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OUR CHANGING EARTH
MASTER TEACHERS Sharrell Eads and Cerise Weeks
GRADES 3 - 5
OVERVIEW
This lesson, which will take place over several days,
provides students with opportunities to view and examine the earth and various
forces which change the surface of our planet, identify the results of
those forces and demonstrate the knowledge that has been gained from hands-on
activities, discussions and presentations.
ETV
3-2-1 Classroom Contact : Too Hot to Handle/ Volcanoes
#113
Bill Nye, The Science Guy: Earth's Crust #112
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
*describe the composition of our planet earth
*identify describe, and demonstrate knowledge of the forces that
change the earth's crust
MATERIALS
booklet for assessment
full sheet construction paper (orange, brown, red or yellow)
scissors
glue
markers
plain white paper
Materials for Experiments - see Demonstrations and
Experiments Worksheet
VOCABULARY
Glacier a large mass of ice that forms on land
Ash fine material thrown out of a volcano in
an eruption
Geologist one who studies the composition of
the Earth's crust
Magma liquid rock
Ejecta: the hot stuff that comes out of a
volcano
Geyser powerful spouts of boiling water
Weathering the breaking down of rocks by
physical or chemical means
Volcano fissure in the Earth's crust through which
molten magma and hot gasses escape
Earthquake shock waves at the Earth's surface
caused by sudden displacement along a fault
Volcanic bomb liquid lava cooling and falling to earth as
boulders
Plate tectonics theory that the Earth's
lithosphere consists of several semirigid plates that move relative to
each other
Active moving or capable of moving
Divergent boundary where two of Earth's plates
separate
Convergent boundary where two of Earth's
plates come together
Epicenter point on the Earth's surface
directly above the focus of an earthquake
Volcanology the study of volcanoes
Pangaea the belief that all the earth's
plates were connected forming one supercontinent
Earth's crust a thin layer of solid rock that is
all around the earth
Session One
PRE-VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Students will be divided into groups of four. Teacher will list
vocabulary words on the overhead. Students will have 5-7 minutes to work
in their groups to define words using only prior knowledge and word clues.
Students will record their created definitions on butcher paper and post on
classroom wall. One student from each group will then share the group's
definitions. The teacher will clarify misconceptions and give actual
definitions.
As a whole class, students will brainstorm what they know about
the earth and also what they want to know about the earth. Record this on a KWL
Chart. Under column K list what students know. Under column W list
what students want to know. Leave column L blank at this time. You will
return to this column at the end of the lessons and fill in what students
learned.
Students will create a vocabulary booklet. Students
will list vocabulary words in the booklet and use this to record definitions
during the video presentations. Students will also take notes on
index cards or notebook paper.
FOCUS FOR VIEWING
To give students a specific responsibility while viewing, say,
"Please listen to this first section for the definition of ejecta."
VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Begin the video 3-2-1 Classroom Contact "Too Hot To
Handle" at beginning of tape. Pause video when the girl gives
the word ejecta and its definition.. Have students write the definition in the
vocabulary books. (Answer: ejecta is the hot stuff ejected from a
volcano). Ask students to listen to the next section for factual
information on Mauna Loa. Resume the video. Pause
video when the helicopter lands on Mauna Loa. Have students record
information about Mauna Loa on note paper. (Answer: It is 13 thousand feet above
sea-level, in Hawaii, largest active volcano, builds up new land every minute,
several hundred thousands of years old). Listen now for why lava samples
are taken. Resume video. Pause video after geologist
takes lava sample and when Robin says, "Taking lava samples is
important." Have students answer the question; "Why is it
important to take lava samples?". (Answer: The samples tell how
deep lava is coming from and what lava is made out of). Discuss.
Listen in the next segment for how much lava Mauna Loa produces. Resume
video. Pause after students show a meter stick and explain just how
big a cubic meter is ( before demonstration). Have students add to
information on Mauna Loa. (Answer: It produces 220 million cubic meters of lava
every 2 months). Resume video. Pause after the video
estimation of number of popcorn batches it will take to fill one cubic meter.
Have students estimate number of popcorn batches to fill cubic meter. In
this next segment listen for factual information on Mount St. Helen. Resume
video. Pause video when Robin says, "A landscape almost
completely transformed from a single eruption" and the actual footage of
Mount St. Helens is shown. Record information about Mount St. Helens.
(Answer: Mount St. Helens is located in Washington, produced 1 billion
cubic meters of volcanic ash, erupted May 18, 1980, the top of the mountain
exploded leaving a huge crater, very unstable-landslides). Watch for the
impact volcanoes have on the earth's surface. Resume video.
