Learning-Focused Lesson Plan
Name: Janet F. Santos, Kelli Veal, and Kevin
Kevin Winter, Earth/Space Science
Plan for the concept, topic, or skill – Not for the class period Topic: Earth’s Structures
Learning Goals for
Standards
SC.6.E.6.1 – Describe and give examples of ways in which Earth’s surface is built
This Lesson
up and torn down by physical and chemical weathering, erosion and deposition
SC.6.E.6.2 – Recognize that there are a variety of different landforms on Earth’s
surface, such as coastlines, dunes, rivers, mountains, glaciers, deltas, and lakes,
and relate these landforms as they apply to Florida
Students Will Know:
Students Will Be Able To:
Earth’s surface (rock) is built up and worn down by physical and chemical
weathering, erosion, and deposition.
Describe and give examples of ways in
which Earth’s surface (rocks) is built up
and torn down by physical and chemical
weathering, erosion, and deposition.
Lesson Essential Question:
How do surface and subsurface events change the patterns within the rock cycle?
Activating Strategy:
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Bellringer: KWL on the steps/stages of the Rock Cycle.
Observation of different types of interesting looking rocks (provided by teacher).
Chalk/limestone erosion activity. Put pieces of chalk (represents limestone) and vinegar in a
water bottle, let students observe. Shake the water bottle and let students observe the changes
the vinegar (chemical change) and the shaking (physical change) made to the chalk.
Convection demo – density and salt with colored water and boiling water with rice
Unit Lesson – “Engage Your Brain Activities”
Key vocabulary to preview and vocabulary strategy:
Word Splash, Frayer Model and word deconstruction
Weathering – The natural process by which atmospheric and environmental agents, such as wind, rain, and
temperature changes, disintegrate and decompose rock.
Rock Cycle- The series of processes in which rock forms, changes from one type to another, is destroyed and forms
again by geologic processes.
Erosion – The wearing away of Earth’s surface by the breakdown and transportation of rock and soil
Deposition – The process by which sediment is carried by forces (wind, rain, and air) to another location
Superposition
Sedimentary Rock – A rock that forms from compressed or cemented layers of sediment.
Metamorphic Rock – a rock that forms from other rocks as a result of intense heat, pressure, or chemical processes.
Igneous Rock – Rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies
Uplift – The rising of regions of the crust to higher elevations; uplift increases the rate of erosion on rock
Subsidence – The sinking of regions of the crust to lower elevations. Subsidence leads to the formation of basins
where sediment can be deposited
Rift Zone – Is an area where a set of deep cracks form. Rift zones are common between tectonic plates are pulling
apart
Magma – Rock that gets hot enough to melt forms magma or molten rock. If magma reaches the Earth’s surface it is
called lava
Crust – The thin and solid outermost layer of Earth above the mantle
Mantle – The layer of rock between the Earth’s crust and core
Core – The central part of Earth below the mantle
Convection – The movement of matter due to differences in density that are caused by temperature variations can
result in the transfer as heat.
Asthenosphere – The solid plastic layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere; made of mantle rock that flows very
slowly, which allows tectonic plates to move on top of it.
Mesosphere – The strong, lower part of the mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core
Lithosphere – The solid, outer layer of Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle.
Physical Weathering – The mechanical breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces that is caused by natural processes and
that does not change the chemical composition of the rock material
Chemical Weathering - The chemical breakdown and decomposition of rocks by natural processes in the environment
Acid precipitation – Precipitation such as rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids often because
of the pollution of the atmosphere.
Ground Water – The water located within the rocks below Earth’s surface
Oxidation – A chemical reaction in which a material combines with oxygen to form new material; in geology, oxidation
is a form of chemical weathering.
Abrasion – The process by which rock is reduced in size by the scraping action of other rocks driven by water, wind
and gravity
Exfoliation – Is the process by which the other layers of rock slowly peel away due to pressure changes
Creep – The slow downhill movement of weathered rock material
Mudflow – The flow of a mass of mud or rock and soil mixed with a large amount of water.
Loess – Fine-grained sediments of quartz, feldspar, hornblende, mica and clay deposited by the wind
Rockfall – The rapid mass movement of rock down a steep slope or cliff
Delta – A mass of material deposited in a triangular or fan shape a the mouth of a river or stream
Alluvial Fan – A fan shaped mass of rock material deposited by a stream when the slope of land decreases sharply
Floodplain – An area along a river that forms from sediments deposited when the river overflows its bank
Barrier Island – A long ridge of sand or narrow island that lies parallel to the shore
Beach – An area of the shoreline that is made up of deposited sediment
Shoreline – The place where land and a body of water meet.
Sandbar – A sandbar is an underwater or exposed ridge of sand, gravel or shell material along the shore of a lake or
sea.
