Lesson Plan #3: CALLA; The Ring of Fire

Theme/Topic: The Ring of Fire Grade Levels: 6, 7, 8

Class: Beginning/Early Intermediate (104 minutes) Language Levels: 1, 2

This lesson will be taught in conjunction with the seventh grade team. The 7th grade teachers
are creating a cross-curricular unit about the Ring of Fire. They will include activities in math,
science, social studies and language arts. In the past I have not participated in these types of
units for a number of reasons. I was able to get on board early with this one and plan to
pause my regular curriculum to teach this unit when the 7th grade team teaches it. This is the
reason it focuses on 7th grade science and social studies standards.

Content Objectives:
I. Knowledge:
A. Students will be able to locate and explain the Ring of Fire
B. Students will be able to discuss the natural resources of the regions in the Ring of
Fire
C. Students will be able to discuss how volcanic eruptions and subduction are
changing Earth's crust.
D. Students will gain knowledge of the visual, literary and musical cultures of the major
countries along the Ring of Fire.
II. Processes/Skills:
A. Students will be able to use latitude and longitude to locate and communicate
locations of the capitals of the major countries along the Ring of Fire
B. Students will be able to use leveled texts and computers to search for information.
III. Indiana Science and Social Studies Standards
A. Science:
i. 7.3.4 Explain how heat flow and movement of material within the Earth causes
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and creates mountains and ocean basins.
ii. 7.3.7 Give examples of some changes in the Earth's surface that are abrupt,
such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and some changes that happen
very slowly, such as uplift and wearing down of mountains, and the action of
glaciers. (Core Standard)
B. Social Studies:
i. 7.1.20 Chronological Thinking, Historical Comprehension, Analysis and
Interpretation, Research: Draw on visual, literary and musical sources to
describe the development and transmission of culture over time. (Core
Standard)
ii. 7.3.2 The World in Spatial Terms: Locate capital cities in Africa, Asia and the
Southwest Pacific using latitude and longitude on maps and with locational
technology such as Global Positioning Systems and Geographic Information
Systems. (Core Standard)
IV.Assessment:
A. Speaking: Pairs will present information about the geographic region they chose to
research. (jigsaw) They will include natural resources, literature, music and
landforms of interest.

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 B. Reading/listening: Based on leveled readers, videos and teacher explanations,
ELL's will create a diagram showing how heat flow and movement of material within
the Earth causes changes to Earth's crust.
C. Listening: Students will evaluate each other when giving oral presentations
D. Writing: Students will write a paragraph describing the geographic region they
researched.
E. Other: Students will use latitude and longitude to describe the locations of the
capital cities in the geographic region they researched.

Language Objectives:
I. Language Awareness
A. Specific Vocabulary:

extinct trenches subducted

frequent island arc tectonic plate
eruptions mountain range eruption
magma continuous
lava consequence

II. Language Use:

A. Read and comprehend leveled texts
B. Read and comprehend web sites for research.
C. Present research findings orally
D. Write a paragraph about research findings.
III. Indiana ELP/TESOL Standards:
A. Indiana ELP Standards.
i. 7.1.1 Beginner (Level 1): Begin to produce most English phonemes while
reading one's own writing or simple texts.
ii. 7.2.2 Beginner (Level 1): Respond to simple, factual questions about
informational materials non-verbally (e.g., pictures, tables, lists, graphic
organizers) or by using key words and phrases.
iii. 7.2.5 Early Intermediate (Level 2): Explain with simple oral sentences the main
idea and some details of some informational materials.
iv. 7.4.1 Beginner (Level 1): Write a simple paragraph or essay that describes,
compares, or narrates a main idea and express nonverbally (e.g., pictures,
charts, tables, graphic organizers) or with simple spoken or written phrases or
sentences.
v. 7.4.5 Early Intermediate (Level 2): Write a short paragraph that contains
supporting details on a given topic and express with a chart, graph, or simple
spoken and written sentences.
vi. 7.7.2 Beginner (Level 1): Organize a simple speech that includes visual aids to
support main idea and express with words, phrases, or simple sentences.
vii. 7.7.6 Early Intermediate (Level 2): Prepare a simple speech that includes
visual aids to support main idea and express with simple phrases and
sentences.
B. TESOL Standards
i. TESOL Goal 2, Standard 1: To use English to achieve academically in all

