TITLE OF LESSON- What shapes our earth? 6th grade Earth Science
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING
(99 points)
Website references:
Inquiry and Problem-Based Learning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MRo4c_Q7Fs
Problem Based Learning 2:04 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDe74bOxXLw
Problem Based Learning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNhismExIwU
ASCD Express 6.25: Problem-Based Learning for the 21st Century
Classroom 5:22 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HMCSJGrAFw
Subject: Earth Science
Teacher: Ms. Freeman
Lesson objective: The
students will be learning about
how our earth is shaped and
why it is shaped the way it is.
Also they will be seeing what
will happen if these changes
become even more powerful.
Furthermore, they will see
what our soil is made up of
and how it is made that way,
and the different features it
has such as soils particle sizes.
(2 points)
Date: 3-23-13
Length of lesson: 1-2weeks
Grade Level Content Expectation: E.SE.06.12 Explain how
waves, wind, water, and glacier movement
shape and reshape the land surface of the Earth by eroding
rock in some areas and depositing sediments in other areas.
E.SE.06.13 Describe how soil is a mixture, made up of
weather-eroded
rock and decomposed organic material, water, and air.
5
E.SE.06.14 Compare and contrast different soil samples based
on
particle size.
(5 points)
(NGSS)
ELA Common Core:
Math Common Core:
Focus Question: What are
the four main things that
weather and erode our
earth’s surface?
What are the different soil
particle sizes?
What is soil made up of?
How does the shaping of our
earth’s surface effect the
land around us?
(2 points)
Key Concepts:.
Glaciers: A slowly moving mass or river of ice formed by the
accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains or near the poles.
Gravel:
A loose aggregation of small water-worn or pounded stones.
Sand: A loose granular substance, typically pale yellowish brown,
resulting from the erosion of siliceous and other rocks
Silt:
Fine sand, clay, or other material carried by running water and deposited
as a sediment, esp. in a channel or harbor.
Clay: 1.A stiff, sticky fine-grained earth, typically yellow, red, or bluishgray in color and often forming an impermeable layer in the soil
1
organic material: (Organic Materials) Compounds composed of carbon,
hydrogen, and other elements with chain or ring structures.
particle size: Particle size is a introduced for comparing dimensions of
solid particles (flecks), liquid particles (droplets), or gaseous particles
erosion: 1.The process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or
other natural agents.
minerals: 1.A solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence.
weathering: 2.(of rock or other material) Be worn away or altered by
such processes: "specimens that weather away quickly".
soils: The upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark
brown material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains.
sediments:
Matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; dregs.
(5points)
Time:1- Lesson
2 weeks Element:
Be very
specific and
include all
materials,
especially
rubrics.
Instructional Outline: Earth Science
There will be rubrics shown at the end of this lesson.
Assessment:
What will my
students do to
demonstrate:
1.a developing
understanding
(embedded
assessment)
(5 points)
For this assessment, they will be working in groups to solve the problem that I
gave to them, I will be able to tell that they are understanding the information
that they are given, if they are working together to find outcomes to the
problem and are able to give solutions to the problem given in a way that
makes sense and could really happen. Also I will be observing them on the two
labs that I will be conducting with them in class, the “here come the rain and
also the wind one as well. When observing them I will see that they are
working together to figure out each step and understand the outcome of the
labs.
2.a deep
understanding
of this
benchmark
(final
assessment)?
(5 points)
For this assessment, there will be a test at the end of this unit that will contain
all the we have learned over these next few weeks. The test will be shown at
the end of this unit.
Introduction
(*i.e.
Anticipatory set: Since we live in Michigan I thought doing a activity on
Michigan’s history of weathering would be the best way to start off my
lesson. I found this activity on this website:
www.mstaconference.org/.../soils_at_sleeping_bear_dunes_lesson_pl...
2
Anticipatory
Set, Access
prior
knowledge, or
KWL) (5
points)
Step one: Read the book Under Michigan: The Story of Michigan’s Rocks
and Fossils by Charles Ferguson Barker.
Step two: Have the students focus on the part in the story “Michigan
Under Ice”. While reading this story I will be asking questions about what
we are reading to guide them along and they also need to be taking notes
on this story.
