Total Duration: |
Greater than 120 Minutes |
Materials and Resources: |
Student Materials Pencil or pen Pre-/Post-Test (see attached document) Background Information (see attached document) Slip, Slidin’ Away Plate Tectonics Word Search (see attached document) Activity A-Why on Earth is Humpty Dumpty Like a Crusty Old Crack-Up? Handout A-The Egg Lab (see attached document) Materials Needed Per Partner Group: Paper towels 3 hard-boiled eggs 2 colored water-based markers Plastic knife Activity B-Wegener’s Proof: Plate Tectonics, How Sweet It Is! Handout B (see attached document) Graham Cracker Chewing Gum Lab Handout (see attached document) Data Sheet for Handout B (see attached document) Materials Needed Per Partner Group: Blue cake icing (approximately ½ cup) One plastic cup 2 graham cracker squares 12” by 12” sheet of wax paper 2 chewing gum squares Wet wipes Plastic knife Disposable aprons Small bottle of water For Acceleration Activity Handout C (see attached document) Metric ruler Calculator Cardboard cutout of California Scissors Teacher Materials Pre-/Post-Test Answer Key (see attached document) Handout A with Answers (see attached document) Data Sheet for Handout B with Answers (see attached document) Plate Tectonics-Slip, Slidin’ Away PowerPoint (see attached PowerPoint presentation) For Acceleration Activity: Handout C with Answers (see attached document) |
Technology Resources Needed: |
Teacher computer Interactive whiteboard or projector |
Background/Preparation: |
Student Background Information: As this lesson will serve as an introduction to Earth’s interior, tectonic plates, and plate boundaries, students do not need to possess background knowledge about these concepts prior to participating in the lesson’s activities. This lesson will require students to participate in hands-on, inquiry-based lab activities. The students will need to be able to follow multi-step procedural instructions in order to complete the experiments. Students will be participating in lab activities in which common edible items will be handled. Students should follow all appropriate safety precautions including wearing gloves and goggles. Teacher Background Information: This lesson is the second in the Plate Tectonics module. The teacher may wish to incorporate part one of this module prior to beginning this lesson plan (Plate Tectonics: Pangaea-The Supercontinent). The teacher should preview the lab procedures and required materials prior to teaching the lesson to ensure that the student lab activities are prepared for students before beginning the lesson’s activities. As written, the activities included in this lesson will require at least four class days to complete. The teacher can view the Plate Tectonics-Slip, Slidin’ Away Presentation for additional background information about the concepts taught in this lesson. The teacher should review lab safety precautions with students and ensure students follow these procedures for the duration of the lesson. |
Before Strategy/Engage: 50 minutes (Day 1)
Note: If the teacher has taught the first portion of this module (Plate Tectonics: Pangaea-The Supercontinent) the students should already have a copy of this word search. During Strategy/Explore & Explain: (Days 2 and 3) Activity A-Why on Earth is Humpty Dumpty Like a Crusty Old Crack-Up?
Student Procedures for Lab Activity
Activity B-Wegener’s Proof: Plate Tectonics, How Sweet It Is!
Student Procedures for Lab Activity
After Strategy/Explain & Elaborate: 50 minutes (Day 4)
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Assessment Strategies |
Formative: The teacher will informally assess student’s background knowledge by administering the Pre-/Post-Test prior to teaching the lesson. The teacher should carefully monitor students as they complete the lab activities with their groups to certify that students are correctly following the lab procedures and collecting accurate data. Summative: The teacher will formally assess students at the conclusion of each lab experiment by reviewing each student’s answers to the reflection questions included on Handout A and Handout B. The teacher will administer the Pre-/Post-Test as a summative assessment at the end of the lesson. |
Acceleration: |
To complete the acceleration activity, each student will need a copy of Handout C, a metric ruler, a calculator, a cardboard cutout of California, and a pair of scissors. An answer key is provided for the teacher to assess student work (see attached document). Student Procedures 1. Cut out the California map along the San Andreas Fault. 2. Scientists estimate that continents drift on top of the Earth’s mantle at about the rate of a growing fingernail. Estimate how many centimeters your fingernails grow in one year. 3. Assume that two places on the Earth’s surface which were once next to each other drifted apart 5,000km. How many centimeters is that? 4. If these two places began separating 100,000,000 years ago, how many centimeters per year did they move? Draw a line at #5 on your answer sheet to indicate this distance. 5. If San Francisco and Los Angeles are moving toward each other at the rate you determined, and if they are now 500 kilometers apart, how long will it take for the cities to become next door neighbors? |
Intervention: |
Students who require additional preparation prior to the lesson or review after the lesson can view the Plate Tectonics-Slip, Slidin’ Away Presentation which succinctly summarizes the concepts demonstrated during this lesson’s lab activities. |
View the Special Education resources for
instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations
for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.
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