can vary widely for different processes.
3a) Why introduce this now?
After doing their Pangaea exercise, the students will need to understand how that much movement could have been possible. This follows with that exercise and will help us answer the essential question of what will Washington look like in 5 million years?