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Earth Composition and Plate Tectonics
Students investigate the composition of the interior of the Earth through a teacher lead lesson. They study the theory of plate tectonics before creating a model of the earth's interior. They use a hard boiled egg to synthesize a model...
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Astronomy: Earth/Moon
Students investigate the Earth and the Moon. They select activities from a menu of options including viewing videos, drawing magnetic fields and plate tectonics, creating vocabulary flashcards, observing the phases of the moon over a...
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Volcano!-Thar She Blows!
Pupils describe how volcanoes are formed. They name the types of boundaries where volcanoes occur. They utilize models to illustrate the occurence of volcanoes and earthquakes along plate boundaries. They compare and constrast the...
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Earth Movers
Students read an online article about an earthquake and follow up with a series of discussion questions about earthquakes. They answer questions in their science journals about continental drift, plate tetonics, and their influence on...
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Plate Tectonics Boundaries
Students discover how to create a model of tectonic plates and study the interactions of these plates as they slowly move on the asthenosphere. They see and experience what happens at each type of plate boundary and why there are certain...
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Oceans Socratic Questioning
Young scholars participate in a whole class discussion of ocean-floor structures and plate tectonics. They respond to prompts in a structured sequence that lead them to conclusions about the role of plate tectonics in the creation of...
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Examing the San Francisco Earthquake
Students analyze photographic data about the San Francisco earthquake for evidence of its cause and effect. they determine if damage was caused by the earthquake itself or the ensuing fire. They role-play as earthquake survivors and...
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Structure of the Earth
Sixth graders investigate earthquakes and volcanoes. They demonstrate fault lines with a folded piece of paper, conduct an erosion experiment, and construct a volcano using clay, baking soda and vinegar.
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Ecology And the Conservation of Natural Resources
Students study Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and how the continents were connected in one large land mass called Pangaea. They examine plate tectonics and the theory that the earth's surface is composed of large moving...
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Drifting Continents
Students, through teacher-led demonstration, explore the idea of continental drift. They complete a worksheet involving the calculation of continental drift over time.
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Explosive Ideas!
Students explore the layers of the Earth and the dynamic changes that they cause on Earth's surface. Volcanoes and earthquakes become the focus of the lesson as the Oregon State quarter and its Crater Lake images are linked to the topic.
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How Does Your Magma Grow?
Students identify the three types of plate boundaries and the Earth's tectonic plates system. They examine how the Galapagos Islands were formed and hydrothermal vents.
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What's the Difference?
Students discover how volcanic processes differ at convergent and divergent tectonic plate boundaries. They identify three geologic features that are associated with most volcanoes on Earth.
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Life Along the Ring of Fire
Students research geological forces that create the Ring of Fire and its effects on cultures. They write reports on how natural disasters influence societies.
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Plate Tectonics
Young scholars identify the three layers of the earth: core, mantle and crust. They demonstrate knowledge of the concepts of convergent and divergent motions of the earth and an understanding of plate tectonics.
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PLATE MOVEMENTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Students label three geological maps with continents provided to analyze the relationships between the movement of tectonic plates and the changes in the climate. In small groups, they discuss their findings and form hypotheses about the...
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The Distance Between Us and Them: Sea Floor Spreading in the Atlantic Ocean
Learners examine how geologists determine rates of sea floor spreading between two tectonic plates. They apply mathematical concepts such as the calculation and use of velocities and conversion from one set of units to another.
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Earthquake Depth
Young scholars research and locate earthquake epicenters on a map using latitude and longitude. They determine if the depth of an earthquake has any relationship to the distance from a plate boundary.
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Pangea All Lands
Pupils demonstrate how the earth's land masses were once one huge land mass known as Pangea. They fit continents together forming one large land mass. Describe the processes that cause plate movement.
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A Model of Earth's Tectonic Plates
Young scholars build a model of the Earth showing tectonic plate boundaries. The pattern for the model is provided in the lesson. This is a very useful hands-on component for a lesson about geology or earthquakes.
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Formation of Volcanoes
Ninth graders explore the process of different volcanoes and how plate tectonics plays a role. In this volcanic instructional activity students complete several assignments on plate tectonics.
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Tic-Tac-Toe for Layers of the Earth
Eighth graders identify the different layers of the earth. In this earth science lesson plan, 8th graders choose a project to do from a given list according to their learning style. They present their finished project in class.
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Continental Drift
Students simulate convection waves using a model. For this earth science lesson, students explain the effect of plate movements to Earth's geography. They use the internet to find answers to graphic organizer questions.
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The Layered Earth
Young scholars role play plate tectonics by creating a "plate statue" made up of students. In this earth science lesson, young scholars describe how Earth's movement cause earthquakes and volcanoes. They draw and name the different...