Unit Name: Plate Tectonics
Length of Time: 6 weeks
Core Area: Science
Grade Level: 7th Grade
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
STANDARDS ADDRESSED:
STRAND 6 – Earth and Space Science
CONCEPT 1 – Structures of the Earth – Describe the composition and interactions between the structure of the Earth and its
atmosphere.
PO3 – Explain the following processes involved in the formation of the Earth’s structure: erosion, deposition, plate tectonics, and
volcanism.
CONCEPT 2 – Earth’s Processes and Systems – Understand the processes acting on the Earth and their interaction with Earth
systems.
PO3 – Analyze the evidence that lithospheric plate movements occur.
PO4 – Explain lithospheric plate movement as a result of convection.
PO5 – Relate plate boundary movements to their resulting landforms, including: mountains, faults, rift valley, trenches,
volcanoes.
PO6 – Describe how earthquakes are measured.
STRAND 2 – History and Nature of Science
CONCEPT 1 – History of Science as a Human Endeavor – Identify individual, cultural, and technological contributions to
scientific knowledge.
PO1 - Identify how diverse people and/or cultures, past and present, have made important contributions to scientific
innovations.
CONCEPT 2 – Nature of Scientific Knowledge – Understand how science is a process for generating knowledge.
PO1 – Describe how science is an ongoing process that changes in response to new information and discoveries.
PO2 – Describe how scientific knowledge is subject to change as new information and/or technology challenge prevailing
theories.
7th Grade Science
p. 1
Aligned to 2005 Arizona Science Standards
June 2012
Unit Name: Plate Tectonics
Length of Time: 6 weeks
Core Area: Science
Grade Level: 7th Grade
SCIENTIFIC PRACTICES:
1. Asking questions and defining problems.
2. Developing and using models.
3. Planning and carrying out investigation.
4. Analyzing and interpreting data.
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking.
6. Constructing explanations and designing solutions.
7. Engaging in argument from evidence.
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.
INTEGRATED STANDARDS:
7th Grade Science
p. 2
Aligned to 2005 Arizona Science Standards
June 2012
Unit Name: Plate Tectonics
Core Area: Science
Grade Level: 7th Grade
Length of Time: 6 weeks
Skills
1. Describe how the lithosphere is made up of
tectonic plates. (DOK 1)
2. Explain (DOK2) and analyze the evidence for
Continental Drift. (DOK3)
3. Determine the causes of lithospheric plate
movement. (DOK2)
4. Explain the contributions of Alfred Wegener
and why scientists initially rejected his theory.
(DOK1)
5. Describe the three plate boundaries and where
they occur. (DOK1)
6. Explain how hot spots are used to track plate
movement. (DOK2)
7. Describe what happens when plates move apart
(rift valleys and mid ocean ridge) (DOK2)
8. Describe what happens when plates converge
(trenches, mountains, and volcanoes) (DOK2)
9. Explain the cause of Earthquakes and why most
occur along plate boundaries. (DOK2)
10. Explain how energy from an Earthquake
travels through Earth and how the energy is
measured. (DOK1)
11. Describe how scientists study the Earth’s core
using seismic waves. (DOK2)
7th Grade Science
p. 3
Resources/Strategies
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usgs.gov (real time earth
quake data )
Candy bar boundaries
Design and engineer a
building or structure that will
withstand a simulated
earthquake.
Volcano autobiography
project: a 1st person essay
about being a volcano.
Requires research of a real
life volcano and presenting
the research in the 1st person
format.
Build baking soda and
vinegar volcanoes.
Vocabulary
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Tectonic Plates
Continental Crust
Oceanic Crust
Continental Drift
Alfred Wegener
Pangaea
Mid Ocean Ridges
Ocean Trenches
Convection Currents
Sea Floor Spreading
Divergent Boundary
Convergent Boundary
Transform Boundary
Hot Spots
Rift Valley
Subduction
ContinentalContinental Collision
Oceanic-Oceanic
Subduction
Oceanic-Continental
Subduction
Stress
Fault
Seismic waves
Focus
Epicenter
Seismograph
Assessment
District 1st
Quarter
Assessment
Aligned to 2005 Arizona Science Standards
June 2012
Unit Name: Plate Tectonics
Core Area: Science
Grade Level: 7th Grade
Length of Time: 6 weeks
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Richter Scale
Moment Magnitude
Scale
Volcano
Magma
Lava
DOK1 – Depth of Knowledge Level 1 DOK2 – Depth of Knowledge Level 2 DOK3 – Depth of Knowledge Level 3 DOK4 – Depth of Knowledge Level 4
7th Grade Science
p. 4
Aligned to 2005 Arizona Science Standards
June 2012