ALEX | Alabama Learning Exchange

Edible Landform Creations

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This lesson provided by:

Author:	Lisa O'Neill
System:	Mobile County
School:	Mobile County Board Of Education
And
Author:	Jennifer Brannan
System:	Mobile County
School:	Olive J Dodge Elementary School
The event this resource created for:	NASA

General Lesson Information

Lesson Plan ID:	34191
Title:	Edible Landform Creations
Overview/Annotation:	"Edible Landform Creations" is a hands-on lesson designed to allow the students to create models of Earth's physical features, including mountains, valleys, plains, deserts, lakes, rivers, oceans, canyons and plateaus. This lesson was created as part of the 2016 NASA STEM Standards of Practice Project, a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

Associated Standards and Objectives

Content Standard(s):

Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: 2

9 ) Create models to identify physical features of Earth (e.g., mountains, valleys, plains, deserts, lakes, rivers, oceans).

NAEP Framework

NAEP Statement::
E4.3: The surface of Earth changes. Some changes are due to slow processes such as erosion and weathering, and some changes are due to rapid processes such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.

Unpacked Content

Scientific And Engineering Practices:

Developing and Using Models

Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns

Disciplinary Core Idea: Earth's Systems

Evidence Of Student Attainment:

Students:

Develop a model, like a map, to represent the physical features of land and bodies of water in an area.

Teacher Vocabulary:

Physical features
Models
Mountains
Valleys
Plains
Deserts
Lakes
Rivers
Oceans

Knowledge:

Students know:

The physical features of Earth can be modeled, as on a map.
The relationship between components their model and kinds of land and bodies of water in a given area.

Skills:

Students are able to:

Create a model that represents both land and bodies of water in an area.
Make connections between their model and the shapes and kinds of land and water in an area.

Understanding:

Students understand that:

Models can represent patterns in the natural world like the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.

AMSTI Resources:

AMSTI Module:
Soils and Shores
Pebbles, Sand, and Silt, FOSS
Shrinking Shore, ETA/hand2mind

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards

AAS Standard:
SCI.AAS.2.9- Identify physical features of Earth (e.g., mountain, valley, river, lake).

Local/National Standards:

Primary Learning Objective(s):

The students will identify the various landforms that make up Earth's physical features.

The students will create a model of the landforms of Earth.

Additional Learning Objective(s):

Talents Unlimited
Decision Making: To outline, weigh, make final judgments, and defend a decision on the many alternatives to a problem.

Talents Unlimited
Planning: To design a means for implementing an idea by describing what is to be done, identifying the resources needed, outlining a sequence of steps to take, pinpointing possible problems, and showing improvements in the plan.)

Preparation Information

Total Duration:	61 to 90 Minutes
Materials and Resources:	Paper, pencil, colored pencils and/or crayons, large plain sugar cookies, blue icing, green icing, marshmallows, candy corn, brown sugar, and large and small chocolate chips.
Technology Resources Needed:	Computer with internet access
Background/Preparation:	Review Earth's physical features with students and the characteristics of landforms using the following sites: www.worldlandforms.com http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/surface-of-the-earth

Procedures/Activities:

1.) Complete a Talents Unlimited Decision Making activity: The students will decide what edible materials they could use that would represent landforms to decorate a sugar cookie. (Example: candy corn for mountains, blue icing for rivers and lakes, etc.) Students should list their materials and how they will use them.

2.) Complete a Talents Unlimited Planning activity: Students will plan their landform cookie by sketching a diagram and labeling the edible materials they decided to use to represent each landform. Teacher must approve plan prior to gathering materials.

3.) Students will create a model of Earth's landforms using the edible materials and their plan. See this guide to edible landforms.

Assessment

Assessment Strategies

Students will demonstrate knowledge of landforms by completing a landform cookie with the landforms correctly modeled. It will serve as an individualized assessment to provide evidence of the student's ability to recognize landforms.

Acceleration:
Intervention:

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.

ALEX Lesson Plan

Edible Landform Creations