Grade 5 : Standard 7 – The Earth

Conceptual Strand 7

Major geologic events that occur over eons or brief moments in time continually shape and reshape the surface of the Earth, resulting in continuous global change.

Guiding Question 7

How is the earth affected by long-term and short term geological cycles and the influence of man?

Grade Level Expectations

 Checks for Understanding State Performance Indicators

GLE 0507.7.1 Compare geologic events responsible for the earth’s major geological features.

 

0507.7.1 Create a model to illustrate geologic events responsible for changes in the earth’s crust.

0507.7.2 Prepare a chart to compare how volcanoes, earthquakes, faulting, and plate movements affect the earth’s surface features.

SPI 0507.7.1 Describe internal forces such as volcanoes, earthquakes, faulting, and plate movements that are responsible for the earth’s major geological features such as mountains, valleys, etc.

Day 1 - Go over information below using PowerPoint including Snack Tectonics

Approximately 200 million years ago Earth's land was grouped together in one large super-continent named Pangaea. It began to break apart during the Jurassic Period. Evidence of this has been found in fossils. For example, fossils of tropical plants were found in Antarctica which led to the conclusion that this frozen land had previously been closer to the equator.

Plate Tectonics is a theory that was developed in the 1960's. This theory states that Earth's top layer called the crust is divided into plates that are moving at a speed of 1 to 10 cm per year.

Deep beneath the ocean, about half way between the continents, are underwater mountain ranges. This is where new crust is being formed as magma escapes from the Earth's core. In other locations under the ocean are deep trenches. Scientist believe this is where the old crust is being lowered back into the Earth’s core. The cycle beginning with new crust being formed to the old crust returning to the Earth's core takes approximately 100 million years.

Continents do not fall back into the Earth's core, so land masses are much older.

The plates move in three ways:

  1. Divergent Plate Movement (Seafloor Spreading) ←  →

    • two oceanic plates move away from each other - magma rises causing the formation of new oceanic crust - When this happens on land a line of volcanoes form.

  2. Convergent Plate Movement  →  ←

    • Oceanic Plate and Continental Plate

      • the oceanic plate is forced under the continental plate

    • Two Oceanic Plates

      • When two oceanic plates collide, one is pushed under the other and magma from the mantle rises, forming volcanoes.

        •  In some cases the magma calmly erupts. The lava emerges and cools forming new crust. In other cases the volcano erupts violently sending dust and ash into the sky. The factor that determines the type of eruption is the amount of silica in the lava. Volcanoes rarely change the type of eruption that occurs.

    • Two Continental Plates

      • When two continental plates collide, mountain ranges are created as the crust is pushed upwards.

  3. Transform Plate Movement or Lateral Slipping Plate Movement  ↓↑

    • When two plates move sideways against each other, there is a tremendous amount of friction which makes the movement jerky. This is known as an earthquake.

Snack Tectonics (Using graham crackers, frosting, and fruit rollups to illustrate how magma comes to the surface.) http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/teacher_resources/teach_snacktectonics.html

Day 2 - 

  1. Review  - Plate Movement http://www.amnh.org/ology/features/plates/tour.php
     

  2. Create Graphic Organizer using Teaching Plate Tectonics with Easy-to-Draw Illustrations http://geology.com/nsta/

  3. Chart -   to compare how volcanoes, earthquakes, faulting, and plate movements affect the earth’s surface features

  4. Workbook p. 130-149
     
  5. Sample Questions

  6. Quiz

Resources