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This Plate Tectonics: Fourth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities unit plan also includes:
- Fourth Grade Student Workbook
- Lesson Plan
- Activity
- Vocabulary
- Graphic & Image
- Answer Key
- Join to access all included materials
The pre-lab portion of the lesson introduces emerging geologists to the various layers that make up Earth. After completing a sheet on the identification of the layers, class members simulate plate boundaries and their movements with clay, sand, and wax paper. During the post-lab, individuals discover how volcanoes are formed at converging plate boundaries before completing the final worksheet.
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CCSS:
Adaptable
Concepts
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Instructional Ideas
- Add the following words to your word wall: converging plates, diverging plates, continental crust, inner core, outer core, mantle, plate tectonics, transform, subduction, and abduction
- Instruct learners to research various plate boundaries and fault lines around the world, and the type of geologic events that occur at them
Classroom Considerations
- Some teacher background preparation may be necessary for more robust instruction
- Provide calculators for calculating the thickness of layers in the pre-lab
- The third in a series of four lessons that make up a unit on the plate tectonics cycle
- Have learners refer to pages 7-9 in the workbook for this portion
Pros
- Both pre-lab and lab come with answer keys
- Hands-on and engaging
Cons
- Background information may be insufficient for some teachers