Subject: Science
Grade: 7
Unit #: 2
Title: Ever Changing Earth
UNIT OVERVIEW
2.1 c, e, f
STAGE ONE: Identify Desired Results
Long-Term Transfer Goal
At the end of this unit, students will use what they have learned to independently…
2.2 a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h
identify natural earth processes and the resulting geologic formations.
3.1 h
Enduring Understandings
Meaning
Essential Questions
Students will understand that…
Students will consider such questions as…
Movement and change in the Earth’s interior
causes change in geologic formations.
What processes within earth cause geologic
activity?
Established Goals/Standards
Acquisition
What knowledge will students learn as part
of this unit?
 Identify and correctly use key terms
– convection, tectonic plates,
divergent, subduction, mountain,
collision, convergence, earthquake,
compression, transverse, fault,
convection current, Richter’s scale,
boundaries, Pangaea
 Earth’s composition
 Earth’s crust is broken into plates
 Earth’s continents once fit together
like a puzzle
 Heat flow and movement within the
earth causes crustal movement
resulting in earthquakes, volcanic
eruption, mountains, and earth
basins
 Scientists analyze earthquake wave
data that support the layers within
earth
 Crustal movement causes
displacement of the lithosphere
What skills will students learn as part of this
unit?
 Making evidence based claims to
support the theory of Pangaea and
continental drift
 Reading and interpreting graphs
and maps
 Modeling the layers of the earth
and crustal movement
 Read non-fictional text for
information while employing
reading strategies.
 Scientific skills (asking questions,
gathering and analyzing data,
making predictions, drawing
conclusions based on evidence)
STAGE TWO: Determine Acceptable Evidence
Assessment Evidence
East High School, Rochester, NY
Based on UbD (ASCD) by G. Wiggins and J. McTighe
Subject: Science
Grade: 7
Criteria for to assess
understanding: (This is
used to build the scoring
tool.)
Self/peer/teacher poster
rubric
Unit #: 2
Title: Ever Changing Earth
Performance Task focused on Transfer:
Plate tectonic poster describing the causes and effects of plate movements to
show how Earth is changing over time.
Other Assessment Evidence:
Model- Topographic map
Model- Pangaea
Stop and Think questions - Layers of the Earth
Stop and Think questions – Earthquakes
Reflect questions – What causes Earth’s plates to move?
Reflect questions - Plate interactions
East High School, Rochester, NY
Based on UbD (ASCD) by G. Wiggins and J. McTighe
Subject: Science
Grade: 7
T, M, A
(Code for Transfer,
Unit #: 2
Title: Ever Changing Earth
STAGE THREE: Plan Learning Experiences
Meaning Making and
Acquisition)
Learning Events:
Evidence of learning:
(formative assessment)
A
A, M
A, M
A, M
Lesson 1: Introduction to the big question, “What processes
within earth cause geologic activity?” Scholars will read pen pal
letters from other kids living in different areas around the world.
Reflection questions comparing the geography in the letters and
in Rochester that look at the geographic differences and
similarities.
Lesson 2: Scholars begin to consider the structure of Earth by
observing photographs of changes in Earth’s surface during
geologic events. Scholars also use topography maps to navigate
the topography of their region.
Bellwork
Ticket out the door
Graphic organizers
Stop and think questions
Reflect questions
Assessment rubrics
Whole group/small group
discussions
Lesson 3: The concept of a model is introduced as students use a
cracked hard-boiled egg to model Earth’s crust. The class is
introduced to the idea of making inferences based upon
observations. Groups try to infer the contents of two boxes based
on observations of size, mass, and sound.
Lesson 4: Revisit observations and inferences. Scholars learn that
scientists use seismology, volcanoes, and meteorites to learn
about the three major parts of the interior of the Earth—the
crust, mantle, and core.
A, T
Lesson 5: Class constructed model of a density column to explain
the order of the layers of the earth. Use of graduated cylinders.
A, M
Lesson 6: Scholars will make a paper model of the layers of the
earth. Earth systems reading. Revisit the paper model and discuss
where the hydrosphere, lithosphere, etc. would go in the model.
A, M
Lesson 7: Scholars are introduced to plate boundaries and they
use a model to simulate plate interactions.
A, M, T
Lesson 8: Now that scholars have modeled how plate boundaries
move, they look at Pangaea and the evidence surrounding the
former theory of continental drift.
M, T
Lesson 9: Revisit Pangaea in the continuation of the investigation
into what causes the plates to move. Now that we know the
plates are floating on the mantle, scholars brainstorm what they
think is actually moving the plates. They observe a molasses
East High School, Rochester, NY
Based on UbD (ASCD) by G. Wiggins and J. McTighe
Subject: Science
Grade: 7
Unit #: 2
Title: Ever Changing Earth
model of the mantle. They return to their brainstormed ideas and
determine what they want to revise.
A, M
A, M
A, M
M
Lesson 10: Scholars read about convection, convection currents,
and plumes. Stop and think and reflect questions in learning set
4.
Lesson 11: Students observe four animations depicting the events
when two plates collide and when two plates slide past one
another. They then assemble Plate Interactions Flip Books, share
them with the class, and reflect on what they have learned about
plate boundaries.
Lesson 12: Students learn the science of the plate interactions
they just observed in the animations through plate interaction
stations while they share and discuss their data with the class.
Lesson 13: Continuation of the investigation of plate interactions.
Scholars look at specific geologic formations that are a result of
the interactions such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains.
T
Lesson 14: Scholars construct a plate tectonic poster describing
the causes and effects of plate movements to show how Earth is
changing over time.
T
Lesson 15: Scholars read the, “More to Learn” at the end of the
learning set. Groups revise their explanations for the big
questions one last time and share with the class.
East High School, Rochester, NY
Based on UbD (ASCD) by G. Wiggins and J. McTighe