Earth’s Surface

Constructive and Destructive Forces

Science Question of the Day…

How does a stone skip across water?

Answer!

Engage: Consider a Milky Way…

I’m not talking about the galaxy this time.

I’m actually talking about the candy bar!

What is it made of?

Is it all one layer?

How is this similar to our planet?

Milky Way and Earth

What would we call the very thin outer layer of our planet and our candy bar? _____________________

How about the caramel underneath? ____________________

And the nugget? ______________________

The last layer of the chocolate underneath? ___________________________

What do we know? What do we want to know?

Explore: Build a Planet!

Your lab group will spend the rest of class today using the materials at your table to create your own Earth model.

Please determine your lab jobs for today and begin when ready.

Science Question of the Day…

How and why do cats purr?

Answer!

Explain: Sharing our Earth Models

Reporters will share their groups’ models.

Think of questions or comments you would like to share about each model.

Think of ways you can help each group make theirs better.

How can you use the information you learned today to make your model more accurate?

Science Question of the Day…

Why do geese fly in a V?

Answer!

Elaborate: There’s more to these four layers…

Today you and a partner will discover the missing two layers of our Earth model.

Access my webpage and choose the MIT K12 Video: Earth’s Layers.

Watch the video and discuss the critical thinking questions in your lab.

How could you redesign your model to incorporate these two new layers?

Evaluate: What have we learned?

Science Question of the Day…

I always get bitten by mosquitoes, but my friend doesn’t! Why do mosquitoes think I taste better than the person next to me?

Answer!

Engage: My New Layers

Take a look at my Oobleck and foam.

What does this remind you of? _______________________________________________________________

What characteristics does the Oobleck have that remind you of this layer?_______________________________________________________________

The foam? ___________________________________________________

Explore: Critical ThinkingWhat happens if my plates (foam) collide?

Do you think the Earth’s surface has always looked the way it does? Why or why not?

Today, you and a partner will think critically to answer these questions.

Please refer to your scoring guide to help you format your answer and don’t forget to self-assess!

Explain: Critical Thinking

Swap partners with someone else and share your answers. Don’t forget to assess your new partner’s answers!

Science Question of the Day!

Spider webs are sticky! Why don’t spiders get tangled in their own webs?

Answer!

Elaborate: Learn a little more!

You and your partner from yesterday will discover some new information today that may help you to refine your answers from our critical thinking exercise.

Access the “Continental Drift” article from my Science page and read the following sections: Earth’s Pates and Continental Drift, Earth’s Major Plates, and Plate Tectonics.

Elaborate: Learn a little more!

After reading, use this new information to refine your previous answers from yesterday.

Science Question of the Day…

Seat belts are important when riding a roller coaster, but why is it that even if I weren’t wearing one I wouldn’t fall out if we went upside down? What keeps me in the roller coaster car when we are upside down?

Answer!

Engage: Earth in a shoe box… hours of fun!

Pretend that this shoe box in our planet and these pieces of paper are plates sitting atop the mantle of the Earth.

What happens to the crust (Playdough) of the Earth when these plates move? _______________________________________________________________

What if they collide? _______________________________________

Explore: Plate Tectonics Lab

Your lab group will determine which job each student will have (make sure you rotate!), and then you will begin your investigation!

Let’s read through the directions together and then you can get started with planet in a box, hours of fun!

Explain: Valid or Faulty? Why?

Let’s have the reporters share their findings.

Was your hypothesis valid or faulty?

Did you have more than one variable?

What happens to the Earth’s surface when plates move in various directions?

Science Question of the Day…

If you’ve ever eaten at a Chinese restaurant, you know that the meal also comes with a fortune cookie. How do those fortunes get inside those little crumbly cookies?

Answer!

Elaborate: Plate BoundariesYesterday we talked about how plates move and how that impacts the Earth’s crust.

Let’s explore more today about how plates move.

Use the information from today to help you reassess your hypotheses from yesterday.

Answer the critical thinking questions in your lab using the reading from today.

Access the article “Plate Boundaries” from my Science webpage and read the section entitled Types of Plate Movement.

Science Question of the Day…

Has North America always been in the same spot on the Earth’s crust as it is today? How do you know?

Engage: What do you think this is a picture of?

How about now???

Pangea

Explore: Pangea Webquest

You and a partner will work today and tomorrow to complete a Pangea webquest to find out more about how continental drift and plate tectonics have changed the face of our planet over 250 million years.

Access the Pangea Webquest from my Science page and follow the directions on your handout to answer critical thinking questions.

Remember CARS!

Explore: Martian Pangea???Mars is the most Earth like planet in our solar system.

Do you think it has a similar structure?

Research the critical thinking questions on your lab sheet to find an answer to this question!

Science Question of the Day…

Why do pigeons bob their heads when they walk?

Answer!

Engage: Volcano!!!

Volcanoes are pretty cool. No they’re not, they’re hot!

I crack myself up…

But seriously, volcanoes are a very interesting and important part of our planet. Why do you think they are important? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explore: Constructive Forces

Your lab group will explore the constructive forces of volcanoes and earthquakes today!

Assign jobs, but make sure you rotate! Don’t do a job that you have already had in this unit.

Make sure you read all directions carefully, and try to keep the magma in your tray!

Explain: Valid or Faulty?Reporters will now share their findings from their experiment.

How do volcanoes create new land?

How do earthquakes create new land?

How are these natural events constructive and destructive at the same time?

Science Question of the Day…

What color is a polar bear’s fur and why?

Answer!

Elaborate: Constructive Forces

You and a partner will learn more about constructive forces today.

Access the Constructive Forces page from my Science webpage.

Answer questions 1-14 and attach them to you lab sheet.

Science Question of the Day…

Why do we yawn?

Engage: How did it form?

Explore: Mammoth Cave Constructive or Destructive?

You and a partner will read about the formation of Mammoth Cave.

Discuss whether or not it was formed by a constructive force, or if you think it was formed by destructive forces of nature.

What are the difference between constructive and destructive forces?

Explain: DestructiveForces

Destructive forces happen in two ways: Weathering and Erosion.

Weathering can happen in many ways such as water freezing and cracking rocks, acid rain eating away at materials, or even a waterfall pummeling the rocks below until they are sediment.

Destructive Forces

Erosion is another kind of destructive force.

Erosion is when natural forces carry sediment away and deposit it somewhere else.

This can happen by water, wind, or even glaciers.

Science Question of the Day…What were your favorite and least favorite things about Science class this year?

Answer!

Elaborate: Destructive Forces

You and a partner will create a virtual flipbook today all about destructive forces!

Access the Destructive Forces page from my Science webpage and follow the directions to create your own virtual flipbook.

Let’s do an example together.