Step three: After the book, we will then watch a video of the history of
Michigan under ice. This video is listed below.
Problem-Based
Learning
Lesson
Components:
Instructional
Activities:
How will I
present this
material? Be
sure to use
strategies that
address
multiple
intelligences
and higher
order thinking
Page One –The Problem
Question (10 points)
Page Two--Facts and Clues (10 points)
Be sure to include a completed Facts and Clues Answer Key
Page 3—Resources
(Minimum of ten resources) (10 points)
Page 4--The Content (Big Ideas, Standards, Misconceptions) (15 points)
Closure/Review
Techniques
(4 points)
To close this lesson, I would first like to take the children on a field trip, since
we live in Michigan I would take them to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes up
north or Silver Lake Sand dunes, whichever one is the closest to the school we
were at. The lesson that I would do is from the same website that I got my
introductory from. At the sand dunes we would be looking at the soil types that
are there. Here is the step by step lesson from the website:
www.mstaconference.org/.../soils_at_sleeping_bear_dunes_lesson_pl...
And it is under the heading “At the sleeping bear sand dunes lakeshore”.
After completing this lesson at the sand dunes and also filling out the tic tac toe
that is on the website as well we will then have a review day.
REVIEW DAY: Will consist of a Jeopardy game with the hot topics that we
have learned over the past few weeks. Under each category there will be 5
questions. I will have the students get in to teams of 5 and they will answer the
questions as a team. The team who wins gets 5 extra credit points on their test.
TEST: There will be a test at the end of this lesson. Test will be shown below.
3
Homework/Individual Practice: For homework, I would like to give the students a few sheets
throughout the weeks of doing this unit lesson. The ideas for these
(5 points)
worksheets could be having them observe the soil around their house,
have them do an observation about it and even bringing some of their
soil in to the school to show and see what it mostly consists of. What
would be cool if someone could find some clay around their house and
bring it in? Another idea for homework would be I would have the
students research at home one of the four things that shape our earth
and have them do a write up on it and give a little presentation about
their force that changes our earth, and do a small presentation board
about their earth changing force. Just a one page write up about what
they found. Then I would just give a few worksheets throughout the
week to work on at home. See the end for homework pages.
Differentiation/Accommodation Luckily this unit will be a lot of hands on and group work which will
greatly help the students that have a harder time with these topics.
Strategies
Working together in groups will help these students better understand
(What will you do to help the
what is given to them, they will all have to work with one another and
special needs, at-risk or
help each other as well. Also I will give the children that are struggling
struggling students?)
either more things to help with or less depending on their needs, some
(5 points)
of these students love to do things and others do not, getting them
excited about the lesson and showing them they will be working with
their hands and not just sitting there will get them more motivated.
Tips:
1. Give them more time to complete an assignment.
2. Review with them more, tell them what they need to do more
than once or write it on the board for them to see.
3. Give them more study sheets to help them.
4. Read things to them, such a tests or reading pages.
5. More visual demonstrations, such as when we do our labs show
them a way to do it.
6. Larger printed material.
7. Bigger spaces thought out the reading given.
8. Not as many choices for test.
I will accept when I see them working as a group and everyone putting
Evidence of Understanding:
What evidence will I accept that
forth an effort, and I can hear and see that they are coming up with
the students have acquired the
great ideas and solutions. Also I will accept when I get back
concepts or skills for this
homework and grade it and see that they understand the material and
Benchmark?
are getting what I am asking for. Also I will accept that they
What are my students doing that
understand everything when I grade their test and I see them getting
demonstrates that they don’t
the correct answers.
understand? (5 points)
If I can see that some of my students are struggling I will make sure I
make an effort to help them better understand it and also find students
that do understand it to help them work through the problems together.
I can see this if their homework isn’t correct, they aren’t contributing
to their group work or they are not helping or understanding with the
labs.
