UNIT TITLE: Earth Layers and Plate Tectonics
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 6th Grade Earth Science
TEACHER: Megan Talarico
STAGE ONE
Desired Results:
2. Develop the ability to think critically by gathering, synthesizing, evaluating, and analyzing scientific
information so that they can be independent learners and thinkers.
A. Be able to evaluate scientific information
B. Independently gather scientific information
C. Synthesize scientific information from text, class discussions, and research
3. Know and understand common properties, forms, and changes in matter and energy.
B. Explain how the density of a material causes it to interact within the given earth system
(convection currents, volcanic activity)
5. Students know and understand the processes and interactions of the Earth’s system and the structure
and dynamics of Earth and other objects in space. (Focus: Geology, Meteorology, Astronomy,
Oceanography)
A. Understand the driving forces and effects of plate tectonics
6. Students know and understand interrelationships among science, technology, and human activity and
how they can affect the world
B. Make connections between knowledge of earth process and their effect on life
7. Students apply literacy skills to scientific texts
A. Students know how to read a science textbook
B. Students are exposed to scientific articles
C. Students read science based fiction and nonfiction
8. Scientific Practices
A. Learn to put research into their own words
B. Take careful notes from scientific texts
Essential Questions:
Enduring Understandings:
1. How are earthquakes, plate tectonics, and
1. The movement of tectonic plates causes the crust to
faults related?
deform along faults. Stress builds from the friction
2. What is the global impact of earthquakes?
of this plate motion. When stress is released, an
earthquake is felt.
2. Earthquakes send out P-waves and S-waves which
cause trembling of earth’s surface. Around the
world, communities have experienced the effects of
earthquakes such as tsunami, liquefaction,
landslides, and building collapse.
Knowledge:
Skills:
A1. Label the parts of an earthquake and demonstrate the
A. Parts of an Earthquake
movement of P- and S- waves with a slinky.
 Focus and Epicenter
A2. Calculate the lag time between P- and S-waves.
 P-waves and S-waves
Using a graph of seismograms from 3 locations.
 Data from P- and S-waves helps to locate
B1. Describe how earthquakes form at each plate
the epicenter
boundary.
B. Connection to plate tectonics
B2. Apply knowledge of earthquake components and
 Earthquakes form along all plate
effects to research a historic earthquake during the
boundaries
Adopt-an-Earthquake project.
STAGE TWO
Performance Assessments:
 Demonstrate and explain the difference between P- and S-waves by utilizing a slinky. Determine the
lag-time between P- and S-waves using a graph. Calculate the distance from the epicenter.
 Oral presentation to report research on a historic earthquake. Use of vocabulary and description of
how the earthquake forms will demonstrate mastery of new concepts.
STAGE THREE
L1 – L5. Knowledge acquisition. Students read, view a blendspace, and view interactive animations regarding
earthquakes. A strong focus is placed on the connection to plate tectonics.
L6-L12. Independent research project: Adopt-an-Earthquake provides a guided application of knowledge to
research a historic earthquake. Students report on the magnitude, tectonic cause, and impact of a globally
significant earthquake.
Materials:
Holt McDougal Science Fusion Module E: The Dynamic Earth (text and online interactives at Think Central
https://www-k6.thinkcentral.com/ePC/start.do)
Adopt an Earthquake project description.
Websites:
Research: usgs.gov
Earthquake relationship to faults blendspace http://blnds.co/1anl0mp
Earthquake destruction blendspace http://blnds.co/18wggh8
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/ good for some visuals
http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/current/lectures/evolving_earth/evolving_earth.html good
plate maps show correlation between plates and earthquakes/volcanoes
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/geo/animations/formation_of_ocean_crust.htm formation of ocean crust
http://tlc.discovery.com/convergence/quakes/interactives/makeaquake.html Make a Quake interactive