Geology Rocks!
Objectives / Understandings:
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Aware of geologic time
Review and understand the rock cycle
Identify types of rocks
Understand glacier formations
Understand role of geology in ecology
Develop sense of place
Strengthen connections between students
Enduring Understandings
● Students will understand that connection between the lithosphere,
atmosphere, and hydrosphere
● Students will understand the link between geologysoilwhat grows there
Essential Questions:
● How are geology and biology connected?
● How can we use geology to explain what we see?
Materials Needed:
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Layers of the Earth Diagram
Geologic Time description
Apple
Pocket Knife
Surficial Map of Valley County
LabQuest
pH probe
Soil moisture probe
Temperature probe
Soils assessment flow chart
Trowel
Stash a shovel
Clipboard
iPad
Landon Moores
Page | 1 Fall 2013
Route:
● MOSS>Meadow Marsh Loop>Lily Marsh Loop>Peninsula Trail back to MOSS
Outline with approximate times:
A brief overview of your day in bullet point format, e.g.
9:00 Intro
● Mind Map
● Assign Roles
● Water, Lunch, Bathroom check
9:30 Head to Meadow Marsh and discuss “What is Geology” & Geologic
Time (with arm visual)
9:45 Meadow Marsh Trailhead
Layers of the Earth
● Apple as example of earth
o Core=Core-made of two layers, inner solid and outer liquid
o White part=Mantle-divided into upper and lower and the
different densities are believed to drive PLATE TECTONICS
(which we will discuss momentarily)
o Skin=Crust-forms all that we see. Differing thickness. Makes up
the lithosphere. Briefly introduce enduring understanding of
lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere interaction.
10:15 Start hiking MM trail
10:30-10:45ish Open area beside trail
Landon Moores
Page | 2 Fall 2013
Plate Tectonics
● Review mantle and its movement as a cause of plate movement
● Introduce plate movement types: divergent, convergent, subduction,
transform
● Play Tectonic Wrasslin’!
● Debrief: how does this affect landscape?
11:15 Hike to granite tumble
Rock Cycle
● Review rock cycle
● Play Rockity, Rock, Rock, Rock
● Journal Prompt: Journey of a Rock
=============LUNCH BREAK=====================
12:15 Fox Run Trailhead
Rock ID
● Discuss granite, basalt, and gneiss
● Field journal on their differences/similarities
● Where did they come from? Transition to:
Geologic History of Idaho
● Tectonic activity
● Basalt flows
● Batholith/Granite
● Glaciers
o Glacial shuffle
o Surficial map of Valley County and label
1:15 Hike to Lily Marsh or Meadow Marsh
Soils & Succession!
● Take soil profiles at either marsh and somewhere in the forest (forest,
aspen grove, choose your own adventure!)
● Soil pit if time!
● Use Marsh as example of succession: journal and discuss
o “Choose the marsh 10, 100, or 1000 years in the past or future
and draw
o Compare and discuss
3:00 Hike to MOSS
Wrap-up
● On the walk back, have students pair up and talk about different ways
the biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere effect one
another/interact
● Once at MOSS discuss findings
● Work on AL
Landon Moores
Page | 3 Fall 2013
Landon Moores
Page | 4 Fall 2013