This content can be connected to the student’s prior knowledge of
Connections: : How can I
4
connect this content expectation
with the students’ prior
knowledge, other subjects, and
other expectations? (3 points)
Materials/Resources: (3 points)
what they already know what wind, water, waves and glacier
movement. They have learned in earlier years about all of these
concepts, which will allow me to build on that knowledge. I can also
use these concepts to help with their writing and reading, because a lot
of these GLECS can be used to write papers and also read about the
information. I could also incorporate some math such as the particle
sizes of the sand, silt and clay. Therefore, I believe their prior
knowledge and incorporating the different subjects will greatly
increase their learning of this new information.
All my website are next to the information that I got them from, I will
also need all of the lab materials which are listed on each lab, the
students will all need paper and pencil, highlighters, coloring utensils,
the video for the intro, computers, and all homework sheets.
5
Page One—The Problem
Story: To begin with, in South Beach Florida on the gulf coast, the ocean waves produced by
the currents, winds and weather are crashing up on the shores. The Sahara Dessert in Africa
the winds are whipping the sand around making new hills and valleys. There are glacier
movements in the Antarctica that are shifting and melting and making new landforms. The
water is moving all over our earth making new shapes throughout our lands. All of these
movements that take place around us are shaping and reshaping the land and making new
landforms by dropping new sediments and taking other sediments with them. The shaping of
our world is always changing by the many different factors our weather has on us.
Problem: There are people around the world that are addressing global warming, and all of
the changes in the weather. What were to happen if our weather changed drastically, the
wind sped up, the waves were higher and crashing harder, the glaciers started melting and
the water was slowing fading faster? What would happen to our landforms? What can we do
to prevent these things from possibly occurring in the future?
Page Two—Facts and Clues
Facts and Clues
Q: Is the earth really
getting hotter?
A:
Yes. Although local
temperatures fluctuate
naturally, over the past 50
years the average global
temperature has increased
at the fastest rate in
recorded history. And
experts think the trend is
accelerating: the 10
hottest years on record
have all occurred since
1990. Scientists say that
Hypothesis
The earth is really
getting warmer.
The glaciers are
melting a little each
day.
Our lakes and
reservoirs are
dwindling fast.
What Needs to be
Learned
What are the
causes of global
warming.
What effects it has
on our earth.
How are our
landforms and
things that change
the shape of our
world changing?
6
unless we curb global
warming emissions,
average U.S. temperatures
could be 3 to 9 degrees
higher by the end of the
century.
Q: Are warmer
temperatures causing bad
things to happen? A:
Global warming is
already causing damage
in many parts of the
United States. In 2002,
Colorado, Arizona and
Oregon endured their
worst wildfire seasons
ever. The same year,
drought created severe
dust storms in Montana,
Colorado and Kansas, and
floods caused hundreds of
millions of dollars in
damage in Texas,
Montana and North
Dakota. Since the early
1950s, snow
accumulation has
declined 60 percent and
winter seasons have
shortened in some areas
of the Cascade Range in
Oregon and Washington.
Our water ways are
being polluted.
Polar bears habitat
is being taken away
because of the
temps rising.
The weather has
been getting more
severe.
What are things
that we can do to
help prevent these
things from
occurring?
What cities or
states are the
biggest
contributors to the
pollution?
How can we keep
the water clean?
•
Melting glaciers, early
snowmelt and severe
droughts will cause more
dramatic water shortages
in the American West.
•
Rising sea levels will lead
to coastal flooding on the
Eastern seaboard, in
Florida, and in other
areas, such as the Gulf of
Mexico.
7
•
Warmer sea surface
temperatures will fuel
more intense hurricanes in
the southeastern Atlantic
and Gulf coasts.
•
Forests, farms and cities
will face troublesome new
pests and more mosquitoborne diseases.
•
Disruption of habitats
such as coral reefs and
alpine meadows could
drive many plant and
animal species to
extinction.
Q: What country is the
largest source of global
warming pollution?
A:
The United States.
Though Americans make
up just 4 percent of the
world's population, we
produce 25 percent of the
carbon dioxide pollution
from fossil-fuel burning -by far the largest share of
any country. In fact, the
United States emits more
carbon dioxide than
China, India and Japan,
combined. Clearly
America ought to take a
leadership role in solving
the problem. And as the
world's top developer of
new technologies, we are
well positioned to do so -we already have the
know-how.
