Title III Technology
Literacy Challenge Grant

Learning Unit

Overview | Content Knowledge | Essential Questions | Connection To Standards | Initiating Activity | Learning Experiences | Culminating Performance | Pre-Requisite Skills | Modifications | Schedule/Time Plan | Technology Use

OVERVIEW

The students will observe the effects of an earthquake as it occurs. They will study the structure of the Earth as it relates to the theory of plate tectonics. Students will survey such events as mountain building, volcanoes, earthquakes, and sea-floor spreading at various plate boundaries. The students will identify areas where volcanic activity is likely to occur.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

CONNECTIONS TO NYS LEARNING STANDARDS

MST Standard 4

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

2. Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve interactions among the components of air, water, and land.

• Describe volcano and earthquake patterns.

ELA Standard 1

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

1. Speaking and writing to acquire and transmit information requires asking probing and clarifying questions, interpreting information in one’s own words, applying information from one context to another, and presenting the information and interpretation clearly, concisely, and comprehensibly.

• Use a few traditional structures for conveying information such as cause and effect, and similarity and difference.

ELA Standard 3

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

1. Speaking and writing for critical analysis and evaluation requires presenting opinions

And judgements on experiences, ideas, information, and issues clearly, logically, and persuasively with reference to specific criteria on which the opinion or judgement is based.

• Express opinions (in such forms as oral and written reviews, letters to the editor, essays, or persuasive speeches) about events, books, issues, and experiences supporting their opinions with some evidence.

INITIATING ACTIVITY

Show CD clip of an earthquake as a hook into the unit. Students using pair check strategy complete K part of KWL chart together using information on CD and their prior knowledge of earthquakes.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

(In chronological order including acquisition experiences and extending/refining experiences for all stated declarative and procedural knowledge.)

Acquisition Experiences:

Initiating Activity

Students will learn required vocabulary words by working with a partner using Think-Pair-Share strategy to complete a classification task. (List-Group-Label) Think, Pair, Share strategy encourages individual thought before pairing up to discuss the information. Listen to the task, think independently, pair with a partner to discuss, share with another group or the class.

Students will read pages and complete graphic organizer appropriate to the key understanding.

Using concept attainment organizer discusses the forces of the Earth.

Students will use geographic coordinates to plot the Ring of Fire.

Students will relate plate movement to the formation of Mount St. Helens.

Using Think Aloud –written set of steps students will review the process of comparing and contrasting. Then students will use a comparison matrix to compare and contrast the three layers of the earth.

Students will compare Mount St. Helens (ash volcano) to Kilauea (lava flow volcano) to understand the differences between them using a compare contrast organizer.

Using think aloud and a written set of steps students will learn the process of constructing support for a position. Activity used was "What is your favorite cookie?"

Extending and Refining Experience:

Students will construct support for the evidence of continental drift. They will show this evidence by writing a persuasive letter to a friend who believes the continents have always been in the same position that they are in now.

CULMINATING PERFORMANCE

The class has been chosen by National Geographic to design a model (Invention) that will demonstrate the formation of volcanoes, dome mountains, or the folding and faulting process in mountain building. The model is being created to help younger students understand this process. Students will explain their models to younger students to show the understanding of the process and how each relates to our Earth today.

PRE-REQUISITE SKILLS

In order to do this unit the students need to be able to have:

Basic computer skills

Write multiple paragraphs

Work in Pair-Share groups

Know how to locate material in the library

Use of OPAC, Internet, and Compton’s & Golden Book Encyclopedia

Students may use Student Writing Center software to assist in editing and publishing their work.

UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN

Ten forty-five minute lessons.

Lesson 1 Initiating activity. Show CD clip of an earthquake in Japan as a hook into the unit. Students using pair check strategy complete K part of KWL chart together using information on CD and their prior knowledge of earthquakes.

Lesson 2 Students will read text and diagram to complete graphic organizer appropriate to the key understanding of the layers of the earth. Students will use science textbook by Scott, Foresman pages 84 and 85. They will also use Scholastic science skills book, Be a Scientist Earth’s Crust pages 4 and 5. Rocking and Rolling by Philip Steele pages 10 and 11. Using graphic organizer students will record the composition, thickness, and temperature of the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.

Lesson 3 Students will use concept attainment organizer to discuss the forces in the earth. They will learn vocabulary words by working with a partner to complete a classification task. Using science text students will read about the forces within the earth that push together and pull apart the earth’s crust. They will locate San Andres fault on map of United States. They will compare fault locations on map that shows where plate boundaries are located. They will read and learn about plate tectonics. Students will read diagrams and text and will be able to explain to partner how certain mountains are formed. Folded, fault block, and dome mountains will be explored.

 Lesson 4 Students will learn about Pangea and the Continental Drift. Teacher will show one-minute computer generated image that shows Earth as it is today and the students will watch as it shows how the earth may have looked 200 million years ago. It shows that there was one giant ocean and one supercontinent known as Pangea. Students look at Continental Drift diagram that shows the theory that plates move about two inches a year. Students read in groups of four or five the following: Be a Scientist Earth’s Crust by Scholastic page 5 "The Big Breakup" and pages 6 and 7 "Pick Up the Pieces". They will also read Rocking and Rolling by Philip Steele pages 12 and 13 Cracking Up" Students will then cut out pictures of the seven continents and then move the pieces around to best fit them into one super continent. Once they are happy that they have made the best fit possible, they are to glue down the landmasses on a blue piece of construction paper.

Lesson 5 Students will use geographic coordinates to plot the Ring of Fire using Windows on Science by Optical Data Corporation. Using the "Ring of Fire" activity master students will plot each volcano site using latitude and longitude points that are given. Then students will connect the points creating the Ring of Fire.

Lesson 6 Students relate plate movement to the formation of Mount St. Helen’s. Students locate Mount St. Helen’s in Washington state on a map. Students locate plate boundaries near Washington. Students notice that Mount St. Helen’s is located on the "Ring of Fire" Show on laser disc Mount St. Helen’s before and after the eruption in 1980. Look at plate boundaries Juan de Fuca, North American, and Pacific to understand the cause of the eruption.

Lesson 7 Students will compare Mount St. Helen’s to Kilauea to understand differences between the two volcanoes using a compare/contrast organizer. Students will read about and watch these volcanoes as they erupt. From the information they have gathered they will complete the compare/contrast organizer. Descriptions of Mount St. Helen’s should tell that it is violent, explosive, lots of steam, rocks, and gases with ashes flowing. Also that they are located at divergent boundaries. Descriptions of Kilauea on the other hand should be that they are quieter, slow eruptions where the lava flows, cools, and builds up creating mountains. They are hot spot volcanoes.

Lesson 8 Using think aloud and written set of steps, students will learn the process of constructing support for a position. Activity used "What is your favorite cookie?" Students will use QAD graphic organizer Q-question, A-answer, D-details to support your reasons. Then construct support using graphic organizer that tells their position, gives reasons which are supported by facts.

Lesson 9 Extend and Refine Experience: Students will construct support for the evidence of continental drift. They will show this evidence by writing a persuasive letter to a friend who believes the continents have always been in the same position that they are in now.

Lesson 10 Culminating Performance: The class has been chosen by National Geographic to design a model (Invention) that will demonstrate the formation of volcanoes, dome mountains, or the faulting and folding process in mountain building, The model is being created to help younger students understand this process. Students will explain their models to younger students to show the understanding of the process and how it relates to our Earth today.

MODIFICATIONS /ADAPTIONS

Students will work in pairs or groups.

Specifications of IEP’s will be met and honored.

Special needs students can be paired with an above average student.

Teacher will need to modify the number of documents based upon time allotment.

OPTIONAL SOURCES AND ACTIVITIES

Website you may want to use to support this unit:

www.volcanoscapes.com/index.html

If time allows you may want the writing activities to be done on the word processor. The children will be able to revise and edit their writing pieces and then publish their final copy.

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

Students will use OPAC to locate books in school library

Use Internet

Windows on Science 1994 (CD) by Optical Data Corporation

Compton’s Encyclopedia on computer

Golden Book Encyclopedia on computer

Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus Explores Inside The Earth CD software

The Student Writing Center software

ASSESSMENT PLAN

Invention Task (model) Rubric

Opinion / Point of View With Evidence Rubric

STUDENT WORK

See Attachments

Invention Task Rubric

(Model) 

OPINION/POINT OF VIEW WITH EVIDENCE