Gradient – The measure of the change in elevation over a certain distance.
Load – The materials carried by a stream.
Sea Cliff – A sea cliff forms when waves erode and undercut rock to make steep slopes
Glacier Drift – The rock material carried and deposited by glaciers
Glacier – A large mass of ice that exists year round and moves over land.
Dunes – A mound of wind-deposited sand that moves as a result of the action of the wind
Cirques – Bowl shaped depressions left by an alpine glacier
Arete – A sharp ridge that can form between two cirques.
Horn – When three arêtes are formed together they form a horn.
Lesson Instruction
Learning Activity 1
Guided Reading, text marking, vocabulary using above strategies, use of collaborative pairs
completing activities and readings from text. Unit 6 Lessons 1, pages 292-295. Students will
complete Lesson Visual Summaries and Lesson Reviews.
(How are the students going to access/learn the content?)
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Read pages 292-295 Rock Cycle. Students will text mark with partners.
Read pages 296-299 and add to Cornell Notes. Discuss questions and answers to
problems 9, 10, & 12-14.
Lesson Review Questions 1-12 page 303 Required: Cite paragraph and page number
from text to justify your answers
Assessment Prompt for LA 1
AP2: What is the Rock Cycle? - U6L2 pgs 292-303
What is Rock?
What processes change rock?
 Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition
 Temperature and Pressure
What are the classes of rock?
 Sedimentary,
 Igneous Rock
 Metamorphic Rock
Graphic
Organizer
Unit 6 Lesson 1
pg 297 Classes
of Rocks
Three Column
GO copied into
INB
Compare and
contrast
sedimentary,
igneous and
metamorphic
rock
GO of layers of
the earth –
comparing
physical and
chemical layers
- compare and
o Virtual Lab – Textbook – Rock Test Kitchen
1. Explain the differences between the three types of rock. How are they similar?
What is the Rock Cycle?
 Graphic organizer – rock cycle
o Gizmos – Rock Cycle
How do tectonic plate motions affect the rock cycle?
 By moving up and down
 By pulling apart Earth’s Surface
1. Compare and contrast extrusive and intrusive igneous rock?
2. Which type of rock would you expect to find near a rift zone? Why?
3. What do you expect would happen if there was no rock cycle on earth?
4. Describe what you think the earth would look like if there was no rock cycle.
Differentiation: http://www.rocksandminerals4u.com/earths_interior.html
Rated as 7.0 level for extended activity for higher level
http://schools.bcsd.com/fremont/4th_Sci_Earth_rock_cycle.htm
Rated as 6.0 for on level
http://www.nsta.org/elementaryschool/connections/201304RockCycleActivitySheets.pdf
Work in small group – teacher lead
Learning Activity 2 What are the Earth’s layers? U6L3 pages – 304-311
Complete Activities 1-4, 6-9, 11-15
Anticipation guide
What are the Earth’s compositional layers?
1. Understanding the structure of Earth can help scientists understand natural events such as
earthquakes and volcanoes. How do you think knowledge of Earth’s structure provides insight into
how and why these natural events happen? Explain your thoughts.
Concept Map to organize info about the different layers of Earth student developed
 Describe the compositional layers of Earth
o Divided into three layers based on chemical composition
 Define core, crust, and mantle.
o Core is the central part, below the mantle
o Crust is the solid, outermost layer above the mantle
o The hot, convecting mantle is the layer of rock between crust and core
o http://user.uni-frankfurt.de/~schmelin/what-is-convection.html - visualization of convection
o Or class demo using hot plate and rice
 http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/deepearth/visualizations/mantle_conv.html Main
Website depicting models of convections in the mantle
o
What are the Earth’s physical layers?
 Lithosphere – solid, outer layer, consists of the crust and the rigid part of mantle
 Asthenosphere – soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move
 Mesosphere – lower, slow-flowing part of mantle
 Both out core and the inner core are made up mostly of iron and nickel
 Outer core is liquid and inner core is solid
1. pgs. 308-309 What is the difference between the chemical (or compositional)layers of Earth and
the physical layers of Earth?
i.e. Physical layers are based on physical properties, not position; compositional layers are based on chemical
composition
Assessment Prompt for LA2 – AP2 - What are Earth’s Layers?
Pages 304-311 Lesson Review Questions 1-9 pg. 311 cite paragraph and page numbers from text to justify your
answers.
Quiz – Students have choice of which questions they have to answer. 10 out of 20
Differentiation:
Give an example of a difference for AP 2, explain directions and what is expected as an answer.
contrast and
label in INB
Concept map of
: Agents of
Physical
Weathering
Pg. 424 text –
completed in
INB
Concept map of
: Chemical
Weathering pg.