8
Page Three –Resources:
http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/f101.asp?g
clid=CPryvtf2lbYCFQ70nAodLH4A4A#2
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/1
1/1121_051121_warming_water.html
9
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/educati
on/encyclopedia/global-warming/?ar_a=1
http://www.livescience.com/topics/globalwarming/
10
Page Four—The Content
Big Ideas: 1. What is shaping our landforms
2. What are the effects of global warming?
3. What can we do to prevent global warming?
4. What are the causes of global warming?
GLCES/Standards: E.SE.06.12 Explain how waves, wind, water, and glacier
movement
shape and reshape the land surface of the Earth by eroding
rock in some areas and depositing sediments in other areas.
E.SE.06.13 Describe how soil is a mixture, made up of weather-eroded
rock and decomposed organic material, water, and air.
5
E.SE.06.14 Compare and contrast different soil samples based on
particle size.
Misconceptions:
11
Separations along bedding plane, like those that dominate most sedimentary outcrops, occur deep beneath
the Earth's surface.
Rocks (and minerals) grow.
Coarse-grained rocks are rough, fine-grained rocks are smooth
Coarse-grained sedimentary rocks cooled slowly, coarse-grained igneous rocks formed in areas of high
depositional energy, etc.
With minerals, the term 'massive' texture means that the samples are big.
Streams are simply flowing water (with little to no concept of sediment movement).
Floods are rare, atypical, almost unnatural events rather than normal river behavior.
Rivers do not carve valleys, but only passively flow down them (this is an old idea, the role of rivers in
sculpting the land surface was not even recognized by most geologists until the exploration of the
southwest United States by Powell's and other early surveys).
Although rivers can cut down over time, they do not cut to the sides (inadvertently aided by widespread
attention paid to Grand Canyon, and Goosenecks in earth science texts).
Waterfalls can increase in height over time, but do not retreat (again stasis, the idea that features do not
fundamentally change is a common problem).
Deserts are relatively rare (relatively few humans live in them, so not familiar to most students)
The 'Ice Ages' happened in the past and are now over (common text book and science education movie
terminology, as well as Hollywood movies and original hypothesis).
The present Ice Caps have always existed on Earth, although their size has changed through time (few
texts specifically mention that ice ages are the exception, not the rule).
Glaciers can metamorphose rock (since they can erode and depress crust, why not alter it? textbook and
movie emphasis on glacial efficiency and reinforced by common association of metamorphosed
Precambrian rock exposed in glacial areas.
Glaciers are only moving ice masses (with little to no concept of sediment transport).
Glacial ice moves backwards during glacial 'retreats' (like everything that retreats in real life)
Glacial ice is stationary during times when front is neither advancing or retreating.
Glacial retreat and advance is just motion of whole ice cap back and forth (sort of like a bad toupee) with
no significant change in total ice volume (again idea of stasis).
Use of 'bulldozer' analogy for glacial movement and sediment transport (earth science textbooks and
secondary earth science education films).
12
Idea of four ice ages still prevalent in general earth science literature.
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/intro/misconception_list.html. Information from this website
Video for introduction.
http://www.msue.msu.edu/objects/content_revision/download.cfm/item_id.211898/workspace_id.
26697/How%20The%20Great%20Lakes%20Were%20Formed%20(Video).swf/
Lab Activities that are great for these GLCES.
http://www.marcom.com.au/SGuides/ZZVLC/6VLSAEA03.pdf
At this website I found many great activities that I would love to do for these GLCES, the pages
that I found them on were pages, 25-29. They were called here comes the rain and wind blown,
this website explains them both so good that I wasn’t going to even try to explain it again myself.
These two activities I would like to do after we talk and read about the water and wind
movements.
Activity: Wave Erosion and Glacial Erosion
a.
Erosion is made up of natural, physical and chemical processes by which rocks and soil are
continuously worn down. One major cause of erosion is running water. In a river there are stones
being carried with the current that erode the banks of the river. Waves and currents seen in the
ocean and in Lake Michigan erode rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. When an area receives more
water than the soil can absorb the water flows to the lowest level, carrying with it the loose top
soil. Erosion occurs often and is constantly changing the land.
b.
