Plate Tectonics UbD Unit Plan
Designer Name: _____________Kots_______
Date: _____________
Grade: __6_______ Subject Area: ______Plate
Tectonics_____________
Unit Title/Focus: _______________ Estimated Time: ________________________________
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals/State competency/Competencies and curriculum Codes
Students understand how interactions within and among systems cause changes in matter and energy.
Students will develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Students will demonstrate evidence of reading comprehension
Students will expand comprehension by analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing information and ideas in literary and
informational text
Students will work cooperatively as a member of a group
Students will use communication strategies and skills to seek agreement and solutions through discussion
Students will write in a variety of forms
Students describe the factors and affect heat transfer
Students describe the components of the Earth’s systems (core, mantle, oceanic and crustal plates, landforms
Students describe the interactions among the components of the Earth’s systems (core, mantle, oceanic, and crustal plates
Students explain how plate tectonics is caused by Earth’s internal energy
Students describe how heat (thermal) energy flow and movement (convection currents) beneath Earth’s crust cause earthquakes
and volcanoes
Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
What kinds of long-term independent accomplishments are desired?
Students will be able to apply the concept of energy transfer throughout all aspects of science
Students will hypothesize how future technology might alleviate some of the catastrophic events that occur as a result of plate tectonics
Meaning
Essential Questions:
Understandings:
Students will understand that:
What understands are desired about the big ideas of this unit?
1.
2.
3.
The earth is dynamic (constantly checking).
Earth’s movements dramatically impact human interaction.
Earth’s internal forces drive plate motion.
Volcanoes and earthquakes are a destructive and productive forces that
help shape the earth.
Not all areas are equally affected by earthquakes and volcanoes.
Earthquakes are measurable and there are precautionary steps to
follow in order to minimize damage.
Technology is always improving in order to predict seismic activity.
4.
questions that recur throughout our lives
core ideas and inquiry in a system (how do we keep our heart healthy)
What is the need for learning this content? (in what ways does light
act like a wave/how do writers hook and hold their readers)
questions that hook and hold your reader
How could we use technology to overcome earthquake damage?
How do the poor deal with catastrophic events caused by
Earthquakes, volcanoes, and other Plate Tectonic activity.
Will the tectonic plates ever revert back to their former position
What does magma reveal in Earth’s interior
How are Earthquakes similar to or different from volcanoes
Acquisition
Students will know
The structure of the Earth
Convection currents.
The theory of plate tectonics
The three types and characteristics of volcanoes
Seismic waves – S, P, L (earthquakes)
The types of plate boundaries and features
The layers of earth
The magma types
Earthquake measuring
The locations of volcanoes and earthquakes
Continental drift
Students will be able to do by the end of the unit. List the few
most important discrete knowledge and skill goals that are
separate from the transfer goals.
Identify Energy Transfer
Explain Convection Currents
Recognize the 7 continents
Read and interpret a seismograph
Find the epicenter of an earthquake
Provide evidence supporting plate tectonics
Predict features based on plate boundaries
Plot location of earthquakes and volcanoes on a map
Identify the layers of earth
Label a diagram with epicenter, focus and P, S, L wave
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
Evaluative Criteria
By what criteria will performances and
products be judged? (rubric, checklist)
Pre-test: not to be graded on the structure of
the Earth and plate tectonics
Creation of a model of the Earth
Journal writing
Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks
Here is where you will develop a scenario for the activity/project.
This section is for you to develop a guide for the students on what to do.
Goals:
Role: (student role)
Audience:
Situation: (how? Individually, partners, groups – the goal will be accomplished
Performance: what will the student do?
Standards: (criteria for success)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Hook: show video clips: disasters caused by earthquakes and volcanoes
Have students discuss why this occurs
Teach the structure of the Earth
Model the structure of the Earth
Write a journal page on “You have just returned from an exciting adventure to the center of the
earth. Describe in your writing what you experienced as you traveled deep to the center of the
Earth. Be as scientific as possible.”
6.
7.
8.
9.
Explore thermal energy through lab activity to understand the concept of energy transfer
teach conduction, convection, radiation
Explore convection currents through lab activity to understand the concept of convection
Have students observe a lava lamp and identify what they are observing
Other Evidence
Summarized (tests, essays, work samples, etc.
What other evidence (quizzes, observations, homework, etc) will be collected to determine whether or not
Desired results identified in Stage One have been achieved.
Stage 3: Learning Plan
Pre-assessment
What pre-assessments will you use to check student’s prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?
Learning Events:
Where are we going? What is expected?
How we hook (introduce this to) the students?
How will we equip students for expected performances?
How will you rethink or revise? What are the likely or predictable student’s misunderstandings and/or performance weaknesses in this unit?
How will students self-evaluate and reflect on their learning’s?
How we tailor learning to varied needs, interests, and learning styles?
How will we organize the sequence of learning?
Hook: show clips on Earthquakes and Volcanoes and ask the students how? Why?
Day 1
1.
2.
3.
Teach the structure of the Earth (core, mantle, and crust)
Students create a model of the interior of the Earth using a scale model
Write a journal page on “Journey to the Center of the Earth”
Day 2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Teach energy transfer: convection, radiation, and conduction
Use lab to show energy transfer
use lab to show convection currents
teach conduction
ask students for examples of conduction
teach radiation
ask students for examples of radiation
teach the convection zone in the Earth
Day 3: the Evidence of the Convection Zone
1.
2.
3.
Day 4:
Plate Tectonics Puzzle
Students chart the evidence for plate tectonics
Students discuss the evidence
1.
Sonar Box
Day 5:
1. Plate Movement: 3 kinds of Boundaries
Introduction of key vocabulary words for Plate Tectonics
Continental drift
Pangaea
Isochron
Magnetic reversal
Magnetometer
Paleomagnetism
Seafllor spreading
Convergent boundary
Divergent boundary
Rift valley
Subduction
Theory of plate tectonics
Transform boundary
Asthenosphere
Outer core
Inner core
Plate
Earthquake
Shearing
Hanging wall
Footwall
Reverse fault
Ring of fire
Island arc
Aa
Ridge push
Slab pull
Viscosity
Batholith
Dike
Laccolith
Pluton
Sill
Stock
Caldera
Cinder-cone volcano
Composite volcano
Crater
Heat transfer
Radiation
Conduction
Scientific theory
Tension
Compression
Fault-block mountain
Folds
Anticline
Hot spot
Chamber
Active
Hot spot
Pyroclastic flow
Shield volcano
Tephra
Vent
Epicenter
Fault
Focus
Primary wave
Secondary wave
Strain
Stress
Surface wave
Convection
Density
Convection current
Plate tectonics
Deformation
Strike-slip fault
Syncline
Plateau
Seismograph
Lava flow
Crater
Extinct
Seismogram
Seismometer
Magnitude
Modified Mercalli scale
Moment magnitude scale
Richter scale
Seismic gap
Tsunami
Seismic wave
Pressure
Crust
Mantle
Lithosphere
Fossil
Mid-ocean ridge
Sonar
Sea-floor spreading, deep-ocean trench subduction
Normal fault
Liquefaction
Aftershock
Base-isolated building
Silica
Pahoehoe
Geyser
Geothermal energy
Pryoclastic flow
Shield volcano
Dormant
Volcanic neck
Hot spring