BSC 307 5-E Model Lesson Plan
Title: Earth Composition: Convection
Grade Level:
9th Grade
Objectives: TSWBAT….
1. Discuss how the Earth’s internal processes drive plate tectonics.
2. Understand that temperature driven density changes will produce currents
in a fluid medium.
3. Analyze different natural disasters (earthquakes, and volcanoes) and
explain what causes them.
4. Describe how convection cells circulate within the asthenosphere.
Illinois Learning Standards:
Stage I 12 E 4: Apply scientific inquiries or technological designs to examine
earth's interior and its changes, explaining the distribution and causes of natural
events such as earthquakes and volcanoes, or explaining the indirect methods to
determine the Earth's inner structure and its effects on the surface features.
Engagement:
Students will complete the handout called “Find Someone Who”. They are to
walk around the classroom finding different students that can answer one out of
the eight statements on the worksheet. When they find someone that can
answer one specific question they must sign under their answer. Once the 8
minutes has passed the student’s will be instructed to put the worksheets away,
because they will be used at a later time.
At the end of this activity/ lessen the students will do the same worksheet and
from that I can gauge what they learned from the convection activity.
Exploration:
Students are split into groups of three and work through the convection activity.
Each group will get a tin that contains all of the materials that they will need to
complete the activity. The tray will contain the following materials:
1. Aluminum pie pan
2. 4 small styrofoam cups
3. 2 small candle
4. Matches
5. Food coloring
6. Container of water
The students will then work through a series of questions to help them analyze
what they observed within the activity.
Explanation:
It’s important that the student’s get enough time to complete the activity and
answer the questions to the best of their ability. However, depending on the time
left in class the explanation phase of this lesson plan might carry on into the next
day of class.
As a class we will go over the answers to the questions on the handout. The
students will be responsible for conducting the discussion while I will jump in
only when misconceptions need to be clarified.
Elaboration:
Students are given the same materials as before except this time they will also
be given two small pieces of cardboard. Students are to observe what happens
to the cardboard pieces as the water heats up and use their knowledge to
explain the phenomenon that is occurring. They will also have additional
discussion questions to answer as well.
Evaluation(Assessment Strategies):
Students will be evaluated on how accurately they answered the questions
during the classroom discussion and their amount of participation during the
explanation phase. The student’s will also be evaluated on the “Find Someone
Who” worksheet that they will fill out again that will be completed during the
evaluation stage.
Rationale:
The purpose of this lesson plan is for the students to explore on their own how
convection occurs within the mantel of the asthenosphere. This allows the
students to visually see a representation of how convection cells work and how
they drive the movement of plate tectonics instead of me lecturing over the
material. This lesson relates to ISL Stage I 12 E 4 in that it applies scientific
inquiries or technological designs to examine earth's interior and its changes.
Resources:
Geology Educator Guide. (1997). Retrieved October 09, 2010 from Nasa,
Lesson 4: Convection of the Earth: http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov/
teachers/pdf/av-geolesson-4.pdf.
Illinois State Board of Education. (1997). Retrieved October 11, 2010 from
Illinois Learning Standards: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/science/
capd.htm.