Wave Erosion
i.
Fill a flat-rectangular container with an inch of water
ii.
At one end place a pile of sand that extends out of the water (this is your coastline or
beach)
iii.
Measure the height of the sand and record it on your paper.
iv.
Make a sketch of what you see.
v.
On the opposite end of the beach (coastline) place a hard piece of thin plastic or wood in
the water. Move it back and forth to make small waves in your container. Continue for 10-15
seconds then record the height of the sand after the waves have settled.
vi.
Does the beach look different? How are the measurements different?
vii.
Repeat the waves but make them bigger, record your findings. Try extended the time too.
c.
Glacial Erosion
i.
Flatten a piece of modeling clay or play-doh
ii.
Take an ice cube and press it lightly on the modeling clay/play-doh, move it back and forth
several times
1.
Does anything happen to the clay/play-doh?
2.
Does anything happen to the ice?
iii.
Place a small amount of sand on top of the modeling clay/ play-doh
13
iv.
Put the ice cube on top of the sand and let it sit for a minute or two
Pick up the ice cube and observe the side that was in the sand
1.
Describe what you see
vi.
Place the ice cube back onto the modeling clay/play-doh and move it back and forth on the
sandy area.
vii.
Remove the ice cube and gently wipe the excess sand off the surface of the modeling
clay/play-doh
1.
Describe the surface of the clay after it was rubbed by the sand and ice.
2.
How would this compare with the surface of the land when a glacier drags rock and other
materials over it?
d.
Wind Erosion
i.
Wind causes erosion by picking up pieces of sediment and soil, then moving them.
Obstructions on the lands surface cause the wind to slow down, causing the sediment and soil to
drop. These wind-borne sediments cause further erosion by wearing away at larger pieces of rock.
ii.
Take a small pile of sand and using a straw, blow some of the sand.
iii.
What are caused by wind erosion? (sand dunes)
Taken from: Beth Diekema, Grade 6 (diekemabe@gmail.com)
Sleeping Bear Dunes Earth Science Lesson Plan
v.
Sleeping Bear Dunes Earth Science Lesson Plan - MSTA Conference
www.mstaconference.org/.../soils_at_sleeping_bear_dunes_lesson_pl...
14
This rubric is for their presentation of what’s shaping the earth
written and poster board project, explained above in
homework.
Lab Report : What’s shaping our earth?
Teacher Name: Ms. Freeman
Student Name: ________________________________________
4
3
2
1
Spelling, Punctuation
and Grammar
One or fewer
errors in spelling,
punctuation and
grammar in the
report.
Two or three
errors in spelling,
punctuation and
grammar in the
report.
Four errors in
spelling,
punctuation and
grammar in the
report.
More than 4
errors in spelling,
punctuation and
grammar in the
report.
Scientific Concepts
Report illustrates
an accurate and
thorough
understanding of
scientific concepts
underlying the
lab.
Report illustrates
an accurate
understanding of
most scientific
concepts
underlying the
lab.
Report illustrates
a limited
understanding of
scientific concepts
underlying the
lab.
Report illustrates
inaccurate
understanding of
scientific concepts
underlying the
lab.
typed and uses
headings and
subheadings to
visually organize
the material.
Lab report is
neatly handwritten
and uses
headings and
subheadings to
visually organize
the material.
Lab report is
neatly written or
typed, but
formatting does
not help visually
organize the
material.
Lab report is
handwritten and
looks sloppy with
cross-outs,
multiple erasures
and/or tears and
creases.
Several reputable
background
sources were
used and cited
correctly. Material
is translated into
student\'s own
words.
A few reputable
background
sources are used
and cited
correctly. Material
is translated into
student\'s own
words.
A few background
sources are used
and cited
correctly, but
some are not
reputable
sources. Material
is translated into
student\'s own
words.
Material is directly
copied rather than
put into students
own words and/or
background
sources are cited
incorrectly.
CATEGORY
Appearance/Organization Lab report is
Background Sources
15
This rubric is going to be used for all the labs that are
given to them.
