Lesson Plans for the week of April 14 - 18, 2014
Content Standards
MS-ESS1-4
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from strata for how the geologic timescale
is used to organize Earth’s 4.6-billion-year-old history. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on
how analyses of rock formations and the fossils they contain are used to establish relative ages of
major events in Earth’s history. Examples of Earth’s major events could range from being very
recent (such as the last Ice Age or the earliest fossils of Homo sapiens) to very old (such as the
formation of mountain chains and ocean basins, the evolution or extinction of particular living
organisms, or significant volcanic eruptions.]
ESS1.C
The geologic time scale interpreted from rock strata provides a way to organize earth’s history.
Analyses of rock strata and the fossil record provide only relative dates, not absolute scale.
Monday (14)
LT – 1: I can identify my strengths and weaknesses on learning targets 1-3 after taking a
summative test.
Students will be taking a summative test over learning targets 1-3 on fossils and earth’s history
Summative Assessment : Multiple choice using scan trons
Special Needs Strategies: Test will be read orally to students with special needs
Tuesday (April 15)
LT – I can use fossil evidence to explain how life (biodiversity) and environmental conditions
(climate and continents) have changed.
Students will be working with the iPads and completing an activity called “Prehistoric Climate
Change and Why it Matters Today” In this activity, students will have to classify a variety of
photos of fossil leaves from two different time periods in Earth’s history. Students will analyze
a graph of leaf data ad well as a graph of forminafera. Students will try to determine the cause of
the warming trend in Earth’s ancient climate during the PETM.
Formative Assessment: Handout prehistoric climate and Why it matters Today
Media/Technology: SMART Presentation and iPads
Special Needs : Assistance as needed, calculator
Wednesday (16)
LT: I can use the sequencing of events to tell a story about relative dating.
Students will spend the next few days working on a packet dealing with relative dating. In one of the
activities, students will be given an illustration of a dried mud puddle and from the clues they have to
sequence the events in order in which they happened. After they complete the sequence, they have to
write a brief story that explains the appearance of the dried mud puddle and includes all events.
Students must justify the order of the events.
Media/Technology: SMART presentation
Formative Assessment: Story of Sequenced events
Special Needs Strategies: Teacher assists as needed
Thursday (17)
LT – I can determine the relative ages of rock formations.
Students will complete the second part of the packet on relative dating. In this part of the
activity, students will look at principles and techniques used to sequence geologic events and
determine the relative age of rock formations. They will have graphic illustrations of basic
principles used by geologists.
Formative Assessment: handout on Relative Dating
Media/Technology: SMART Response presentation
Special Needs: Work in small groups
Friday (18)
LT – 4 I can use fossil evidence to explain how life (biodiversity) and environmental conditions
(climate and continents) have changed.
Students will go to the computer lab to complete an activity called : “Stories from the Fossil Record”.
Students will read through the interactive activity which has four pathways: biodiversity, paleocology,
geologic time, and past lives.
Assessment: Evidence Chart
Media/Technology: SMART presentation