Shaw Lesson Plans – 6th Grade Science – Week Ending March 2, 2012
Monday: 2/27

Warm-Up

Plate Tectonics Notes

Locating Major Tectonic Plates – http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/drift.html

Reflection – What was the purpose of today’s activity?
Materials: Paper, Pen/ Pencil, & Interactive
Balanced Literacy/ESL Strategies: Direct teaching important
Journal/Notebook
words, model performance of all tasks, simplify language, write
on the board while talking, use graphics to illustrate concepts,
ELPS: 3(D), 3(E), 3(I), 5(B), 5(G)
continue Word Walls and Graphic Organizers, K-W-L Strategy,
and Think-Pair-Share
Tuesday: 2/28

Warm-Up

Plate Tectonics – http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate.html

CBA Review – Jeopardy Game

Vocabulary Homework – Pocket Mod

Reflection – What was the purpose of today’s activity?
Materials: Paper, Pen/ Pencil, Interactive
Balanced Literacy/ESL Strategies: Direct teaching important
Journal/ Notebook
words, model performance of all tasks, simplify language, write
on the board while talking, use graphics to illustrate concepts,
ELPS: 3(D), 3(E), 3(I), 5(B), 5(G)
continue Word Walls and Graphic Organizers, K-W-L Strategy,
and Think-Pair-Share
Wednesday: 2/29

Warm-Up

Science CBA

Reflection – How do you feel about the exam?
Materials: Paper, Pen/ or Pencils, Interactive
Balanced Literacy/ESL Strategies: Direct teaching important
Journal/Notebook
words, model performance of all tasks, simplify language, write
on the board while talking, use graphics to illustrate concepts,
ELPS: 3(D), 3(E), 3(I), 5(B), 5(G)
continue Word Walls and Graphic Organizers, K-W-L Strategy,
and Think-Pair-Share
Thursday: 3/1



SEs: 6.10C- identify the major
tectonic plates including
Eurasian, African, indoAustralian, Pacific, North
American, and South
American
Students will learn where the
major tectonic plates are
located and share the
information in cooperative
learning interactions
SEs: 6.10C- identify the major
tectonic plates including
Eurasian, African, indoAustralian, Pacific, North
American, and South
American
Students will learn where the
major tectonic plates are
located and share the
information in cooperative
learning interactions
SEs: 6.10D- describe how plate
tectonics causes major
geological events, such as
ocean basins, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, and
mountain building
Students will learn how the
movement of Earth's plates
cause major geological events
and share the information in
cooperative learning
interactions
SEs: 6.10D- describe how plate
tectonics causes major
geological events, such as
ocean basins, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, and
mountain building
Students will learn how the
movement of Earth's plates
cause major geological events
and share the information in
cooperative learning
interactions
Friday: 3/2
SEs: 6.10D- describe how plate
tectonics causes major
geological events, such as
ocean basins, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, and
mountain building
Students will learn how the
movement of Earth's plates
cause major geological events
and share the information in
cooperative learning
interactions
Warm-Up
TELPAS Writing Prompt
Reflection – What was the purpose of today’s activity?
Materials: Paper, Pen/ or Pencils, Interactive
Journal/Notebook
ELPS: 3(D), 3(E), 3(I), 5(B), 5(G)
Balanced Literacy/ESL Strategies: Direct teaching important
words, model performance of all tasks, simplify language, write
on the board while talking, use graphics to illustrate concepts,
continue Word Walls and Graphic Organizers, K-W-L Strategy,
and Think-Pair-Share