Lab Report : All labs
Teacher Name: Ms. Freeman
Student Name: ________________________________________
CATEGORY
4
Question/Purpose The purpose of the
lab or the question
to be answered
during the lab is
clearly identified and
stated.
Experimental
Hypothesis
Hypothesized
relationship between
the variables and
the predicted results
is clear and
reasonable based
on what has been
studied.
Journal/Notebook Clear, accurate,
dated notes are
taken regularly.
Experimental
Design
Experimental design
is a well-constructed
test of the stated
hypothesis.
3
2
1
The purpose of the
lab or the question
to be answered
during the lab is
identified, but is
stated in a
somewhat unclear
manner.
The purpose of the
lab or the question
to be answered
during the lab is
partially identified,
and is stated in a
somewhat unclear
manner.
The purpose of the
lab or the question
to be answered
during the lab is
erroneous or
irrelevant.
Hypothesized
relationship between
the variables and
the predicted results
is reasonable based
on general
knowledge and
observations.
Hypothesized
No hypothesis has
relationship between been stated.
the variables and
the predicted results
has been stated, but
appears to be based
on flawed logic.
Dated, clear,
Dated, notes are
Notes rarely taken
accurate notes are taken occassionally, or of little use.
taken occassionally. but accuracy of
notes might be
questionable.
Experimental design
is adequate to test
the hypothesis, but
leaves some
unanswered
questions.
Experimental design Experimental design
is relevant to the
is not relevant to the
hypothesis, but is
hypothesis
not a complete test.
16
This rubric will be for their group work on the problem.
Lab Report : Working on the problem
Teacher Name: Ms. Freeman
Student Name: ________________________________________
4
3
2
1
Participation
Used time well in lab
and focused
attention on the
experiment.
Used time pretty
well. Stayed focused
on the experiment
most of the time.
Did the lab but did
not appear very
interested. Focus
was lost on several
occasions.
Participation was
minimal OR student
was hostile about
participating.
Scientific
Concepts
Report illustrates an
accurate and
thorough
understanding of
scientific concepts
underlying the lab.
Report illustrates an
accurate
understanding of
most scientific
concepts underlying
the lab.
Report illustrates a
limited
understanding of
scientific concepts
underlying the lab.
Report illustrates
inaccurate
understanding of
scientific concepts
underlying the lab.
Background
Sources
Several reputable
background sources
were used and cited
correctly. Material is
translated into
student\'s own
words.
A few reputable
background sources
are used and cited
correctly. Material is
translated into
student\'s own
words.
A few background
sources are used
and cited correctly,
but some are not
reputable sources.
Material is translated
into student\'s own
words.
Material is directly
copied rather than
put into students
own words and/or
background sources
are cited incorrectly.
Experimental
Hypothesis
Hypothesized
relationship between
the variables and the
predicted results is
clear and reasonable
based on what has
been studied.
Hypothesized
relationship between
the variables and the
predicted results is
reasonable based on
general knowledge
and observations.
Hypothesized
No hypothesis has
relationship between been stated.
the variables and the
predicted results has
been stated, but
appears to be based
on flawed logic.
Error Analysis
Experimental errors,
their possible effects,
and ways to reduce
errors are discussed.
Experimental errors
and their possible
effects are
discussed.
Experimental errors
are mentioned.
CATEGORY
There is no
discussion of errors.
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=CustomizeTemplate&bank_rubric_id=26&section
_id=4&
17
Homework ideas
Project: Pick a “what’s shaping our landforms” and do a one-two page paper on it and a poster
board with facts and pictures about it. 1 week to work on it.
Observations: Look at the soil around your house, and write a paragraph about what you see, then
go to a different site, such as a lake or somewhere other than your house and look at the soil there,
make a observation about that. Draw pictures to show what you saw as well. 3 days to finish this.
Review/Test
jeopardylabs.com/play/earth-science-review-jeopardy2.
jeopardylabs.com/edit/earth-science-review-jeopardy2 for editing
Here is the jeopardy game, I did not do every single question, but here is a quick idea of what it would
look like and a few questions. This would be used for the day before the test.
After reviewing we will then have a test over everything that we have learned throughout the
few weeks that we worked on these new concepts.
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