Our Dynamic Earth
Lesson 1: Earth’s Landforms
Day 1:
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What do You Know
Teams to answer questions about landforms
Draw pictures of each feature
Mountain, lake, dune, valley, hill, beach, estuary, delta, coast, cliff, inlet, ocean,
waterfall, plateau, canyon, river, plain, desert, river, tributary
Day 2: What is a landform?
 Read & discuss pages 240-243
 Practice labeling and drawing features
HW: What are the features of the ocean floor? p.33
Day 3:
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How are Earth’s features mapped?
Read & discuss p. 244-245
Use Internet to find examples of relief maps and topographical maps
Venn diagram to compare/contrast two types of maps
HW: How do we map Earth’s features? P.34
Day 4: Maps
 Read “Maps and How they are Made” (FOSS article from Landforms book p.
1-8)
 Complete notes sheet about article
Day 5: Schoolyard Maps
 Schoolyard Model Maps-FOSS Investigation 1-Part 2 (Don’t have to do part 1)
 Concept of a Map p. 18
 Introduce Cartographers p. 18
 Part 3: p. 22-23
 Make a list of features to include on map of playground
Day 6: Schoolyard Maps
 Go out to playground to create maps (need pencil, something to write on, and
map grid (Student Sheet # 5)
 Color maps and key
Day 7: Review & Quiz
 Review landforms vocabulary
 Quiz at end of class
Day 8: Earth’s Layers
 Read p. 246 and take picture notes
 Use whiteboards to practice drawing & labeling Earth’s layers
HW: Food model worksheet
Day 9: Earth’s Layers
 Make model of Earth’s layers out of clay
 Complete “Clay Model Earth” questions
HW: Lesson 1 Outline & Study for Quiz
Day 10: Quiz
 Quiz
 DVD: The Earth Inside and Out (from the AEA) 30 min. When you have an
idea of which day this will be, email me and I can order it.
Lesson 2: Plate Tectonics
Day 11: Plate Tectonics
 Explore lab p. 251
HW: Read & take notes p. 252-255
Day 12: Continental Drift & Pangaea
 Discuss p. 252-253
 Pangaea booklets
Day 13: Plate Tectonics
 Quick lab p. 255
 Label plates on map
Day 14: Plate Tectonics
 Discuss p. 256
 Internet animation & articles
HW: p. 22 Mapping Plate Tectonics
Day 15: Review
 Cause & Effect activity
 Review p. 252-256
HW: Lesson 2 Review Outline & Study for Quiz
Lesson 3: Volcanoes
Day 16: Volcanoes
 Plate Tectonic Quiz
 True Flix: The Krakatau Eruption
o Go to Greenhills AEA, click on Iowa AEA Online, click TrueFlix
o User: 3168ikmmms
Password: greenhills
o Click on Extreme Nature-The Krakatau Eruption
o Watch video clip & read book
Day 17: Volcanoes
 Finish reading and discussing The Krakatau Eruption
 Use teacher’s lesson plan to guide discussion
Day 18: Volcanoes
 Read p. 262-263 and answer discussion guide ?’s
HW: Where are Volcanoes Found? P. 37
Day 19: How do volcanoes build land?
 In small groups, read p. 264-265
 Quick Lab: Types of Volcanoes p. 265
Day 20: How do volcanoes build land and islands?
 Read p. 266
 Review notes about how volcanoes are formed
HW: Draw and label inside of volcano & write how a volcano forms
Day 21: Volcano Facts
 Use Discovery Kids Website to explore volcanoes and discuss the sequence of
an eruption
 http://kids.discovery.com/games/build-play/volcano-explorer
 Create ?’s sheet or notes sheet to complete
HW: Lesson 3 Review and Outline p.109-112 & Study for Quiz
Lesson 4: Earthquakes
Day 22: Earthquakes
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Volcanoes Quiz
Browse the Internet to find 10 interesting facts about earthquakes
Day 23: Earthquakes
 Explore Lab p. 271
HW: Read & notes p.272-273
Day 24: What is an earthquake?
 Discuss p. 272-273
 Show “World Book” overhead of earthquake picture: epicenter, focus, fault
 Students draw and label in notes
 Quick check ?’s in table groups
Day 25: What waves do earthquakes make?
 Read p 274-275
 Use Quake and Shake Lab p. 236 (From binder) to model & discuss waves
 Can also use Quick Lab p. 275 in book
HW: Read p. 276-278
Day 26: Waves, energy
 Discuss pages 276-278
 Complete graphic organizer notes (in binder) for p. 274-278
 Read p. 281: Using the Richter Scale
 Complete math p. 13
Day 27: Review
 In groups. Complete Discussion Guide questions about earthquakes
Day 28: Earthquake proof buildings
 Read Science Article: House of Straw
 Use Imagination Station website to explore how engineers build earthquake
proof buildings
 http://www.imaginationstationtoledo.org/content/2011/03/can-you-buildan-earthquake-proof-building/
HW: Lesson 4 Review and Outline p.113-116 & Study for Quiz
Lesson 5: Shaping Earth’s Surface
Day 29: Shaping Earth’s Surface
 Earthquake Quiz
 How does ice break up rocks? Explore lab p. 283
Day 30: Shaping Earth’s Surface
o Finish explore lab p. 283
o Word maps of vocab words p. 284
HW: Read p. 284-287
Day 31: Weathering/Erosion
o Discuss p. 284-287
o Fill out graphic organizer foldable for notes
Weathering
Erosion
Deposition
Shorelines
Day 32: Deposition/Shorelines
o Read p. 288-293
o Finish notes sheet
HW: Shaping Earth’s Surface Outline & vocab p. 119-122
Day 33: Stream Tables-Erosion
o FOSS kit Investigation 2
o Part 1: Erosion p. 11-13 of teacher’s guide
o Introduce Grand Canyon and do the investigation
Day 34: Stream Tables-Erosion
o Vocab review and wrap up discussion ?’s
o P. 13-15 of teacher’s guide
Day 35: Stream Table-Deposition
o Part 2: Deposition p. 18-20 # 1-10
Day 36: Stream Table-Deposition
o Finish Part 2 p. 20-22
HW: Dynamic Earth Study Guide
Day 37: Review
o Work on study guides in small groups
Day 38: Review
o Check SG
o Class review
o Use white boards to answer questions and draw pictures for review
Day 39: Final Test