Plate Tectonics: The Effects of Movement of the Earth on its Continental Plates
Overview
Students preparing for the ACT, GED or other college prep equivalency exams or college entrance need to know the basics of science. Geology is one area that is included on most of these types of exams. The study of continental drift forces involved and effect of the movement combine several science disciplines that will help students on those exams. In this unit, learners will illustrate, describe and demonstrate a basic knowledge of plate tectonics and the effect of shifts on seismic activity. This unit follows the WIPPEA model for lesson planning, and implements open-classroom strategies, where students will not only use OER but also modify and republish their content.
Basic Unit Information
Brief Description
Students preparing for the ACT, GED or other college prep equivalency exams or college entrance need to know the basics of science. Geology is one area that is included on most of these types of exams. The study of continental drift forces involved and effect of the movement combine several science disciplines that will help students on these exams.
Essential Question
What is tectonic plate movement and how does it effect the earth, its people, and its geography?
Developed By
Mr. Donald Edward Dutton, Senior Educational Consultant, New Mexico Distance Education and Learning Technologies: https://www.oercommons.org/courseware/module/30680/overview
Remixed by Leecy Wise, Educational Consultant, Teacher Trainer (12/27/019)
Number of Sessions: 1 or 2
Estimated Time Required
300 minutes plus some thinking and collaborating outside of class.
Setting: Classroom and Computer Lab
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Objectives
Lesson Goal
Learners will demonstrate a basic knowledge of plate tectonics and the effect of shifts on seismic activity.
Learning Objectives
- Learners will identify earth's continental plates and discuss one example of the effects of plate movement.
- Learners will accurately predict the effects of specific movement of specific plates.
- Learners will remix an open resource to tell their own story of the earth's plate movements and effects of that movement.
Instructional Strategies
Through the use of 3 OER (and other resources), students will gain an overall understanding of the topic. They will be able to identify the different types of movement and how each effects the earth. They will also observe open educational resources (OER), with the goal of replicating the process, evaluating a resource, setting goals for making it better, and manipulating an OER for that purpose.
Resources
Internet-enabled devices for all students. Students should have physical note pads or electronic pages in order to save ideas, edit ideas, contact info with collaborators and more.
How Resources Are Use
Electronic devices will be used to search for resources that answer the essential question.
Notepads keep track of iterations of the progress made toward the full answers.
Unit Plan
This unit plan follows the WIPPEA model. "The WIPPEA Model, and acronym that stands for WarmUp, Introduction, Presentation, Practice, Evaluation, Application, is a lesson plan model that represents a continuous teaching cycle in which each learning concept builds on the previous one, serving as an instructional roadmap for instructors. The WIPPEA lesson plan model is adapted from the work of Hunter (Hunter, 1982). This six-step cyclical lesson planning approach has learners demonstrate mastery of concepts and content at each step before the instructor proceeds to the next step. In the following list, TEAL Center suggestions for incorporating each of these elements are included in italics." (TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 8: Effective Lesson Planning, https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-initiatives/teal/guide/lessonplanning)
Warm-Up
Activity
With the following 10 words displayed in the classroom, give students a few minutes to talk about what they know of them: (NO DEVICES or BOOKS)
Terms: oceanic plate, destructive margins, continental plate, magma, seismic activity, conservative margins, volcanoes, plate tectonics, fault lines, earthquakes
Duration
10-15 minutes minutes
Introduction
Activity
Students prepare 3 questions of their own and to ask about the video and consider all the following questions:
- What one thing did you learn about plate tectonics?
- Where is this action evident?
- Who does plate movement effect?
- When does movement occur?
- Why does movement occur?
- How are the 3 ways continental plates move against each other?
Notes
Students watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg_UBLFUpYQ
Duration
20 to 30 mins minutes
Presentation
Skill to be Presented
Students go the first OER. https://www.oercommons.org/courses/plate-tectonics-10
In this OER, students find answers to their questions and the ones posed above.
For further study, they experiment with another OER: https://www.oercommons.org/courses/uncovering-plate-tectonics
Steps for Presenting Skill
The presentation consists of teacher and students working together to identify an OER that suits their needs. The goal here is to show how to evaluate an OER. Find the OER, decide what is good and what can be changed, decide on how it can be changed and make the changes. After the process is complete and the modeling has been done, we can move onto the principal lesson.
Duration
90 minutes
Practice
Activities
Discussion
Reading
Problem Solving
Research
Role-Play
Critical Thinking
Groupings: Small Group
Duration: 2 hours minutes
Description
Students open the third OER planned for this lesson with the intent of manipulating it for their own use: https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/361-is-california-leaving-a-lesson-on-plate-tectonics
With this OER, or with another suitable OER, students present their answer to the essential question and the "wh" questions above. They prepare an OER of their own that tells the story of earth's plate movements and the effects of that movement.
DISCUSSION: Students will discuss in small groups the essential question and all the questions they have.
READING: Students will read what they need from the first OER suggested. They will find additional resources if necessary and read whatever they need to find answers to what, why, how and etc.
PROBLEM SOLVING: In groups, 2 questions will be discussed and solutions will be offered orally. NOTE: Use your imagination, but keep the ideas somewhat based on what you have learned.
- Question 1: What can people do to be safe on this planet with so much seismic activity?
- Question 2: How can humans control or effect earth's movements? Is it possible? If so, how?
RESEARCH: Students will research the 3 OER suggested for this unit and document the use of others if needed. Also, it is expected sources should be accurate and information from them should conform to the information in the majority of sources.
ROLE-PLAY: Students will role play a simple discussion between a person in any country who does not know much about science or plate tectonics but has experienced the effects of earth movement and wants to know why that happens.
CRITICAL THINKING: All the activities in this unit require critical thinking skills.
Evaluation
Duration
30 minutes
Objectives
Students will have:
- accurately and completely answered the essential question by show and tell.
- collaborated with each other during the formative stages of the lesson plan
- applied critical thinking in order to present the final product to meet quality performance standards
Assessments will include oral presentation, evidence that work or discussion was done collaboratively (everyone in the group contributes to oral presentations) and a well-thought out final response.
Assessments
- Oral Quiz
- Role Play
- Demonstration
- Project
- Observation
- Description
- Student Reflection
Application
Activities
Away from class and at a future time, students will tell the class about a place, time, experience, story or news report that illustrates the effects of earth's movement in the life of an individual. This will be a short oral presentation.
Location
Outside Classroom