Focus Plan
Texarkana Independent School District
GRADING
PERIOD:
WRITER:
IPC and Biology – 3rd six weeks
PLAN CODE:
L. Petty
COURSE/SUBJECT:
10th grade science
GRADE(S):
10th
TIME ALLOTTED
FOR INSTRUCTION:
1½
TITLE:
Earthquake!
LESSON TOPIC:
Speed and epicenter of an earthquake.
TAKS OBJECTIVE:
Objective 5
The student will demonstrate an understanding of motion, forces, and energy.
FOCUS TEKS AND STUDENT
EXPECTATION:
10.5 The student knows the effects of waves on everyday life. The student is
expected to
(a) demonstrate wave types and their characteristics through a variety of
activities such as modeling with ropes and coils, activating tuning
forks, and interpreting data on seismic waves.
Objective 1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the nature of
science.
10.1 The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, conducts field and
laboratory investigations using safe, environmentally appropriate, and
ethical practices. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and laboratory investigations
10.2 The student uses scientific methods during field and laboratory
investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking
questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting equipment
and technology
(B) collect data and make measurements with precision
(C) organize, analyze, evaluate, make inferences, and predict trends from
data
(D) communicate valid conclusions
SUPPORTING TEKS AND
STUDENT EXPECTATIONS:
CONCEPTS
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS/GENERALIZATIONS/PRINCIPLES
The student will understand that
Waves
Waves are present everywhere in sound, light and water.
Properties
All waves have similar properties such as speed, wavelength and
frequency.
Two types of waves are transverse (where the matter and energy are
perpendicular) and longitudinal (where matter and energy are
parallel).
Earthquakes have primary (p) waves that travel quickly and
secondary (s) waves that travel more slowly.
The amount of time between the arrival of the p and s waves can help
determine where the earthquake originated (the epicenter).
Types
Earthquakes
Epicenter
I.
SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES (INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES)
A.
Focus/connections/anticipatory set
Once students are seated, show a short clip from any earthquake video that shows the arrival of the p and s
waves. Explain that the difference in arrival times (due to the different velocities of the two types of waves)
can be used to locate the epicenter of the earthquake.
B.
Instructional activities
(demonstrations, lectures, examples, hands-on experiences, role play, active learning experience, art,
music, modeling, discussion, reading, listening, viewing, etc.)
Complete Activity – Investigating the Speed of Earthquake Waves (1987 Prentice-Hall Laboratory
Manual).
C.
Guided activity or strategy
Model for students how to use a compass to draw circles around a spot using a scale. Use the Transparency
Master – Using the Compass.
D.
Accommodations/modifications
Students requiring accommodations should be assigned a peer tutor.
E.
Enrichment
Students requiring enrichment may serve as peer tutors.
II.
STUDENT PERFORMANCE
A.
Description
Complete Lab Worksheet – Earthquake!
B.
Accommodations/modifications
Students requiring accommodations may be assigned a peer tutor.
C.
Enrichment
Students requiring accommodations may serve as a peer tutor.
III.
ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVITIES
A.
Description
Activity – Investigating the Speed of Earthquake Waves can be taken as either a daily or lab grade, or may
not be taken as a grade.
Lab – Earthquake! should be taken as a lab grade.
B.
Rubrics/grading criteria
If the Activity is graded, the graph should count as 20 points, with 1 point given per graph point. The
questions should could as 10 points each (60) and the last 20 points should be participation.
Lab – Earthquake! should receive 2 points each for the data table sections. Five points should be given for
each circle on Figure 2 with 5 additional points given for identifying the location of the epicenter. Questions
should be graded as 4 points apiece. The last 26 points should be participation.
C.
Accommodations/modifications
Students requiring accommodations may need help on Figure 2 in the lab but the questions should not
require any additional help. On the Activity – students may need help with the graphing exercise.
D.
Enrichment
Students requiring enrichment may be assigned as a peer tutor for the graphing and epicenter identification
steps.
E.
