SCIENCE CURRICULUM MAPPING-Unit Plan
Timeline
Subject/Grade
Course Content
Topic
2 days
Physical Geology
Plate Tectonics
Seismic Waves
Science Inquiry and- Application
During the years of grades 9 through 12, all students must use the following scientific processes with appropriate laboratory safety techniques to
construct their knowledge and understanding in all science content areas:
• Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations;
• Design and conduct scientific investigations;
• Use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communications;
• Formulate and revise explanations and models using logic and evidence (critical thinking);
• Recognize and analyze explanations and models; and
• Communicate and support a scientific argument.
Looking Back
Looking Forward
This unit builds upon the middle school Earth and Space Science strand
(beginning in grade 6). Sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks are
introduced, rocks and minerals are tested and classified, plate tectonics
(including the history and evidence for plate tectonics), seismic waves and the
interior structure of Earth and the geologic record are found. In the middle
school Life Science strand, fossils and depositional environments are
included. In the physical science syllabus, support for density, convection,
conductivity, motion, kinetic energy, radiometric dating, seismic waves,
thermal energy, pressure and gravity are presented.
Content Standards
PG.PT.1
Key Ideas

Types of Seismic Waves
Content Elaboration
Misconceptions
Earthquakes:
Earthquakes are rare events (media coverage of earthquakes is limited and biased to U.S. area or high death tolls)
The ground cracks opens during an earthquake to swallow people and buildings (common to Hollywood movies and popular literature like 'Clan of the Cave Bear'
and Shogun', but also dates to early reports of Lisbon earthquake and confusion over landslides, etc.).
Earth shaking is deadly (as opposed to building collapse, tsunamis, landslides, fire, etc.)
Seismic waves involve the long distance net motion of particles
Seismic waves go from crust to core, but not core to crust (textbooks seldom specifically discuss second half of journey apart from a general treatment of
shadow zones).
S-waves (shear waves) do not reach other side of Earth from where earthquake originated because they cannot pass through oceans (or cannot reach islands).
Wind blowing through subterranean passages causes earthquakes (Aristotle's hypothesis, tied with older cosmology of hollow passages through earth)
Earthquakes occur from collapse of subterranean hollow spaces (tie to older cosmologies).
The biggest earthquake is a magnitude 10.
Instructional Input
Instructional Resources: Details of materials to support instruction and learning
x Text: Modern Earth Science. Page #: Chapter 6 section 1
Safari Montage:__________________________
______________
Graphic Organizers:
_
Vocabulary ____________
Manipulative: _________
Mandatory Labs:
_________
x Activities: ___page 105_____________
Other: __________________________
Additional Resources
Password Protected : http://www.akronschools.com/dotCMS/login?referrer=/departments/ci/teaching-and-learning/science/curriculum/teacher-resources.dot
Topic Outline/Objectives
Procedures: Details of the sequence of instruction
Lesson 1: Standard:
PG.PT.1
Resource: Modern Earth Science, Chapter 6 section 2
Objective: Compare the types of seismic waves. A slinky will be used to model each type of seismic wave.
Lesson 2: Standard: PG.PT.1
Resource: Modern Earth Science, Chapter 6 section 2 page 105
Objective: Make a model seismograph and record energy released from an "earthquake".