Unit Lesson Plan – The History of Planet Earth
Teacher:
Time Frame:
Grade:
4
Subject:
PSI Middle School Science
17 Days
School:
NGSS/DCI
ESS1.C: The History of
Planet Earth
Local, regional, and global patterns of rock formations reveal changes
over time due to earth forces, such as earthquakes. The presence and
location of certain fossil types indicate the order in which rock layers
were formed. (4-ESS1-1)
ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and
Large-Scale System
Interactions
The locations of mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, ocean floor
structures, earthquakes, and volcanoes occur in patterns. Most
earthquakes and volcanoes occur in bands that are often along the
boundaries between continents and oceans. Major mountain chains
form inside continents or near their edges. Maps can help locate the
different land and water features areas of Earth. (4-ESS2-2)
http://www.nextgenscience.org/4ess1-earth-place-universe
http://www.nextgenscience.org/4ess2-earth-systems
Instructional Objective:
4-ESS1-1
Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock
layers for changes in a landscape over time to support an explanation
for changes in a landscape over time.
Instructional Objective:
4-ESS2-2
Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s
features.
Essential Questions
(What questions will the student be able to answer as a result of the instruction?)
1.
2.
3.
4.
What can rock formations teach about the history of Earth?
How can fossils help determine the age of rocks and rock layers?
What are tectonic plates?
What causes many of Earth’s surface features and where do these features tend to exist?
Knowledge & Skills
(What skills are needed to achieve the desired results?)
By the end of this unit, students will know:

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
The layer of Earth that tells us the most about
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 Create a model of sedimentary rock formation.
4th Grade PSI
The History of Planet Earth



Earth’s history is the crust.
Sedimentary rocks form in layers and fossils in
these layers can help geologists determine how
old the rocks are relative to one another.
Earth’s crust is made up of tectonic plates that
float on the mantle and interact at their
boundaries.
Many of the features on Earth’s surface exist at
tectonic plate boundaries.
 Create a model of fossils in sedimentary rock layers.
 Identify rock layers in a sedimentary rock model and
use this information to determine the step-by-step
process of rock formation.
 Determine what the youngest and oldest layer of a
rock is based on the Law of Superposition.
 Collaborate to build a model of one type of plate
boundary.
 Map earthquakes and plate boundary locations and
determine the connections between their locations.
Assessment
(What is acceptable evidence to show desired results (rubrics, exam, etc.)? Attach Copy
During the Smart Notebook lesson designed to introduce concepts, students will be continually questioned on these
concepts using a combination of classwork/homework questions and the SMART Response system. Classwork and
Homework questions will be discussed as a class.
Lab 1: Rock Layers
Quiz 1: Rock Layers
Activity 1: Sediment Fossil Surprise
Activity 2: Relative Age with Edible Rocks
Quiz 2: Fossils
Quiz 3: Earth Forces and Plates
Activity 3: Where Plates Meet
Activity 4: Finding Plates by Mapping Quakes
Quiz 4: Surface Features and Patterns
Performance Assessment Task
Unit Test
(What is the sequence of activities, learning experiences, etc, that will lead to desired results (the plan)?
Day
Topic
Classwork
Homework
1
The Structure of Earth
Slides 1-14; Questions 1-2
Questions 3-5
2
Rock Layers
Slides 15-28;
Questions 1-2
Question 3
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4th Grade PSI
The History of Planet Earth
3
Lab: Rock Layers
Student Lab Sheet;
Slide 29
4
Quiz 1: Rock Layers;
Lab Observations
Quiz;
Student lab sheet
(day 1 observations)
5
Fossils and Relative Time
Slides 30-42;
Questions 1-2
Questions 3-4
6
Activity: Sediment Fossil
Surprise
Student Lab Sheet;
Slide 43
Finish lab sheet
7
Activity: Relative Age with
Edible Rocks
Student Lab Sheet;
Slide 44
Finish lab sheet
Study for Quiz
8
Quiz 2: Fossils;
Rock Formations and Earth
Forces
Quiz;
Slides 45-64;
Questions 1-2
Questions 3-5
9
Tectonic Plates
Slides 65-79; Question 1
Questions 2-4
Study for Quiz
10
Quiz 3: Earth Forces and
Plates;
Earth’s Visible Features
Slides 80-93; Question 1
Questions 2-4
11
Activity: Where Plates Meet
Student Lab Sheet;
Slide 94
Work on Lab Questions
12
Activity: Where Plates Meet
Student Lab Sheet (group
work); group presentations
Finish lab sheet
13
Patterns of Earth’s
Features
Slides 95-106;
Questions 1-2
Questions 3-4
Study for Quiz
14
Quiz 4: Surface Features
and Patterns;
Activity: Finding Plates by
Mapping Quakes
Student lab sheet;
Slide 107
Finish lab sheet
15
Performance Assessment
Performance Assessment
Task
16
Unit Test Review
Review Game
17
Unit Test
Test
Study for Quiz
Study for Test
*While there are many slides for each topic, several slides within the notebook are hidden and won’t be
used during instructional time.
**HW Problems are currently not scaffolded from least to most difficult, but are instead listed in order of
topic. Teacher should pay special attention at the end of each class period when assigning HW so that
only problems related to the topic that was taught are being assigned. A guide is provided above.
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4th Grade PSI
The History of Planet Earth