Watch the actual number of batches of popcorn. (Answer: 334 batches
of popcorn to fill 1 cubic meter). Stop video after children say that 1
billion cubic meter could make it 20 times around the Earth while showing the
visual demonstration of cubic meters circling the Earth 20 times. Discuss
the impact volcanoes have on the Earth's surface. (Answer: Creates
new Earth; changes the Earth's landscapes: destroys and recreates habitats).
POST VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Say, "Now that we have finished viewing information on
volcanoes, we will have an opportunity to create our own volcano."
Demonstrate the volcano experiment called "Create Your Own Volcano."
The directions are at the end of the lesson.
Session Two
FOCUS FOR VIEWING
To give students a specific responsibility while viewing, say,
"We have already learned about volcanoes. Now, we are going to learn
about the Earth's crust. Please look specifically for the definition of
the earth's crust in the first segment."
VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Begin the video Bill Nye: Earth's Crust at the
beginning. Pause with Bill Nye on a snowy mountain giving the
definition of Earth's crust. Record definition in vocabulary booklet.
(Answer: The earth's crust is a thin layer of solid that is all around the
Earth). Listen in the next section for information on the layers of the
earth. Resume video. Pause video at Bill Nye's
demonstration of Earth's layers as he says "the crust is thin and
cool." Teacher passes out 2 pieces of white copy paper and has
students draw and label layers of the Earth. Resume video.
Pause when Bill Nye knocks on girl's door and asks to boil an egg.
Have students complete egg demonstration with partners or in groups using Egg
demonstration directions. Record and discuss results. (Answer:
crust = eggshell, Mantle = white, Core = yolk). Fast
forward video to when Bill Nye gets off helicopter and says, "So we're
standing in a volcano." Ask students to watch Bill's demonstration of
a volcano. Resume the video. Pause after
Bill Nye's volcano demonstration. Fast forward to where Bill Nye is
standing in lab saying , "Volcanoes, geysers heat from under the
Earth's crust." Have students watch for the differences between a
volcano and a geyser. Resume the video. Pause
when the young girl dressed in scientist lab coat is about to perform geyser
demonstration and she says, "Geysers are actually similar to
volcanoes." Complete geyser demonstration using directions at the end of
this lesson. Record results and what you learned. (Answer:
Geysers are like volcanoes, but flow with hot water instead of lava). Fast
forward tape to when screen shows Pangaea and Bill Nye says, "Consider the
following..." Listen for an explanation of plate tectonics. Resume
the tape. Pause video after Bill Nye gives definition of Plate
Tectonics and Plate Tectonics shows on screen. Record definition in
vocabulary booklet (Answer: Plate tectonics is a theory that earth's surface is
built of plates that are floating on the earth's mantle). Listen for the
definition of Pangaea. Resume video. Pause video when
Bill Nye says, "Pangaea" and is sitting in front of a camp stove.
Have students record definition of Pangaea in vocabulary booklets.
(Answer: Scientists believe that all plates of Earth were one
supercontinent called "Pangaea"). Have students complete Pangaea
Demonstration using directions at the end of this lesson. Record and
discuss results. (Answer: when the syrup "mantle" heats up the
puzzle pieces the earth's plates shift apart.) Fast forward video to where Bill
Nye says, "shifting tectonic plates" and is showing a model of layers
of the Earth. Watch the next segment to learn the events that lead up to
an earthquake. Resume video. Have students view Earthquake
demonstration. Stop video with Bill Nye showing and stating that the
Earth's core is 2,800 km. Have students record definition of earthquake.
(Answer: shifting and moving of the tectonics plates).
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITIES
We have leaned more about the earth, its make-up, and how it
changes. Now let's review our vocabulary list and check our definitions.
Students will have the opportunity to discuss and illustrate what they learned
by adding to the L column on the KWL Chart.
The students will conduct the Convergent/Divergent
Demonstration, directions at the end of the lesson.
Students will also organize their notes about what they learned
in a booklet. The booklet will include:
*visual representation of land forms (volcano, island, canyon,
mountains)
*descriptions on how they were formed
*list where these are located on earth
*a diagram of the layers of the earth
*a Pangaea puzzle map (a continent map that has been colored,
cut out and the continents have been fitted together like a puzzle to form
one giant continent)
*a book of experiments and a book of definitions
ACTION PLAN
Take students on a field trip to a Museum of Science and
discover more about the earth's crust.
Have a geologist come to the classroom and give students
hands-on information about various types of rocks within the earth's surface.
