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Created by Elementary Ali ©2014

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Science and Literacy Lesson Sets

Plate Tectonics By Elementary Ali


These activities are created to incorporate reading and writing into the Science curriculum. Each lesson is designed to last about a week, and encourage student participation.

Lessons are aligned with the Common Core State Standards and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

x CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

x CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

x CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics.

x CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

x CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

TEKS (7th and 8th Grade)

(7) (10) Earth and space. The student understands the structure of Earth, the rock cycle, and plate tectonics. The student is expected to:

(C) identify the major tectonic plates, including Eurasian, African, Indo-Australian, Pacific, North American, and South American; and

(D) describe how plate tectonics causes major geological events such as ocean basins, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building.

(8) (9) Earth and space. The student knows that natural events can impact Earth systems. The student is expected to:

(A) describe the historical development of evidence that supports plate tectonic theory;

(B) relate plate tectonics to the formation of crustal features; and


Plate Tectonics

Sample Lesson Plan for the week

Attention Grabber: Continent Coloring and Earth’s Tectonics Plates Puzzle

Word Wall Building Activities

Reading with Graphic Organizer: Plate Tectonics with a chart

Writing with Key Terms: Plate Tectonics

Lab/ Activity: Plate Tectonics Moving Boundaries Lab Stations

Writing Extension Activity

Daily Science Starters: Plate Tectonics


Sample Lesson Plan

I can statement for the week I can identify the tectonic plates and what changes and events their movement causes.

Activities Monday Students answer Science Starters question of the day. Go over the question

and answer as a class. Ask for volunteers to share what they wrote. Discuss any new ideas and misconceptions. Ask students to turn to their neighbor and explain what they know about volcanoes. Have volunteers share their explanations with the class. Next, ask the students to turn to their neighbor and explain what they know about earthquakes. Have volunteers share with the class. Ask volunteers to explain to the class how they think mountains were made. Have the students work on the Attention Grabber Activity. When the students have completed the activity. Use it as a learning tool and go over the correct answers as a class. Introduce the word wall (or key terms) for this week. Ask students what they think the words mean and let them know they will find out the real definitions this week! Create a chart on the board to record the word wall activities for the week.

Tuesday Students answer Science Starters question of the day. Go over the question and answer as a class. Ask for volunteers to share what they wrote. Discuss any new ideas and misconceptions. Hand out the reading with a graphic organizer. Ask students to read the passage and use context clues to define the key terms. After they have read the passage, they will complete the graphic organizer. After the students have completed the graphic organizer, lead a discussion about the facts they gathered from the reading. Complete the second column of the word wall builder as a class. Ask students to give their new definitions of the word wall words based on what they read today.

Wednesday Students answer Science Starters question of the day. Go over the question and answer as a class. Ask for volunteers to share what they wrote. Discuss any new ideas and misconceptions. Hand out the summary writing with key terms. After they have written a complete summary, ask for a few volunteers to share what they wrote. You can also let the kids “pair and share” their summary with a partner.


Complete the last columns of the word wall builder as a class. Write the actual definitions of the word wall words and a have the students help you illustrate each word.

Thursday Students answer Science Starters question of the day. Go over the question and answer as a class. Ask for volunteers to share what they wrote. Discuss any new ideas and misconceptions. Set up and guide the students through the lab activity for the day. Have students record the word wall chart for the week into their word wall journal. They can record this on notebook paper, in their science notebook, or you can print the Word Wall Chart handout for them.

Friday Students answer Science Starters question of the day. Go over the question and answer as a class. Ask for volunteers to share what they wrote. Discuss any new ideas and misconceptions. The students will complete the Extension Writing Activity to show what they learned this week. Use today to guide the students through your interactive science notebook activities. (I have an Interactive Science Notebook with Science Vocabulary Activities available in my store: Elementary Ali) I also like to create a routine of science review stations for Fridays to help the students remember science topics they have learned in the past and will learn in the future. (I have my STAAR Science Stations available in my store: Elementary Ali)


Word Wall Builder


Content Coloring

Color and label the continents using the key.

North America = Green South America = Yellow Europe = Pink Asia = Purple Africa = Blue Australia = Red Antarctica = White

***Using the complete Tectonic Plates Puzzle, draw and label the tectonic plate boundaries on this map.


Continent Coloring Answers


Tectonic Plates Puzzle

Print and cut out the tectonic plates map (on the next page). You can make it a group activity and print them on cardstock and laminate one set for each group. Cut along the gray lines to make the puzzle pieces. The groups will work together to put the plates in the correct locations. When they are finished, they can draw the tectonic plate boundaries on their Continent Coloring sheet. Have them label the plate names as well.

Answer Key:


, ,

Complete the triple Venn diagram with information from the reading.

Plate Tectonics: Plate Boundaries

Did you know that within the ground beneath your feet, there is a layer of the Earth that is moving constantly? All around us the top layer of Earth, or the lithosphere, is moving about a centimeter each year. That is about the width of your pinky fingernail. The lithosphere is made up of over 7 pieces called tectonic plates. This happens because the asthenosphere is the layer below the lithosphere and it is made up of flowing molten rock. As this molten rock flows, the tectonic plates float on top of the molten rock like large connected islands.

Each plate moves separately from the others, so the boundaries meet between each plate. When two plates move towards each other and collide, this is called a convergence zone. At a convergence zone, one plate will move beneath the other plate and melt into the asthenosphere. As the plates collide, the plate that rises above bends and creates mountains. The plate that melts into the molten rock below will eventually rise up creating a trench. The collisions between these plates will cause earthquakes and build volcanoes.

When one plate moves towards the other plate, it is also moving away from another plate. As plates move away from each other, this is a boundary called a divergence zone. This occurs when the molten rock comes to the surface pushing the plates apart. The molten rock cools at the surface creating new land in the form of ridges. Volcanoes are active around divergent zones.

Some plates move past each other back and forth. This boundary is known as a transform boundary. These plates do not build or take away land from either plate. Their movement back and forth will cause earthquakes to occur sometimes.

Use context clues to define

the

!

Tectonic Plates

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Convergence Zone

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Divergence

Zone

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Transform

Boundary

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Tectonic plates

Write a summary about plate tectonics using your key terms from the reading.

Tectonic Plates Convergence Zone Divergence Zone Transform Boundary

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Answer Key

Key term definitions:

Tectonic Plates- pieces of the earth’‛s lithosphere (top layer)

Convergence Zone – boundary where two plates collide

Divergence Zone- boundary where two plates are pushed apart

Transform Boundary- boundary where two plates slide past each other back and forth


Plate Tectonics: Continental Drift

Based on a theory written by a 20th century scientist, Alfred Wegner, we believe all seven of our continents were once connected. Wegner’s theory is known as Continental Drift. In this theory he observed that the continents appear to fit together with each other like a puzzle. Over 200 million years ago, all the seven continents were connected as one land mass known as Pangea. Pangea is also referred to as a super continent because it was such a large mass of land. This land mass broke apart at the tectonic plate boundaries. Over time, the pieces of the land mass drifted farther and farther apart and became the continents we have today. Because the continents “drifted” apart, we know this event as continental drift. Looking at a map of the continents, you can see how they could have once fit together to make one large land mass.

Plate Tectonics: Seafloor Spreading

At divergent zones on the ocean floor, plates are moving away from each other. They are pushed apart by magma, or melted rock, from beneath the Earth’s surface rising up and cooling. When the magma pushes up to the surface and cools, it creates new land. This occurs very slowly, and creates about 3 centimeters of new land along these boundaries each year. The area where this land is constantly being added is known as the Mid-Ocean Ridge. This is an underwater mountain range that is over 50,000 miles long. To get a better idea of how big that is, the Rocky Mountains stretching across North America are only about 3,000 miles long. At the mid-ocean ridge, the floor of the ocean is actually spreading apart so we call this process “Seafloor Spreading.”

Use context clues to define

the

! Continental

Drift

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Pangea

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Magma

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Seafloor

Spreading

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Which continents look like they can be put together like a puzzle?

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Tectonic plates

Write a summary about plate tectonics using your key terms from the reading.

Continental Drift Pangea Magma Seafloor Spreading

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Answer Key

Key term definitions:

Continental Drift- Alfred Wegner’s theory that the continents were once all connected and drifted apart over time.

Pangea – the super continent when all the continents were once connected

Magma- molten rock

Seafloor Spreading- process by which the ocean floor is spreading farther apart and adding new land in between the plates


Science Starters: Plate tectonics Monday What damages can be caused by earthquakes?

Tuesday What dangers do people risk when living near a volcano?

Wednesday What are the similarities and differences between a convergent and a divergent zone?

Thursday Why might scientists find similar fossils on the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa?

Friday Why is it important to know where the tectonic plate boundaries are located and what occurs at each boundary?


Science Starters: plate tectonics Answers

Monday What damages can be caused by earthquakes?

Land can be moved and buildings can be destroyed.

Tuesday What dangers do people risk when living near a volcano?

During an eruption lava will cover and burn the surrounding land, and ash will fill the air.

Wednesday What are the similarities and differences between a convergent and a divergent zone?

Differences: Convergent zone = plates collide and build mountains, trenches, and volcanoes. Divergent zone= plates move away from each other and builds ridges.

Similarities: Both cause earthquakes and volcanic activities.

Thursday Why might scientists find similar fossils on the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa?

According to the theory of Continental Drift, South America and Africa were once connected as part of the super continent, Pangea.

Friday Why is it important to know where the tectonic plate boundaries are located and what occurs at each boundary?

Answers may vary: Engineers need to know how likely an earthquake is in an area before building businesses and highways. They have to follow certain procedures when building in an area with earthquakes.


Tectonic Plate Boundary Models

Lab set-up:

Each lab station needs an instruction card. Place the materials for the students to build and observe each model at the station.

Materials needed:

x 3-6 small, empty boxes (boxes that staples come in are a good size) x 2 sheets of cardstock x Rectangular tissue box x Two rolls of paper (toilet paper or paper towel roll cut in fourths or

small wrapping paper roll cut into fourths) x 2 pieces of fabric ( two handkerchiefs would work)

*Laminating lab instruction cards printed on cardstock will keep them durable for multiple uses.


Tectonic Plates: Convergence Zone Model

Materials:

x Two pieces of fabric

Instructions:

x Place the two pieces of fabric side by side on the table. The fabric will represent the plates at a convergent zone.

x Slide the two pieces of fabric towards each other until they collide.

x Make observations about what happens to the fabric pieces as they are pushed together.


Tectonic Plates: Divergence Zone Model

Materials:

x One empty tissue box x Two rolls of paper inside the box

Instructions:

x Place the two rolls of paper inside the box so that both rolls of paper can unroll through the opening in the top in opposite directions. Each roll of paper will represent land as the plates separate at a divergent zone.

x Start with 6 inches of paper lying out of the box from each roll. Do not tear the paper off the roll during this model.

x Slowly pull both rolls out about 12 inches. x Observe what changes happened to the length of the paper

across your table as you pulled them out.


Tectonic Plates: Transform Boundary Model

Materials:

x 2 sheets of cardstock x Small boxes

Instructions:

x Place the two sheets of cardstock next to each other on the table. The sheets of cardstock will represent the two plates moving side by side.

x Stack the boxes along the center line of the pages. The boxes will represent landforms and buildings that are on a transform boundary.

x Slide the pages back and forth next to each other and notice what changes happen with the boxes.

x Record your observations on your observation sheet.


Tectonic Plates: Model Observation Sheet

Explain your observations at each model.

Convergence Zone

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Divergence Zone

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Transform Boundary

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What are the limitations of these models? What could have made them more

accurate?________________________________________________________

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Writing Extension Activity

Have the students use writing to show you what they know. They will be writing an encyclopedia page with information they learned about this week’s topic. This will also help build skills in writing informational texts. Use the week’s “I can…” statement to guide the writing topic.

Science Writing Rubric Grammar and

Punctuation Accurate Scientific Information

Product Presentation

Excellent Free from errors, incomplete sentences, and run on sentences

Information and facts are 100% correct

Neatly written and colorful illustrations

Good Minor errors with good sentence structure

One or two errors in information or facts

Minor problems with writing or illustrations

Proficient Some errors and multiple sentences written incorrectly

A few errors in information or facts

A few presentation elements are missing or messy

Needs Improvement

Many errors and sentences written incorrectly

Many errors in information or facts

Messy writing and illustrations, lacking writing or illustrations


My Encyclopedia Page

topic: ___________________________________________________

Illustrations or Diagrams


What I know

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