428/9
completed in
INB
Assignment
GIZMO – Rock
Cycle
Virtual Lab –
Textbook –
Rock Test
Kitchen
Crayon Lab
Activity –
Erosion,
deposition,
sedimentary,
igneous and
metamorphic
rock –
completion of
lab
questionnaire
U8L1:
ELL/ESE
TE pg 545
Different Ways
to Weather –
venn diagram in
INB
Autobiography
of a Rock
(attached)
Learning Activity 3
AP3- How Does weathering change Earth’s surface?
United Streaming video or Digital Lesson with students taking guided Cornell notes.
Unit 8 Lesson 1 pages 422-431 Students will mark text, number paragraphs underline/highlight main idea and
lesson vocabulary. Students will complete activities 1-16 and Lesson Review Questions 1-10 on page 431 citing
paragraph and page number justifying answers.
Demo – Frozen water bottle
Assessment Prompt for LA3
Summative Assessment – Alternative Assessment TE page 547 Weathering Online Resources:
Student worksheet and optional rubrics
Bellringer Quizzes
Differentiation:
http://www.kids-earth-science.com/earths-layers.html
Level – 6.9 interactive website for extended learning
http://www.sciencemonster.com/earth-science/layers-of-the-earth.html
Level – 5.5 small group – teacher lead
Summarizing Strategy
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Model the rock cycle- Students are divided into three groups (igneous, metamorphic, and
sedimentary). Students will work with a partner within the group to determine what is
“happening” to them (weathering/erosion, extreme pressure, and temperature). Once the
students have decided on the appropriate “happening” they will verify their answer with teacher.
Students getting the correct answer will be allowed to cycle to the next type of rock and
determine what has “happened” to the rock when moving from type to type. Students who have
decided on an answer that is not for their rock will discuss with teacher and try again. Students
will share the types of rock and what has happened and then this information will be placed into
a foldable (graphic organizer) showing how a rock transforms through different processes .
Ticket out the door- Describe the transformation of a rock throughout the rock cycle.
Answer the Essential Question, 3-2-1,
Write summary of digital lesson, film clips, in their composition books
Student will summarize with their collaborative pair
Quick Writes, compare and contrast
Modification/Accommodations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Seat student near teacher.
Stand near student when giving directions/presenting.
Provide visual aids/graphic organizers.
Ensure oral directions are understood.
Allow extra time to complete tasks.
Simplify complex written directions.
Give test items orally.
Provide peer assistance/study groups.
Name ______________________________
Date __________________
Period________________
Autobiography of a Rock
The autobiography of Grant Stone, the first rock to learn to talk, has just been published. Grant has had
a really interesting life! Below are some excerpts from Grant’s autobiography. After you read each
excerpt, decide if Grant is telling a story about physical or chemical weathering, and circle the
appropriate word. Then in the space provided, identify the cause of the weathering: abrasion, acids in
living things, acid precipitation, ice wedging, or oxidation. Be careful; one term will be used twice.
1. In my youth, I was part of a much larger rock on the side of a mountain. In the summer, small trickles
of water would enter cracks in my surface; in the winter the water would freeze. The cracks grew
larger, until I eventually broke off the granite outcropping.
chemical or physical?
_______________________________________________________________
2. As I fell off the mountain, I caused a rock slide. There were hundreds of rocks, large and small,
rolling down the mountain. We were bumping into each other and sliding all over—it was a regular rock
stampede!
chemical or physical?
_______________________________________________________________
3. I stopped at the base of the mountain, on top of the pile of rocks. I spent many years there, and
gradually, a colony of lichen began to grow on my side. They were easy to live with, but where the lichen
grew, my edges became less sharp.
chemical or physical?
_______________________________________________________________
4. In one of my journeys, I met some rocks that were a beautiful red color. They told me they were
made with a lot of iron, and the iron helped to cause their red color.
chemical or physical?
_______________________________________________________________
5. One winter, the mountain had a much larger snowfall than usual, and the spring was stormy, with lots
of rain. The rain and snowmelt caused a flood, and I found myself in the bottom of the river being
jostled among more rocks, and rubbed by silt.
chemical or physical?
_______________________________________________________________
6. Over time, that river changed course and I was left in the open. In recent decades, I’ve started to
crumble a little at the edges. I’m not sure what causes it, but I think it has something to do with the
rain—the rain seems to do much more damage to me than it used to.
chemical or physical?
_______________________________________________________________
Using the information about Grant Stone, find one excerpt that describes erosion and one that
describes deposition. Be sure to explain how you know it is erosion or deposition.
Erosion- #______
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Deposition- #______
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Use the following terms to create the next steps of Grant Stone’s journey. Describe how Grant felt or
what was happening during the weathering.
Weathering Terms: animal action and exfoliation.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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