Grade ___9___ Subject: Earth ScienceFourthNine Weeks

Instruction Dates: 4/13 – 6/17___44___Days

Curriculum Focus: During this nine weeks the emphasis will be on geologic history and Virginia resources. Building on the knowledge obtained in prior units, students will apply that knowledge in the interpretation of geologic history and evaluating Virginia’s resources. There are only 28 days scheduled out of the 44 in this period. The primary reasons for this are: allowance for snow days, SOL review, SOL week, SOL remediation and end of the year activities.
Fourth Quarter / Standard of Learning w/Essential Knowledge and Skills (from 2010SOL Documents) / Number of days / Resources and Materials used for instruction
Geologic History
ES.9The student will investigate and understand that many aspects of the history and evolution of Earth and life can be inferred by studying rocks and fossils. Key concepts include
a)traces and remains of ancient, often extinct, life are preserved by various means in many sedimentary rocks;
b)superposition, cross-cutting relationships, index fossils, and radioactive decay are methods of dating bodies of rock;
c)absolute and relative dating have different applications but can be used together to determine the age of rocks and structures; and
d)rocks and fossils from many different geologic periods and epochs are found in Virginia.
Essential Knowledge and Skills
  • describe how life has changed and become more complex over geologic time.
  • interpret a simple geologic history diagram, using superposition and cross-cutting relations.
  • analyze how radioactive decay provides a reliable method to determine the age of many types of organic and inorganic materials.
  • analyze the impact and role of global catastrophies (including asteroid/comet impacts, volcanism, continental collisions, climate collapse) on extinctions and evolution.
  • analyze and interpret complex cross sections using both relative and absolute dating to unravel and define the geologic history of the section.
/ 6/12 / Text: Earth Science: Geology, the Environment and the Universe; Virginia Edition; Glencoe, 2013; Chapters 21, 22 & 23
Cothron, Giese, Rezba. Students and Research- Practical Strategies for Science Classrooms and Competition, 3rd ed. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. 2000
PowerPoint Presentations
Interactive notebook and:
Zike, Dinah. Earth Science: Land Inside and Out. Dinah-Might Adventures LP. (Foldables)
Zike, Dinah. Dinah Zike's Big Book of Science: Middle School & High School. San Antonio, Tex.: Dinah-Might Adventures, 2001.
National Earth Science Teachers Association
Virginia Geology/Resources
ES.6The student will investigate and understand the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources. Key concepts include
a)fossil fuels, minerals, rocks, water, and vegetation;
b)advantages and disadvantages of various energy sources;
c)resources found in Virginia; and
d)environmental costs and benefits.
Essential Knowledge and Skills
  • analyze the formation of fossil fuels in terms of the rock cycle and Plate Tectonics Theory, and relate the formation of fossil fuels to ancient biologic and atmospheric conditions and changes and locations within Virginia.
  • analyze how Virginia’s production and use of various natural resources has changed over time. Define and cite differences over time especially in the last 150 years.
  • evaluate Virginia’s potential as a producer of renewable energy sources.
  • assess the role of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources in the future and compare and contrast the environmental benefits and costs among the various options.
  • analyze the advantages and disadvantages of various energy sources.
  • analyze a range of emerging energy and mineral resources in Virginia in terms of costs and benefits.
  • determine the sources of clean water in their community and analyze consumption and supply data.
ES.8The student will investigate and understand how freshwater resources are influenced by geologic processes and the activities of humans. Key concepts include
a)processes of soil development;
Essential Knowledge and Skills
  • interpret a simple groundwater diagram showing the zone of aeration, the zone of saturation, the water table, and an aquifer.
  • Understand that soil is formed from the weathering of rocks and organic activityand is composed of loose rock fragments and clay derived from weathered rock mixed with organic material.
ES.10The student will investigate and understand that oceans are complex, interactive physical, chemical, and biological systems and are subject to long- and short-term variations. Key concepts include
e)economic and public policy issues concerning the oceans and the coastal zone including the Chesapeake Bay.
Essential Knowledge and Skills
  • identify the effects of human activities on the oceans.
  • analyze the potential impact of a major environmental disaster on the base of the food web and vertebrate organisms; economics; cultures; and future productivity
  • describe how different types of pollution can pollute the Chesapeake Bay even though the pollutant source may be hundreds of miles from the Bay.
/ 8/16 / Text: Earth Science: Geology, the Environment and the Universe; Virginia Edition; Glencoe, 2013; Chapters 24, 25 & 26
Cothron, Giese, Rezba. Students and Research- Practical Strategies for Science Classrooms and Competition, 3rd ed. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. 2000
PowerPoint Presentations
Interactive notebook and:
Zike, Dinah. Dinah Zike's Big Book of Science: Middle School & High School. San Antonio, Tex.: Dinah-Might Adventures, 2001.
National Earth Science Teachers Association
Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Assessment FourthQuarter / Learning Objective / Formative/ Informal Assessments To Be Used / Approx.
Date(s)
Students will be able to:
  • Describe how life on Earth has developed and changed over time
  • Understand, describe and interpret the laws of superposition and cross-cutting relationships
  • Explain radioactive age-dating and apply that process to dating rocks and organic material
  • Explain and analyze how large scale processes and catastrophies (e.g., volcanism, plate tectonics, asteroid/meteorite impacts, climate change) have influenced extinction and evolution
  • Interpret cross sections using relative and absolute dating to determine geologic history
  • Analyze the formation of fossil fuels via plate tectonics and the rock cycle both globally and within Virginia
  • Analyze how Virginia’s development and use of natural resources has changed over time
  • Evaluate Virginia’s renewable and nonrenewable resources
  • Determine the costs and benefits of both renewable and nonrenewable resources
  • Review, assess and critique the energy and mineral resources of Virginia
  • Evaluate the sources of clean water in Virginia and the associated consumption and supply
  • Evaluate the predominant soil types in Virginia and determine the best use for each of those soil types
  • Describe how different types of pollution can pollute the Chesapeake Bay although the pollution source may be far from the bay
/
  • Laboratory exercises for:
  • Superposition
  • Fossil formation
  • Evolution
  • Age dating
  • Runoff/Groundwater
  • Pollution
  • Clean water
  • Worksheets
  • Soil development
  • Fossil fuels
  • Renewable/nonrenewable resources
  • Age dating
  • Chesapeake Bay
  • Sea Perch competition project
  • Bingo
  • Jeopardy
  • Quizzes
/ Weekly
Daily
Ongoing
Review
Review
Weekly
Summative Assessments To Be Used / Approx.
Date(s)
  • Unit test – Geologic History
  • Unit test – Virginia Resources
/
  • 5/12
  • 5/24

Teacher ______Holt______Draft Date___8/14/15