Warm-Up

Snack Tectonics

Reflection – What was the purpose of today’s activity?
Materials: Paper, Pen/ or Pencils, Interactive
Balanced Literacy/ESL Strategies: Direct teaching important
Journal/Notebook
words, model performance of all tasks, simplify language, write
on the board while talking, use graphics to illustrate concepts,
ELPS: 3(D), 3(E), 3(I), 5(B), 5(G)
continue Word Walls and Graphic Organizers, K-W-L Strategy,
and Think-Pair-Share
ELPS:
3D – Speak using grade-level content area vocabulary in context to internalize new English words and build academic language proficiency
3E – Share information in cooperative learning interactions
3I – Adapt spoken language appropriately for formal and informal purposes
5B – Write using newly acquired basic vocabulary and content-based grade-level vocabulary
5G – Narrate, describe, and explain with increasing specificity and detail to fulfill content area writing needs as more English is acquired
Special Education Modifications:
Sentence prompts; extended time for completion; grade based on effort; reduction in number of questions
Enduring Understandings:
The student will understand the major tectonic plates and how plate tectonics causes major catastrophic events.
Essential Questions:
How does the movement of Earth's plates cause major geological events?
Where are the major tectonic plates located?
Key Concepts:
Plate tectonics
Interactions
Models
Motion
Force
Change
Essential Vocabulary:
plate tectonics - a geological thorny that describes the way the plates of Earth move and travel over the mantle
Pangaea - the hypothetical single land mass that broke up into what we window today as our continents
volcano - a vent in the crust of Earth from which steam and molten rock flows
crust - the outer layer of the planet
mantle - the layer of Earth underneath the crust
lithosphere - the top most solid part of Earth
asthenosphere - part of Earth's crust upon which the lithosphere moves, extremely hot averaging at 1600 degrees Celsius (also known as the upper
part of the mantle)
fault - a break or crack along which rocks move
subduction - the process in which the lithosphere plunges back into the interior of the Earth
divergent plate boundary - plates move apart
convergent plate boundary - plates move together
transform fault boundary - plates move sideways past each other
rift - a big crack on land or in the ocean floor
convection current - a movement of material caused by differences in temperature
isostasy - the balancing of the downward force of the crust and the upward force of the mantle
shearing - the type of stress that pushes rocks of the crust in two opposite, horizontal directions
crustal plate - a large section of the lithosphere that moves as a single unit
ocean basin - a large or small depression in the ocean floor
Module Assessment
1.
A student wanted to model the formation of a mountain associated with tectonic activity. She pushed a rug up against a wall. What kind of
mountain formation did she model?
a.
fault-block mountain
b.
aromatic mountain
c.
tension mountain
d.
folded mountain
2.
The lithosphere is a section of Earth that makes up Earth's crust and mantle. The lithosphere is divided into segments called tectonic plates.
Which of the following events can be caused by sudden movements of the plates?
a.
lightning
b.
tsunamis
c.
hurricanes
d.
continental drift
3.
Where are earthquakes most likely to occur?
a.
near the edges of tectonic plates
b.
in mountain ranges
c.
near the center of continental plates
d. near volcanoes
4.
Which of the following events would occur in the longest time frame?
a.
an avalanche
b.
a tsunami
c.
an earthquake
d.
a volcanic eruption
5.
Which of the following suggests that Earth's crust floats on the upper mantle?
a.
tension
b.
compression
c.
shear
d.
isostasy
ANSWER KEY
1. D
2. B
3. A
4. D
5. D
PCP:
6.10D - describe how plate tectonics causes major geological events, such as ocean basins, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain
building
The Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics activity - The student will model the moving plates of Earth and various features that can result from such
movement.
Supplemental Resources:
Glencoe pages 198 - 215
Textbooks
Library
Computer access to Internet
Tier 1:
Shifting Plates Activity
Have the student visit ThinkQuest: Tectonics and make a foldable.
Poster illustrating the layers of the Earth including: lithosphere, asthenosphere, mantle, crust, core (the poster could also include various features such
as rifts, plate boundaries, etc).
Tier 2:
Towel Geology Demonstration
Graham Cracker Activity Tier 2
Plate Tectonics Quiz
Have students visit the Exploring Earth web site to review what events can occur when the plates move
Renzulli Learning
Study Island
Brain Pop
Tier 3:
Schedule tutoring before or after school.