Teacher:MollyMacDougall

School:WindsorHighSchool

Date:Thursday1/21/16

Grade:9

ContentArea:EarthSpaceScience

Title:PlateBoundaries

Lesson#:Day7

Standard:
Science3:EarthSystemsScience
3Thetheoryofplatetectonicshelpsexplaingeological,physical,andgeographicalfeaturesofEarth.
aDevelop,communicate,andjustifyanevidencebasedscientificexplanationaboutthetheory
ofplatetectonicsandhowitcanbeusedtounderstandgeological,physical,andgeographicalfeaturesof
Earth.
bAnalyzeandinterpretdataonplatetectonicsandthegeological,physical,andgeographical
featuresofEarth.
dInvestigateandexplainhownewconceptualinterpretationsofdataandinnovative
geophysicaltechnologiesleadtocurrenttheoryofplatetectonics.

Understanding:
Studentswillunderstandthattheplatetectonicsexplainsofallgeologic,physical,andgeographicalfeaturesof
earth.
Studentswillunderstandthatearthquakeshappenatmovingplatesandfaultlines.
Studentswillunderstandthatthedensityofthecrustwilldeterminewhathappensatplateboundaries.
Studentswillunderstandthatinnovativegeophysicaltechnologiesledtothecurrenttheoryofplatetectonics.
Studentswillunderstandthatanalyzingandinterpretingdataonplatetectonicsexplainsgeological,physical,
andgeographicalfeaturesoftheEarth.

EssentialQuestions:
Wheredomountainscomefrom?
Whydoearthquakesusuallyhappennearcoastlines?
Whydoearthquakeshappenatdifferentdepths?
Whydoscientistsmonitorearthquakeactivity?

LearningTargets:
IcananalyzeandinterpretdataaboutEarthstectonicplates.
ThismeansIcanuseArcGIStoplotandinterpretaboutplateboundaries.

Icanexplainandinvestigatehowgeophysicaltechnologiesleadtothecurrenttheoryofplatetectonics.

ThismeansIcanuseArcGIStoexplainandinvestigaterecentplateactivitytomonitorearthquakes,plate
movement,andvolcanoactivity.

Icandevelop,communicate,andjustifywhathappensatplateboundariesdependingontheplateboundary
type.
ThismeansIcandevelop,communicate,andjustifyplateboundaryearthquakedepthdifferencesusingthe
PeruChileTrenchandTongaTrenchdata.

Assessments:
Kahoot!formativeassessmenttomonitorwherestudentsareonshortandlongtermmemoryofplate
tectonics.

NameandPurpose:
PlateBoundariestohavestudentsusedataonearthquakedepthtoplotwhereplatesgoastheysubside
underotherplatesontheconvergentplateboundarytypedependingonthecrusttype(oceanicvscontinental).

TimeandMaterials:
90minutes
Materials:

Chromebooks&ArcGISsoftware&GoogleDocs

Crayons/markers

BlankPaper

PlateBoundarysheet

CellPhones

Anticipation:
Warmup:activityandtimetostamphomeworkfromnightbefore
ActivitystudentswilldownloadanappcallediSeismometerontheirphonetocreatetheirownearthquakes.
ThepastfewdayswevebeenexploringearthquakesandhowyoucanlocatethemusingSeismogramsand
Triangulation.Inthelabyesterdaytheyweregivenseismograms.Thisappletsthemmaketheirown
earthquakesbyvibrationsthephonefeelsanditrecordsaseismogram.Itdisplaysitforthedifferentdirections
andtheyllhavetimeitplaywiththatandisolatehowtomakeearthquakesthatonlyaffectonedirection.
Time510~minutes
Activity:

AftertheseismogramwarmupwellmoveintoaddingamodontheArcGISsoftwarewevebeenusing.Using
thislayerthestudentswillbecomeacquaintedwiththedifferentplatesaroundtheearth,thenameofthem,
andwheretheyrelocatedtomovethemtowardsansweringquestionsconcerninghowtheplatesinteract.
WelljustbeaddingthelayernowandIllgivetimetoanswerthequestionslaterfollowingtheactivityasa
differentiationpiece.

Following,welldoabrieflecturerequiredtogetthestudentsacquaintedwiththedifferenttypesofplate
boundaries,specificallytheconvergentplateboundaryandthe3subcategories.Theyhaveskeletonnotesto
goalongandthehomeworkwastoalreadycompletethefrontside.
Togetherwewillcompletethebacksideofthenoteswhichrequiresdrawingthepicture,describingthe
movement,andtalkingabouttypesofvolcanoes,earthquakes,etc.
Time3040minutes(becausedoingittogether)

Nextwellworkonplottingsomedatathattheyllusetoseewhereactualplatesoneartharegoingwhenthey
moveunderanotherplatedowninSouthAmericaandinSoutheastAsia.Theyaredoingthisactivitysothey
canbettervisualizewhyearthquakesofaspecificdepthusuallyhappenwithcertaintypesofplateboundaries.
Time3040minutes

FollowingwhenmoststudentsaredoneIlltakeamomenttotalkaboutthehomework(labandtheplate
boundaryquestions,andremainingnotestheneedtofillinontheskeletonnotes).Theyhaveworktimefora
bittoletstudentscatchup.

Withthelastbitoftimeinclasswellworkonakahoottoseehowmuchstudentsrememberfromthe
earthquakeswevebeenfocusingonforahalfaweek.Thisisgreatbecauseitscompetitiveandtheyget
superintoit,butitgivesmeagoodgaugetoseehowmuchthestudentsretained.

Closure:
Timetoputthechromebooksawayandtalkaboutwhatsdueagainandjustcheckinwiththestudentsabout
theirweeks.

Assessment:
Kahoot!aformativeassessmenttogaugetheretentionofstudentsknowledgeofmaterialfromacoupledays
ago.Questionsfromthekahootareusuallyveryconsistentwithfuturetestingandhavestudentsfamiliarwith
thetypeofquestionswewouldaskonexams.

Differentiation:

InmanyofmyclassesIhavestudentswithaccommodations.IntheclassthatyouareobservingIhavea
teachersaid,butonethatisnottechnologicallyadvanced,sosheevenrequiresaccommodations.WhatItry
todoisbackactivitiesupwiththelayersweaddtotheArcGISsoftwaresoIhaveplentyoftimetoanswer
questionsforstudentsthatrequiremoreexplanationwhilehavingsomethinguseful(notjustmore)forthe
studentsthatworkquickly).OftenIhavestudentsthatworkaheadhelpotherstudentswiththeirlayersifthey
haveahardtimeaddingit(Isayifyoudonthaveit,askyourneighbor.Ifyouneighbordoesnthaveit,Ican
help).
Additionallythelastpartoftheplateboundariesactivityisanextensionpieceforthestudentsthatmove
quickly.Ithasthemcomparetheonetrenchtoanothertrenchandwhytheydiffer.Idontexpectallstudentsto
completethisinclassbutIdoexpectthemtocompleteiteventually.