Unit Plan
SCIENCE
M.S. 424x The Hunts Point Middle School
Unit: 1
Topic/ Duration
Essential
Question(s)
Key Student
Learning Objectives
Grade: 7 Science
GEOLOGY 8 weeks
How do we as scientists gather and interpret evidence that Earth is continually changing
Students will be able to:
 Describe the structure of the Earth
 Identify and classify Rocks and Minerals
 Describe how fossils provide evidence of Earth’s history
 Describe the evidence for Plate Tectonics and how plate movement affects the Earth’s
topography
New York State Science Standards
 3.2b Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to
permit its survival. Extinction of species is common. Fossils are evidence that a great variety of species existed in the past.
 3.2c Many thousands of layers of sedimentary rock provide evidence for the long his- tory of Earth and for the long history of
changing lifeforms whose remains are found in the rocks. Recently deposited rock layers are more likely to contain fossils
resembling existing species.
 2.1a Nearly all the atmosphere is confined to a thin shell surrounding Earth. The atmosphere is a mixture of gases, including
nitrogen and oxygen with small amounts of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases. The atmosphere is stratified into
layers, each having distinct properties. Nearly all weather occurs in the lowest layer of the atmosphere.
 2.1c The rock at Earth’s surface forms a nearly continuous shell around Earth called the lithosphere.
 2.1d The majority of the lithosphere is covered by a relatively thin layer of water called the hydrosphere.
 2.1e Rocks are composed of minerals. Only a few rock-forming minerals make up most of the rocks of Earth. Minerals are
identified on the basis of physical properties such as streak, hardness, and reaction to acid.
 2.1f Fossils are usually found in sedimentary rocks. Fossils can be used to study past climates and environments.
 2.1g The dynamic processes that wear away Earth’s surface include weathering and erosion.
 2.1h The process of weathering breaks down rocks to form sediment. Soil consists of sediment, organic material, water, and air.
 2.1i Erosion is the transport of sediment. Gravity is the driving force behind erosion. Gravity can act directly or through agents such
as moving water, wind, and glaciers.
 2.2a The interior of Earth is hot. Heat flow and movement of material within Earth cause sections of Earth’s crust to move. This
may result in earthquakes, volcanic eruption, and the creation of mountains and ocean basins.
 2.2b Analysis of earthquake wave data (vibrational disturbances) leads to the conclusion that there are layers within Earth. These
layers the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core have distinct properties.
 2.2c Folded, tilted, faulted, and displaced rock layers suggest past crustal movement.
 2.2d Continents fitting together like puzzle parts and fossil correlations provided initial evidence that continents were once together.
 2.2e The Theory of Plate Tectonics explains how the solid lithosphere consists of a series of plates that float on the partially molten
section of the mantle. Convection cells within the mantle may be the driving force for the movement of the plates.
 2.2f Plates may collide, move apart, or slide past one another. Most volcanic activity and mountain building occur at the boundaries
of these plates, often resulting in earth- quakes.
 2.2g Rocks are classified according to their method of formation. The three classes of rocks are sedimentary, metamorphic, and
igneous. Most rocks show characteristics that give clues to their formation conditions.
 2.2h The rock cycle model shows how types of rock or rock material may be trans- formed from one type of rock to another.
 3.1i Buoyancy is determined by comparative densities.
 RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
Reading
 RST.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct
Standards
from prior knowledge or opinions.
addressed
 RST.6-8.3 Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or
performing technical tasks.
 RST.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they
are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
 RST.6-8.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute
to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
 RST.6-8.6 Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an
experiment in a text.
 RST.6-8.7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that
information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
 RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
 RST.6-8.9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia
sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
 RST.6-8.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
 WHST.6-8.1Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
 WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific
procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
 WHST.6-8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
 WHST.6-8.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed
by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience
have been addressed.
 WHST.6-8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the
relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
 WHST.6-8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question),
drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues
of exploration.
 WHST.6-8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively;
assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others
while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
 WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
 WHST.6-8.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
General Skills
Supports
 Follow safety procedures in the classroom and laboratory.
 Above-grade level
(challenging high
 Safely and accurately use the following measurement tools: - metric ruler - balance
performers):
- graduated cylinder
 Use appropriate units for measured or calculated values.
 Recognize and analyze patterns and trends.
 Classify objects according to an established scheme and a student- generated
scheme.
 On grade level:
 Sequence events.
Writing
Standards
addressed
Skills

Use indicators and interpret results.
Physical Setting Skills
 Given the latitude and longitude of a location, indicate its position on a map and
determine the latitude and longitude of a given location on a map.
 Using identification tests and a flow chart, identify mineral samples.

Below grade level:

Use a diagram of the rock cycle to determine geological processes that led to the
formation of a specific rock type. Plot the location of recent earthquake and
volcanic activity on a map and identify patterns of distribution.
 Use a magnetic compass to find cardinal directions.
 Measure the angular elevation of an object, using appropriate instruments.
 Generate and interpret field maps including topographic and weather maps.
 Determine the density of liquids, and regular- and irregular-shaped solids.
 Determine the volume of a regular- and an irregular-shaped solid, using water
displacement.
Determine the identity of an unknown element, using physical and chemical properties
Vocabulary
Sequence of
Key
Learning
Activities
Resources
Assessments
Earth as a System
 Layers and composition: Lithosphere, Hydro- sphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere
Rocks and Minerals
 Rock cycle
 Classification of rocks: Sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks
 Properties of minerals including density
 Erosion and weathering
Fossils and Earth’s History
 Where fossils are found
 Dating of rocks: Absolute and relative age
 The importance of the fossil record
Plate Tectonics
 Theory of plate movement and evidence supporting the theory
 Convection currents
 Buoyancy (relative density)
 Sea-floor spreading
 Earthquakes: faulting and folding of the earth’s crust
 Volcanoes
 Mountain building
 Topography of Earth’s surface
Glencoe New York Science

ELL:

SWD: