North Park Lesson Plan #4

North Park University

School of Education Lesson Plan Template

Revised Fall 2022

Name: Tyler Rose

School/Class/Grade: Evergreen Academy Middle School/ Science Standards/ 7th

Content Area: Earth Science

Date:3/9/23

A.  Central Focus:  

In the Science Seminar sequence, students apply their knowledge of plate motion to make an argument about whether divergent or convergent movement best explains the pattern of geologic activity in an area in Mexico known in geology as the Jalisco Block. This engaging mystery is an authentic, ongoing debate among geologists, as inconclusive GPS measurements have thwarted scientists’ efforts at determining exactly what is happening with regard to plate motion in this area. To motivate their interest, students learn that one of Dr. Moraga's colleagues in Guadalajara needs their help communicating to local residents about plate motion in the area. Students then review evidence about plate motion in the region. The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the context of the Science Seminar and to acquaint them with the evidence that they will use to support one of two claims.

B.  Learning Objectives

In preparation for constructing arguments for the upcoming Science Seminar, students look for patterns in landforms and geologic events (patterns) in order to determine which kind of plate motion best explains the observed geologic activity near Jalisco, Mexico (cause and effect) and analyze and interpret evidence associated with the geologic activity in this area.

1. Identify and describe patterns in landforms and geologic events: The first objective is to help students identify and describe patterns in landforms and geologic events in the Jalisco, Mexico area. By understanding the patterns, students can better understand the geologic activity and the cause and effect relationship between the movements of tectonic plates and the resulting landforms.

1. Determine the best explanation for observed geologic activity: The second objective is to help students determine which kind of plate motion best explains the observed geologic activity in the Jalisco, Mexico area. By analyzing the patterns and understanding the cause and effect relationship, students can develop arguments for the most likely explanation of the observed geologic activity.

1. Analyze and interpret evidence associated with geologic activity: The third objective is to help students analyze and interpret the evidence associated with the geologic activity in the Jalisco, Mexico area. By examining the evidence, students can better understand the cause and effect relationship between tectonic plate movements and the resulting landforms, as well as the impact of geologic activity on the local environment and human populations.

1. Students will write out a plan for how they will complete their homework. By writing out their nightly schedule for today and finding where they will have time to complete the homework. So they can set realistic expectations and goals for their work.

C.  Standards

ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions:

Maps of ancient land and water patterns, based on investigations of rocks and fossils, make clear how Earth’s plates have moved great distances, collided, and spread apart. (MS-ESS2-3)

ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth:

Tectonic processes continually generate new ocean sea floor at ridges and destroy old sea floor at trenches. (HS.ESS1.C GBE) (secondary to MS-ESS2-3)

ESS2.A: Earth’s Materials and Systems:

The planet’s systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future. (MS-ESS2-2)

CCSS-Math Content 

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.2: Understand the concept of a unit rate a/b associated with a ratio a: b with b ≠ 0 (b not equal to zero), and use rate language in the context of a ratio relationship

SEL: 1A.3a. Analyze factors that create stress or motivate successful performance.

D.  Assessments

Students sort the evidence based on which claim they think it supports in order to help them organize their thinking in advance of the Science Seminar discussion in the next lesson. Students will be calculating Rates and Discussing Patterns in Data and using this information to self assess what they are still lacking on rock transformations and how energy can move and change a landscape.

E.  Instruction and Learning – Opening

Students will discuss in groups of 4 how they have used models in the past and how they think a model can represent a larger scale.

F.  Instruction and Learning - Learning Experiences (During)

Students will complete the steps below during the lesson.

1: Warm-Up

Students are provided with a plate boundary map and are invited to speculate about the geology near the state of Jalisco in Mexico.

2: Introducing the Jalisco Block 

Students are introduced to the context, question, and claims that they will consider during the Science Seminar sequence.

3: Analyzing Evidence 

Students examine and annotate evidence about the movement of the Jalisco Block in preparation for sorting each piece of evidence based on the claim it supports.

4. Nightly Schedule 

Students write out a nightly schedule and find where they can have time to work on their homework. Students then make a note of when they should start their homework and if altering that time they might be risking not completing the work assigned.

G.  Instruction and Learning – Closure

Scientists apply what they know about how things work in one situation to explain how they will work in other similar situations. Scientists must carefully consider all available evidence before making arguments about a phenomenon. Students will be using this as ways to discuss how they can learn and grow as scientists who were able to collect evidence.

H.  Support for Diverse Learners

Student-to-student discussion for making sense of the evidence. The partner sharing and discussion following the independent reading of the evidence cards provides students with an opportunity to deepen their own understanding through a purposeful conversation with their peers. The discussion in this lesson is especially important.

This lesson depends on students' abilities to interpret the evidence cards, some of which contain complex maps. If you have students who may find it challenging to interpret these cards, consider reviewing how to read and interpret these maps with these students.

Students who struggle with reading and extracting the most essential information after they read may need more support in interpreting the information in the Science Seminar Evidence Cards. If you think your students will benefit from additional support for analyzing the evidence in this lesson, go over each piece of evidence as a class before students sort the cards. Prompt the class to look at a specific piece of evidence. Ask students to first summarize the information provided on the evidence card and share any questions about the information. Then, ask them how it relates to the claims or key concepts they have learned. After they understand what is presented on each card, they can begin sorting the evidence. You can also adjust the activity so that partners work with only 1-2 Science Seminar Evidence Cards at a time and then share and discuss as a class. In addition, you may want to add examples of occasions when summarizing before moving on would be helpful. For example, it might be helpful to summarize the two claims before moving onto the evidence cards.

Although some teacher modeling is included in the introduction of the card-sort activity in this lesson, it may be helpful to extend this modeling if students need more support

I.  Instructional Resources and Materials

Needed by the teacher:    

• vocabulary cards: cementation, compaction, igneous rock, sedimentary rock

• key concept: Rocks can form in different ways. This causes them to be different types.

• Chapter 4 Question: What best explains the pattern of volcanic activity and earthquakes on the Jalisco Block?

Needed by the student:    

1. paper clips*

2. masking tape*

For Each Student

1. 1 set of Science Seminar Evidence Cards (5 cards/set), clipped together*

2. 1 set of the Argument Organizer student sheets*

3. 2 paper clips*

4. optional: 1 envelope, large*

5. optional: copy of the "How Baaja Was Born" article*

6. optional: Plate Motion Investigation Notebook, pages 104–110*