Fossil Fuels
Two Weeks
Social Studies
Lesson Plan
Grade: 6th Grade
Teacher: 6th Grade Teacher
Lesson Title:
Scientist Impact on Fossil Fuels
STRANDS
Culture, Geography
LESSON OVERVIEW
Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario, problem, or community link.
This unit will discuss fossil fuels in the context of how scientist can impact their extraction, usages, and the perception of such extraction and usage. There will also be
product and resource maps utilized to supplement the theme of fossil fuels. Although fossil fuel as a source of energy has been a primary energy source for many
generations, it is an energy source that is highly controversial. Examining how different types of scientist may impact this field will allow students to explore the world of
fossil fuels through a different set of eyes, so to speak. There will be a writing assessment for students to display their opinions on whether a geologist or anthropologist
could impact the controversy of coal. Being situated in northeast Tennessee, many students will be very familiar with political rhetoric and other forms of coal
controversy. Math will also be incorporated by examining how many barrels of oil are available, produced, and consumed by various places around the world.
Hook for the week unit or supplemental resources used throughout the week. (PBL scenarios, video clips, websites,
literature)
MOTIVATOR
“Bill Nye” Found in Appendix A
“Earth Revealed” Found in Appendix C
“BP” Found in Appendix C
“America Revealed” Found in Appendix D
“Doing Anthropology” Found in Appendix E
DAY
Objectives
(I can….)
Materials &
Resources
Instructional Procedures
Differentiated
Instruction
Assessment
1
I can elaborate upon
the purposes of
archaeology.
I can detail the job
characteristics of an
archaeologist.
Found in
Appendix A
PDF Notes
Essential Question:
1. What are the job characteristics of an archaeologist?
2. What is the purpose of archaeology?
Remediation:
Seating to minimize
distraction
iPads
Archaeologist
Adjusted Questions:
Apple TV
Set: “Write down the first three words you think about when you
hear the word archaeologist.” Selected students will share their
thoughts with the class.
1.Why is an archaeologist
job a valuable science?
Teaching Procedure:
• Class will begin by watching “Bill Nye – Archaeology.”
• Students will be presented with this lesson’s essential
questions.
• Students will take notes answering the essential questions
based on the content within the video.
• Students’ findings and the video’s content will be discussed
directly the following the video.
• The class will then be directed to “Archaeology” and
perform the correlating worksheet.
• Volunteer students will answer the worksheet’s questions in
a discussion-oriented lecture based on the reading.
Summarizing Strategy:
• After the instructor introduces the unit and explains very
briefly what fossil fuels are and how we use them, students
will begin this lesson’s summarizing strategy.
• “Based on what you now know about archaeology, do you
think archaeologist would have any role in the discovery or
usage of fossil fuels?”
• Students will take a few moments and generate responses.
Selected students will share their thoughts with the class.
2.What limits their job
compared to other
sciences you are familiar
with.
Enrichment:
Adjusted Questions:
1.How would the skills
archaeologist use to make
decision on ancient
peoples be used to find
and utilize fossil fuels?
2.Do you see potential
conflicts of interest
between an archaeologist
and coal or gas
companies?
Formative:
Worksheet
Summarizing
Strategy
2
I can identify what
fossil fuels are.
Found in
Appendix B
I can explain how
archaeology and the
retrieval of fossil fuels
coexist.
PDF Notes
I can differentiate
between resource
maps and product
maps.
iPads
Apple TV
Essential Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What are fossil fuels?
How does archaeology and fossil fuel retrieval coexist?
What is a resource map?
What is a product map?
What is an Archaeological Impact Assessment?
Remediation:
Seating to minimize
distraction
Heterogeneous Table
Groups
Set: “Provide a working definition for fossil fuels.” Students will be
given a few moments to generate their responses. Selected students
will share their thoughts with the class.
Anchoring Activity: During
the reading, students of
lower reading levels will
receive one on one
attention.
Teaching Procedure:
Enrichment:
Archaeology and Fossil Fuels
•
•
•
•
•
•
Students will first be directed to “Discovering Fossil Fuels”
and perform the correlating worksheet.
Volunteer students will share their findings as the class
reviews the worksheet’s seven questions.
