TCSS Earth Systems Unit 2 – Plate Tectonics Information

Georgia Performance Standards: SES2. Students will understand how plate tectonics creates certain geologic features, materials, and hazards. a. Distinguish among types of plate tectonic settings produced by plates diverging, converging, and sliding past each other. b. Relate modern and ancient geologic features to each kind of plate tectonic setting. c. Relate certain geologic hazards to specific plate tectonic settings. d. Associate specific plate tectonic settings with the production of particular groups of igneous and metamorphic rocks and mineral resources. e. Explain how plate tectonics creates and destroys sedimentary basins through time.

Purpose/Goal(s): To demonstrate how plate tectonics creates certain geological features, materials, and hazards.

Content Map: Unit 2 – Plate Tectonics Content Map

Prerequisites: Unit 2 – Plate Tectonics Middle School Standards

Unit Length: Approximately 35 days

Click on the links below for resources by Concept:

Concept 1: Plate Tectonics

Concept 2: Volcanism and Earthquakes

Concept 3: Mountain Building

Concept 4: Composition of Rocks

TCSS Earth Systems Plate Tectonics Unit Information

Concept, Essential Question(s), and Vocabulary Resources [Back to Top] Assessment Standard(s) Concept 1: Plate Essential* PowerPoints and Notes: Concept 1: Sample Tectonics Converging  Plate Tectonics PowerPoint Assessment Items Diverging  Plate Tectonics Paper Notes EQ1: How does the earth Geologic Features  Plate Tectonics Packet with Notes and Questions move beneath our feet? Plate Tectonic  Notes over Plates Sliding  Earth System Chapter 17 PowerPoint SES2. Students will  Boundary Types (1) PowerPoint Supplemental** understand how plate  Boundary Types (2) PowerPoint tectonics creates certain Continental drift Pangaea geologic features, Animations and Videos: materials, and hazards. Isochron  Plate Tectonics – A Documentary (time 7:39) a. Distinguish among Magnetic Reversal

types of plate tectonic Seafloor Spreading  Interactive Dynamic Earth: Plate Tectonics settings produced by Convergent Boundary  Interactive Dynamic Earth: Continents over Time plates diverging, Divergent Boundary  Plate Boundaries converging, and sliding Rift Valley  Mountain Maker, Earth Shaker past each other. Seduction b. Relate modern and Tectonic Plate Handouts and Activities: ancient geologic features Transform Boundary  Plate Tectonics Graphic Organizer Fill in the Blank: This to each kind of plate graphic organizer helps students organize their thoughts on the tectonic setting. *Essential vocabulary different types of plate movement. Good summarizing activity listed in the GPS  Plate Tectonics WebQuest: WebQuest based off of USGS Standards website: The Dynamic Earth that allows students to explore and gain more depth of knowledge about the topics you discussed in **Supplemental class. vocabulary listed in the  Plate Boundaries Practice: Review handout that allows students state frameworks and/or to practice what you have taught them in regards to convergent other state document and divergent boundaries  Plate Tectonics Definitions Practice: Activity (activator or summarizer) that can be used to focus on vocabulary after you have already taught.  Plate Boundary Activity: Activity can serve as a quick lab and allows student to practice the idea of convergent, divergent, and TCSS Earth Systems Plate Tectonics Unit Information

transform boundaries  Plates Interior Worksheet: This handout should serve as a review over topics discussed during your lecture on plate tectonics  Plate Tectonic Venn Diagram: This Venn Diagram should be used to compare the two ideas of continental drift and plate tectonics  Plate Tectonic Activator: Reading comprehension activity discussing the formation of a mud volcano.  Plate Tectonics Puzzle: Activity that will allow students to visualize the concept of continental drift and plate tectonics.  Continental Drift Map: Lab based activity that allows students to observe all the supercontinents that have existed and how they changed over time.  Plate Tectonics Latitude and Longitude Activity (Use World Map): Students will plot on a world map volcanic eruptions and earthquakes so they can see the correlation between where they occur and the location of the plates.

TCSS Earth Systems Plate Tectonics Unit Information

Concept, Essential Question(s), and Vocabulary Resources [Back to Top] Assessment Standard(s) Concept 2: Volcanism Essential* PowerPoints: Concept 2: Sample and Earthquakes Geologic Hazard  Chapter 18 Volcanic Activity Assessment Items  Chapter 18 PowerPoint EQ1: What cause Supplemental**  Earthquake Damage PowerPoint volcanos to erupt and the Caldera  Chapter 19 PowerPoint earth to shake? Cinder Cone Composite Volcano Animations and Videos: SES2. Students will Fissure  Savage Earth Animation understand how plate Hot Spot  Animated Guide Volcanoes Shield Volcano tectonics creates certain  Volcanic Eruption from Space (time 1:33) geologic features, Vent  Mt. St. Helens Video (time 6:27) materials, and hazards. Volcanism c. Relate certain geologic Viscosity Handouts and Activities: hazards to specific plate Dike Research based activity where tectonic settings. Pluton  Exploring an Active Volcano: students are put in groups and assigned a specific volcanic eruption. Sill Students will have to answer the following about their volcano: Stock Location, volcano type (shield, strato, etc.), eruption and lava type(s), Epicenter past and or recent activity, past and future hazards, rock types formed Fault  Volcanic Eruptions Project: Research based activity where students Focus are put into groups and assigned a specific volcanic eruption. Amplitude Students will collect their own data and then present an oral Magnitude presentation over the specific eruption. Richter Scale  Volcano WebQuest: Volcano WebQuest that uses National Tsunami Geographic Website to reinforce specific concepts covered in your

