6th+Grade+Lesson-Earths+Structure+&+Process

= **Earths Structure and Process ** =

**Lesson 1 ** Heather Connolly

Word document of the activity:

**Essential Standard: **6.P.1 Understand the properties of waves and the wavelike property of energy in earthquakes, light, and sound waves. **Clarifying Objective: **6.P.1.1. Compare the properties of waves to the wavelike property of energy in earthquakes, light and sound. **I can or I will: **I will compare and contrast major earthquakes. I will predict the epicenter of an earthquake. I will analyze the damage from an earthquake using the Richter scale. I can explain how crustal plates and ocean basins move and interact using earthquakes to reflect forces within the earth.
 * Engage to Explain **
 * Purpose: ** To verify that earthquakes follow the natural plate boundaries and that these boundaries help us predict where earthquakes are most likely to occur. To examine changes in the earth’s surface caused by earthquakes.
 * Hook  /Motivation: ** As students enter class, give each student either a vocabulary word or its definition on strips of paper. Give students a few minutes to try and pair up. Review vocabulary words and definitions with whole class.
 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">Vocabulary: **<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;"> Earthquake, fault line, Richter scale, seismic shock wave, seismograph, tectonic plate

<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">Students are fascinated by natural disasters. This activity will allow them to view the direct effects of devastating earthquakes. Have students use their <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake <span style="color: #182435; font-family: "arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;"> student esheet to tour the online museum for the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Students can fill out <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Response Journal <span style="color: #182435; font-family: "arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;"> for this activity. Students may also go to <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">URL:__**http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/earthquakes-101**__/ <span style="color: #6f6f6f; font-family: "arial","sans-serif";"> watch a short video <span style="font-family: "arial","sans-serif";">and a <span style="font-family: "arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">nswer video questions in science notebook. <span style="font-family: "arial","sans-serif";"> (You may pick and choose depending on student levels)

<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">*Ask students: "Who is at risk of earthquakes now? How do we know?" "How will plotting current earthquakes and earthquake activity help us identify plate boundaries and possible future seismic activity?"

<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">trenches are formed by the tectonic movements at plate boundaries. This lesson briefly reviews the devastating effects of the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and moves into the realm of present day earthquake study via the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Students will investigate and record all earthquakes on the planet above a 4.0 magnitude on the Richter scale. They will plot the quakes and examine the data for patterns and trends. Through these exercises, students will begin to distinguish patterns that follow the “Ring of Fire.” During this same time period, students will investigate the different types of plate boundaries. Students will work online to gather real-time data of global earthquakes. They also will study plate tectonics and plate boundaries. In the end, students will be able to understand how the two activities are related.
 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">Activity/Context: **<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">Students will examine how earthquakes are part of a system of crustal movements that also form and shape the surface of our planet. Students will track worldwide earthquake activity for a two-week period to distinguish patterns in the earth crustal activity that will identify the plate boundaries. Students will learn how landforms like mountains and oceanic


 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Diverse Learners: All students will participate in the vocabulary pair up activity. Teachers will choose between the video with questions for students to complete in their science notebooks or the tour of the online museum and that journal activity depending on students. **


 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Activity/Part 1: Recording Earthquakes **<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Students should use the __**<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Earthquake Recording Sheet **__<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "arial","sans-serif";"> to track all global earthquakes that happen daily during a specific two-week period. Students should start with the date of the first day of this activity and then record the data each day for two weeks. This information can be found at the **<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">USGS Latest Earthquakes in the World—past 7 days **<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "arial","sans-serif";"> **website**. Students should record only those earthquakes that are a 4.0 magnitude or greater. If students are recording for a longer period of time, they should use 5.0 as their starting point. This information can be noted on the recording sheet. Students then use the longitude and latitude coordinates to plot these quakes on a world map. They should color code the quakes on the wall map and individual maps as follows:

<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">__Color Code Individual Maps__ 4.0 - 4.9 Yellow 5.0 - 5.9 Blue 6.0 - 6.9 Green 7.0 - 7.9 Red > 8.0 Black

__<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">Classroom Wall Map __<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;"> Use the colored Post-it® Notes to plot information on the classroom wall map.

<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">Once all of the data has been plotted, ask students questions like these:


 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Is there one area that seems to be having more activity than another?
 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Is there a pattern to the size of the quakes?
 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">How do you think the depth of the quake may affect the way a quake may be perceived on the surface?
 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Are you hearing about any of these quakes on the news?
 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">If so, how did the quake affect the people of that region?
 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Can you begin to predict where there may be earthquake activity the next day?
 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">How does this information relate to the other lessons you are learning? Answers will vary. Encourage students to explain their responses.

<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">Every couple of days or so, check with students by placing the classroom wall map on the board and add data so students can compare their own data to the class.


 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 15px;">Materials: **
 * [|The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake] Esheet
 * [|The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Response Journal] Student Activity Sheet
 * [|Earthquake Recording Sheet] Student Activity Sheet
 * [|Plate Boundary Flip Book]
 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Laminated wall map of the world
 * [|Individual world maps for kids]<span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> from Education Place
 * <span style="color: #182435; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Post-it® Notes: yellow, blue, green, red, and black to record quakes on wall map