Students will then view “Resource Map – Oil” and discuss
it’s content. This map will be compared to “Product Map –
Oil.”
Similarities and differences between the two will briefly
discussed.
The class will then view “B.C. Archaeology.” Students will
read this independently and then discuss their findings at
their tables. This reading details how archaeology and land
use coexist through Archaeological Impact Assessments.
Volunteer table groups may share their realizations with the
class to generate discussion.
Summarizing Strategy:
•
“What is the difference between a product map and a
resource map?”
Heterogeneous Table
Groups
Elevated Reading (B.C.
Archaeology)
Formative:
Worksheets
Exit Tickets
•
3
I can provide details
about the science of
geology.
Found in
Appendix C
iPads
PDF Notes
Apple TV
Students will turn their answer to this question in as an exit
ticket.
Essential Question: What is geology?
Remediation:
Geology
Seating to minimize
distraction
Set: “Write down the first three words you think of when you hear
the word geology.” Students will be given a few moments to
generate responses. Volunteer students will share their responses to
class discussion.
Teaching Procedure:
•
•
•
•
•
Students will first be directed to “UC Davis Geology” and
perform the correlating worksheet.
Selected students will share their findings to supplement a
lecture on the worksheet’s content.
Students will then watch “Earth Revealed.”
Before any discussion takes place students will watch “BP.”
Now that students know a little bit about geology and a little
bit about new age ways of finding petroleum, students will
work at their tables in groups of three students to formulate
a list of reasons as to why geology is one of the most critical
sciences in the modern world.
Prompting
Heterogeneous Groupings
Adjusted Questions:
1.Why is geology more
than just studying the
earth?
2.Does the human impact
on the earth have enough
impact to off set the
benefit of extracting oil?
Enrichment:
Formative:
Worksheet
Table
Presentations
Exit Tickets
•
•
•
As directions are given students will be prompted to take
into consideration all that geology and energy discoveries
produce, both positive and negative.
Students will also need to formulate whether producing
energy is more valuable than the productions of other
sciences.
Each table will present their case for class discussion.
Heterogeneous Grouping
Summarizing Strategy:
•
•
4
I can explain the
connection between
geology and coal
mining.
“Identify the primary purpose of geology.”
Students will submit their responses as an exit ticket.
Found in
Appendix D
Essential Question: How are coal mining and geology connected?
Remediation:
Formative:
PDF Notes
Seating to Minimize
Distraction
Worksheet
Geology and Coal Mining
iPad
Set: “What are two benefits that the science of geology produces?”
Students will be given a few moments to generate responses.
Selected students will share their thoughts for class discussion.
Apple TV
Teaching Strategy:
•
•
•
Students will read the summary portion of “Mining
Geology” and perform the correlating worksheet.
Selected students will answer the worksheet’s seven
questions to supplement a brief lecture covering the
worksheet’s content.
“America Revealed” will then be watched by the class.
Summarizing Strategy:
•
•
“After watching ‘America Revealed’ what aspects of geology
do you think would be the most valuable in terms of
mining?”
Students will be given a few moments to formulate
Prompting
Anchoring Activity: During
the reading, selected
students will receive one
on one assistance.
Enrichment:
Elevated Reading
Adjusted Questions:
1.How might a geologist
and a coal miner have a
conflict of interest?
2.How might a geologist
make coal mining even
•
5
I can provide details
about the science of
anthropology.
I can detail how
anthropology might
impact fossil fuel
extraction or usage.
Found in
Appendix E
iPads
PDF Notes
Apple TV
adequate reflections.
Volunteer students may share their thoughts to close the
class session.
Essential Question:
1. What is anthropology?
2. How might anthropology impact fossil fuel extraction or
usage?
Anthropology
Set: “How does geology impact coal mining? Identify two ways.”
Students will be given a few moments to generate responses.
Volunteer students may share their thoughts for classroom
discussion.
Teaching Procedure:
•
•
•
Students will be directed to “Anthropology” and perform
the correlating worksheet.
Selected students will be called upon to share their answers
to supplement a brief lecture.