lecture. *Essential vocabulary listed in the GPS  Earthquake Lab: Students will attempt to design earthquake proof Standards buildings and demonstrate how destructive Earthquakes can be.  Plotting Recent Earthquake Activity: Students will use their map **Supplemental skills to track the location of earthquakes and discuss the damage vocabulary listed in the caused by these quakes. state frameworks and/or  Catastrophic Events Activity: Lab based activity where students other state document model natural disasters like volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. TCSS Earth Systems Plate Tectonics Unit Information

Concept, Essential Question(s), and Vocabulary Resources [Back to Top] Assessment Standard(s) Concept 3: Mountain Essential* Powerpoints: Concept 3: Sample Building Igneous  Chapter 20 PowerPoint Assessment Items Metamorphic  Supplemental Mountain Building PowerPoint EQ1: Can mountains Mineral grow taller over time? Animations and Videos: Supplemental**  Mountain Building-Types of Mountains (time 4:30) SES2. Students will Isostacy  Mountain Formation Activator understand how plate Topography tectonics creates certain Compressive Force Handouts and Activities: geologic features, Fault-Block Mountain  Mountain Building Lab (Sand): Students will attempt to build materials, and hazards. Plateau an indestructible mountain. Students will then go around d. Associate specific Uplifted Mountains modeling processes that shape and mold mountains. plate tectonic settings  Mountain Building Lab (Margarine): Students will attempt to with the production of *Essential vocabulary build a mountain out of margarine. This lab helps to particular groups of listed in the GPS demonstrate the different processes involved in mountain igneous and metamorphic Standards building. rocks and mineral  Earth Science Building Forces in Earth’s Crust: Review resources. **Supplemental questions focusing on forces in the Earth’s crust vocabulary listed in the  Earth Science Mountain Building – Folds and Faults: Review state frameworks and/or questions focusing on folds and faults other state document

TCSS Earth Systems Plate Tectonics Unit Information

Concept, Essential Question(s), and Vocabulary Resources [Back to Top] Assessment Standard(s) Concept 4: Composition Essential* PowerPoints: Concept 4: Sample of Rocks and Minerals Igneous  Metamorphic Rocks PowerPoint Assessment Items Metamorphic  Rocks and Minerals PowerPoint EQ1: What goes into Mineral  Rocks PowerPoint creating a rock? Plate Tectonics  Igneous Rocks PowerPoint

Sedimentary Basin  Igneous Rocks Identification PowerPoint EQ2: Where do minerals  Rock Cycle PowerPoint come from and how are Supplemental**  Sedimentary Rocks PowerPoint they found? Cleavage

Fracture Animations and Videos: SES2. Students will Igneous Rock  Interactive Rock Cycle Formation understand how plate Rock Cycle tectonics creates certain Metamorphism  Interactive the Rock Cycle geologic features, Sediment  The Rock Cycle Animation materials, and hazards. Metamorphic Rock  The Layered Earth d. Associate specific  Rock Cycle (Great Activator) plate tectonic settings *Essential vocabulary  Rock Cycle with the production of listed in the GPS  Animation for Rock Type Formation particular groups of Standards igneous and metamorphic Handouts and Activities: rocks and mineral **Supplemental  Sugar-Rock-Cycle Activity Handout (Teaching Notes): resources. vocabulary listed in the Students will use sugar cubes as a manipulative for rocks in e. Explain how plate state frameworks and/or order to understand how the separate rock types relate to each tectonics creates and other state document other and plate tectonics. destroys sedimentary  Sugar-Metamorphic Rock Activity Handout (Teaching Notes): basins through time. Students will use sugar cubes to model the formation of metamorphic rock.  Crayola Rock Cycle Lab Version 1 (Version 2): This activity introduces the rock cycle by using wax crayons. Using crayons students will create the three different types of rocks.  This Cycle Rocks: A group of activities that build upon each other that allow students hands on experience dealing with rocks and could be adjusted for use with minerals. Focus on TCSS Earth Systems Plate Tectonics Unit Information

station setting activity involving transformations within the rock cycle.  Crystallization Activity: Helps student model the formation of igneous rock.  Rock Cycle Graphic Organizer Student Handout (Teacher Notes): Helps to organize the steps of the rock cycle and shows the relationships between the different types of rocks.  Rock-Mineral Rotation Lab Student Handout (Teacher Notes): Students will rotate around the room looking, characterizing, and identifying different types of rocks and minerals.  Sediment Settling Activity: Students can observe settling through a lab experiment.