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 content areas: Students will use English to interact in the classroom
ii. TESOL Goal 2, Standard 2: To use English to achieve academically in all
content areas: Students will use English to obtain, process, construct, and
provide subject matter information in spoken and written form
II. Assessment: Interwoven with assessments for content objectives listed above.

Learning Strategies Objectives:

I. Meta-cognitive Awareness: Understand that information from different sources must
be checked and fit together to form an accurate whole.
II. Strategies to Learn/Practice: plan/organize, evaluate, use visuals to help
understanding, takes notes, cooperate
III. Assessment: Student presentation and corresponding evaluations.

Materials: LCD projector, reserved day at the computer lab, leveled readers, maps of
tectonic plates, political map of Ring of Fire regions, vocabulary handout, 8/5 X 11 world maps
with longitude and latitude clearly marked.

Day One:
Preparation:
1. Pass out vocabulary sheets to the class. Students will rate the words on a scale of 1 –
3; 1=never heard of it; 2=know it but not sure of the meaning; 3=know it and use it.
2. We will discuss the words allowing those who understand various words to give an
explanation.
3. We will watch the youtube video The Pacific Ring of Fire: 1:43
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgTRpSEJxEw

Presentation:
1. Divide students into groups of 2 – 3 based on reading level. Each group will receive an
appropriate leveled reader. They will read about the Ring of Fire.

Practice:
1. Switch up groups. Students discuss what they read with the new group.

Presentation:
1. Use world map to show the location of the Ring of Fire. Label the areas: southeast
Pacific, Central East Pacific and Southeast Asia, Northern Pacific, Central East Pacific,
Southeast Pacific.
2. Explain research project that is to be done. Allow students to choose 5 heterogeneous
groups of levels one and two together. Each group is assigned a region.
3. We will go to the computer lab to research the assigned regions.
(www.volcanolive.com)

Day Two:
Presentation:
1. Ring of Fire Song: 3:04 Join Dr. Richard Alley (the Evan Pugh Professor of
Geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU)), as he takes you on a

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 musical review of subduction and the Pacific Ring of Fire. This video includes an
animated view of subduction that would help students understand it better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq22bVmxfuk
2. Using tectonic plate map on overhead, explain each part of the song.
3. Create gestures to explain subduciton.

Practice:
1. Students turn to elbow buddy and take turns explaining subduction using gestures.
2. Play song and students add in gestures.
3. Students continue work on presentation based on yesterday's research. (Do I need
another day at the computer lab or will the 4 computers I have in my room suffice?)

Day Three:
Presentation:
1. Present longitude and latitude using large world map. Give students several major
world cities to find on the map (New York, Paris, Lisbon, etc.)
2. When students seem comfortable with that, volunteers can come forward to find a city.

Practice:
1. Students will use their knowledge of longitude and latitude to describe the locations of
the capitals of the countries in their research area.
2. Students will have until the last 10 minutes of class to work on presentation.
3. At the end of class, play Ring of Fire song once more and include gestures.

Day Four:
Practice:
1. Begin class with Ring of Fire song.

Presentation:
1. Dig for questions about the process of subduction. Discussion of how this changes
Earth's crust.

Practice:
1. Final day for preparing presentations.

Day Five:
1. Students present Ring of Fire region.
2. Students evaluate each presentation.

Self-Evaluation:
Each day there will be an exit ticket checking for comprehension of the day's objectives and
asking where clarification is needed.

Expansion:
We will begin checking and tracking volcanic activity on USGS.gov. We will especially watch
Kilauea in the Hawaiian islands. We can watch for changes in activity and track eruptions.
For the balance of the school year. There is also a volcano in the Philippines that is expecxtd

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to erupt.

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