Sample discussion questions
1. What is an epicenter? The point on the land surface directly above the focus is known as the epicenter.
2. What property of waves allows you to determine the epicenter? The speed of the wave.
3. Which wave travels faster? The P wave travels faster.
4. How can you determine your distance from the epicenter. Check the difference in time between the arrival
of the P and S waves.
5. If you are closer to the earthquake, would the time between the arrival of the P and S waves be greater or
less? less
IV.
TAKS PREPARATION
A.
Transition to TAKS context
1. Hal is exploring the properties of light. He reads in his textbook that light waves are refracted (bent) when
they are transmitted from one substance to another. Hal also reads that the amount of refraction depends on
the speed of the light waves. The greater the speed, the greater the refraction when light passes through
different substances. Hal uses a prism to refract visible light into its component colors. Examine the
drawing showing the outcome of Hal’s experiment.
What can Hal deduce about the speed of the light waves as they separate when passed through a prism?
(a) Violet light waves travel the fastest of all visible colors.
(b) Red light waves travel the fastest of all visible colors.
(c) Blue light waves travel the slowest of all visible colors.
(d) Orange light waves travel the fastest of all visible colors.
2. Elizabeth wants to hear her stereo while she is in another room. She notices that she can hear the sound
clearly if she points the speakers toward a wall. Study the diagram of the sound waves illustrated below.
What property of waves does Elizabeth use to hear her stereo when she is in another room?
(a) diffraction
(b) reflection
(c) absorption
(d) refraction
3. A student drops her pencil into a glass of water that is two-thirds full. As she looks at the pencil through
the glass, it appears to be bent at an angle where the pencil enters the water. The student knows that the
pencil is not really bent. She places another pencil in an empty glass. That pencil does not appear to be
bent.
What causes the pencil to appear bent where it enters the water?
(a) Light waves are absorbed by the water. The absorbed waves cause the pencil to appear bent.
(b) Light waves are transmitted by the pencil. The transmitted waves cause the pencil to appear bent.
(c) Light waves are refracted by the water. The waves change speed as they move from air to water. The
change in the speed of the light waves causes the pencil to appear bent.
(d) Light waves are reflected by the water. The reflected light waves cause the pencil to appear bent.
B.
Sample TAKS questions
Spring 2003
1. At 0oC sound travels through air at a speed of 330 m/s. If a sound wave is produced with a wavelength of
0.10 m, what is the wave’s frequency?
(a) 0.003 Hz
(b) 33 Hz
(c) 330 Hz
(d) 3300 Hz
2. Which illustration best demonstrates compression waves?
3. At 0oC sound travels through air at a speed of 330 m/s. If a sound wav is produced with a wavelength of
0.10 m, what is the wave’s frequency?
(a) 0.0033 Hz
(b) 33 Hz
(c) 330 Hz
(d) 3300 Hz
V.
KEY VOCABULARY
compass
epicenter
P wave
VI.
S wave
velocity
RESOURCES
A.
Textbook
None needed
B.
Supplementary materials/equipment
Activity – Investigating the Speed of Earthquake Waves
Instructor’s Copy – Investigating the Speed of Earthquake Waves
Transparency Master – Using the Compass
Lab Instructions – Earthquake!
Lab Worksheet – Earthquake!
Instructor’s Copy – Earthquake!
C.
VII.
Technology
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
(reteaching, cross-curricular support, technology activities, next lesson in sequence, etc.)
A. Reteach
Go over students graded labs.
B. Next lesson in sequence
IPC & Biology – 5B Demonstrate wave interactions including interference, polarization, reflection, refraction,
and resonance within various materials.
VIII.
TEACHER NOTES
Before lab:
1. Make Transparency Master – Locating an Epicenter
2. Run a lab set of Lab Instructions (30-35).
3. Run a copy of Activity – Investigating the Speed of Earthquake Waves and Lab Worksheet – Earthquake! for
each student.
4. Make sure you have enough compasses for at least every 2 students (1 for each student is ideal).
During lab:
5. Make sure students know how to read the graph and draw circles with the compass.