Unit – Plate Tectonics
Lesson 2 focus: Earthquakes and Volcanoes Change Earth’s Surface
The purpose of this lesson: Some of earth’s features change slowly, thought
repeated earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The location of these events provides
evidence of plate boundaries.
Prepare before students arrive:
1. Make sure you have all the materials and handouts you need for the day.
2. Adjust plans based on what was completed last time so you have time for all
the activities.
Strategies for instruction:
 The focus of today’s lesson is making inferences based on evidence. Encourage
students to support their thinking by providing at least 2 pieces of evidence. If
students seem ‘stuck,’ pause the process and have students turn to others to
share their information and form questions.
Step 1: General Business
 Take attendance.
 Be sure to leave time at the end of the class period to give the post-test.
Step 2: Packages [5E: Elaborate]
Materials for each student: Handout “Packages”, scissors, tape, colored pencils or
markers
Materials for teacher: optional – make a sample to show students how to fold and tape
the box “package”
 Have students cut out the cube shape and show them how to fold and tape it
together to form a package.
 Walk students through the directions sheets – what they should do with the
pencils or pens. Give them time to complete alone or with a friend.
 Ask: Compare your answers with 2 students you did not work with.
 Ask: Which questions do you want to go over as a class? Then discuss. How
does this relate to the demonstration we did last time?
Step 3: Making inferences – a Demonstration [5E: Explore Stage]
Materials for the teacher: vegetable (heavy) oil, graduated cylinder, 1 clear plastic cup,
food coloring (not yellow), two 20oz tumblers, sample of granite, sample of basalt
Materials for each student: pen or pencil to record, handout “Inferring about Rocks”
 Follow directions in teacher handout for demonstration.
 Give students handout and time to complete.
 Have student form groups of 3-4 to discuss their notes from the handout.
 Discuss points of interest from the handout as a class.
 Ask: How does this relate to the information from packages?
Step 4: Location of Earthquakes and Volcanoes [5E: Elaborate Stage]
Materials for each team of 2 students: Map of the world, 2 colored pencils, handout
with longitude/latitude of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
Materials for teacher: large map of the world
 Use the large map of the world to review longitude and latitude. Help students
locate a few places on this map. Point out the Prime Meridian and Equator.
 Pass out maps of the world. Have them label N/S on each side of the equator.
Have them label E/W on each side of the Prime Meridian.
 Give teams the list of earthquake epicenter locations. Have one student read
the locations, the other plot on the map using a color (create a legend on the
map for the colors).
 When a team finishes plotting the points, check their work. If correct, give the
set of volcanic eruption locations.
 Ask: how does the location of earthquakes and volcanoes provide evidence of
plate boundaries and explain the movement of plates? Connect this activity to
last week’s work.
 Address misconceptions noticed during student work.
Step 5: Give Post-test [5E: Evaluate]
Materials for each student: post-test
 Give post-test
 Collect students’ work
 Go over answers and discuss any students found challenging.
Step 6: Closure
 Make sure the room is clean.
 Collect name tags from students to use again in the future.
 Turn in post-tests to Stacy before you leave.