Class will then view “Doing Anthropology” with the central
question being, “how might anthropology be useful in the
realm of fossil fuel extraction or usage?”
more profitable for coal
mining companies?
Remediation:
Seating to minimize
distraction
Homogeneous Groups
Anchoring Activity: During
the list creation, selected
groups will receive one on
one assistance.
Enrichment:
Homogeneous Groups
Formative:
Worksheet
List
•
•
Students will be placed into homogeneous groups to create
a list of items that answer the question above.
Each table will share their list with the class and a master list
will be created on the board by the instructor.
Summarizing Strategy:
•
•
6
I can provide details
on how geology
and/or anthropology
could help or harm
coal controversy.
“What possible benefits do you see anthropology being
capable of producing?”
Volunteer students will share their thoughts to close this
class session.
Found in
Appendix F
Essential Question: How can the sciences of geology and
anthropology play a role in coal controversy?
iPads
Geology and Anthropology’s Impact
Paper
Set: “What is the central concept of anthropology?” Students will be
given a few moments to generate responses. Select students will
share their response for the class to review.
Pencil
Teaching Strategy:
• Class will begin by watching “Coal: The Documentary.”
• Students will then be given directions about their in class
essay. This essay will be done on day seven of the unit.
• The central question of the essay is the essential question of
today’s lesson.
• Students will work individually to create bubble diagrams.
• This writing topic is complex and will require students
support their opinions with facts and quality information.
• Students may use their iPads to research items that will
guide their thinking.
Summarizing Strategy:
• Volunteer students will share their bubble diagrams with
Remediation:
Formative:
Seating to minimize
distraction
Bubble Diagram
Anchoring Activity: While
students create bubble
diagrams, selected
students will receive one
on one attention.
Enrichment:
Adjusted Questions:
1.Would scientific
evidence or
personal/cultural
understanding be a better
avenue to
attacking/defending coal?
the class to induce discussion on the essay topic.
7
I can provide details
on how geology
and/or anthropology
could help or harm
coal controversy.
MacBooks
Essential Question: How can the sciences of geology and
anthropology play a role in coal controversy?
Coal Controversy
Remediation:
Seating to minimize
distraction
Set: “Get out your bubble diagrams and pull up Word on your
MacBook.” As today’s class is a summative assessment of an in class
essay the set will make the most of the time allotted.
Prompting
Teaching Strategy:
• Students will be presented with the essay’s central question
(today’s essential question) and be instructed that a five
paragraph, well organized essay is the expectation.
• Students will be given the entire period to complete this
assessment.
• Students who finish will be directed to find interactive maps
involving fossil fuels.
Enrichment:
Summarizing Strategy:
• If all students finish in time for any discussion, students will
verbally reflect on the challenges of writing an essay in fifty
minutes.
8
2.Does the appearance of
mountain top removal
make it very hard to
defend from a cultural
perspective?
Additional time
Individual Writing
Summative:
Anthropology
Essay
Project Day 1—refer to unit plan
Topic—Fossil Fuel Keynote
9
Project Day 2—refer to unit plan
Topic—Fossil Fuel Keynote
10
Project Day 3—refer to unit plan
Topic—Fossil Fuel Debate
STANDARDS
Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT
College Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies.
GLE’s
1.03 Appreciate the relationship between physical environments and culture.
1.04 Recognize how cultural and individual perceptions affect places and regions.
1.06 Understand the influence of science and technology on the development of culture through time.
3.01 Understand the characteristics and uses of maps.
3.04 Understand the physical and human characteristics of place.
SPI’s
6.1.spi.2. identify the job characteristics of archaeologists, anthropologists, geologists, and historians.
6.3.spi.5. use a variety of maps to understand geographic and historical information (i.e., political maps, resource maps, product maps, physical maps, climate maps,
vegetation maps).
6.3.spi.6. interpret a graph that illustrates a major trend in world history (i.e. population growth, economic development, governance land areas, growth of religions).
Vocabulary:
Archaeology: the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical
remains.
Geology: the science that deals with the earth's physical structure, its history, and how human and other factors impact it.
Anthropology: the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and
social relations, and culture
Fossil Fuels: a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.
Archaeological Impact Assessment: an assessment of how land usage will impact archaeological sites.