Have students collect various rocks and test them with the help
of the geologist to discover what type of rocks they have collected.
EXTENSIONS
Science
Locate and conduct an earth science experiment in front of the
class that deals with the Earth's changing crust.
Science Fair entry having to do with the earth's crust, the
making of mountains, valleys, islands etc. (expectations would be for students
to follow the Scientific Method, use metric units, and have a
3-dimensional model of their project)
Math
Create 3 - 5 computation word problems using scientific language
and math information used in these lessons
Language Arts
Write a letter to a volcanologist explaining what they have
learned and asking him/her for more information.
Write a research paper and bibliography on a scientist.
Social Studies and Language Arts
Create a lesson plan using the information students have gained
to teach to younger students(1st grade class) or parents about Our Changing
Earth.
Creative Arts
Produce a play. Students in groups of 3-4 would create
skits about information learned in these lessons. ex volcanoes, geysers
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Videos
The Magic School Bus Blows It's Top #201
Reading Rainbow Hill Of Fire #303
Windows on Science: The "Puzzle" Of Plate
Tectonics
Nova Ring of Fire (Pacific Islands)
Books
The Magic School Bus Blows It's Top, Joanna Cole
Hill of Fire Thomas Lewis
The Magic School Bus Inside The Earth, Joanna Cole
Internet
www.volcanoes.com
www.earthquakes.com
www.platetectonics.com
DEMONSTRATIONS /EXPERIMENTS
# 1 Volcano Demonstration
Materials:
1 bottle liquid detergent
salt dough or dirt (1.5 liter)
20 oz. soda bottle
baking pan (9x12)
1 bottle red food coloring
2 T (25 mL) baking soda
1 bottle vinegar vinegar
Procedure:
1. Cover work area with newpaper.
2. Place soda bottle in baking pan and mold salt dough or
dirt into a mountain around it making sure not to cover the opening of the
bottle.
3. Fill bottle with warm water that has been mixed with
food coloring almost to the top.
4. Place 6 drops of liquid detergent in the bottle.
5. Add the baking soda and then pour vinegar slowly into
the bottle. Watch as the "volcano" erupts.
#2 Hard Boiled Egg Demonstration
Materials
1 hard boiled egg for each pair of students
1 plastic knife for each pair of students
Proceures:
1. Give each pair of students a hard boiled egg
2. Have students describe the shell. Compare it to the
earth. What layer of the earth is the shell similar to? (Crust)
3. Have students gently remove the shell from the egg and cut
the egg in half. Discuss the thin film that covers the white of the
egg. What layer of the earth would this be similar to? (Moho)
4. Have students describe the next layer, the white of the egg.
What layer of the earth would this be similar to? (Mantle)
5. Have students look at the yolk of the egg. This is
similar to the earth's core.
6. Using this information and other resources have students
illustrate, color, and define their own layer of
the earth booklet.
#3 Geyser Demonstration
Materials
1 heat resistant glass beaker (1 liter)
1 saucepan (4 quart)
1 12x12 sheet of aluminum foil to cover sauce pan
hot plate or burner
Procedure
1. Fill saucepan 1/8 full of water.
2. Fill beaker 1/2 full of water.
3. Place beaker in saucepan.
4. Cover the open area around the beaker with the aluminum foil.
5. Place saucepan on burner.
6. Turn burner on to high temperature.
7. Observe and record as water begins to bubble. (Answer:
water bubbles and boils out of beaker - forms a geyser)
# 4 Pangaea Demonstration
Materials
camp stove
corn syrup (1 liter bottle)
rectangular baking pan (metal)
wooden or cardboard puzzle of the Earth's Continents
Procedure
1. Pour 1/2 of corn syrup into baking pan.
2. Place continent puzzle on top of corn syrup.
3. Place baking pan on top of camp stove.
4. Heat for several minutes on high temperature.
5. Observe and record results. (Answer: corn syrup
heats and bubbles. As this happens Pangaea drifts apart into
continents)
# 5 Convergent/Divergent Demonstration
Materials
1 shoe box
sand or dry dirt(1 liter)
scissors
Procedure
1. Use scissors to cut one end out of the lid and bottom of a
shoe box.
2. Fit lid and box together to form one telescoping shoe
box . (box with no cover)
3. Place sand in box.
4. Push box ends together to show a convergent boundary.
5. Record what happens.
6. Pull box ends apart to show a divergent boundary.
7. Record what happens. (Answer: Convergent
boundaries form mountains, Divergent boundaries form valleys)
Updated: April 01, 2008
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