University of Delaware Secondary Science Lesson Plan

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Name: Morgan Kaplan (Dora Veit) 6 grade

Date: 10/13 Tuesday

Unit: Earth History

Period: 1,4, 6 and 7

Lesson Essential Question:

Lesson Objectives:

What evidence suggests the continents are in constant

motion?

Students will be able to:

-Illustrate and label convection currents
-Argue and support the theory of continental drift
Other Instructional Materials:

Texts Needed to Accomplish Objectives: (Video,

Informational, Digital etc.)
Continental Drift Near Pod Code:______________
Earth History days 4-6 slideshow for Smartboard
Brain Pop Plate Tectonics
https://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/platetecto
nics/preview.weml

iPads
Brain Pop Quiz- Plate Tectonics
Poof book (11x17 inch paper folded into 8ths, then made
into a book)

NGSS Science Standards (number and text)

PE: MS-ESS2-3: Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes-3, and
seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions
S&EP: Analyzing and Interpreting Data
DCI: ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth, ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions
CC: Scale, Proportion and Quantity
Common Core State Standards Math
None
Common Corse State Standards ELA
RST.8-8.1: Cite Specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts
RST.6-8.7: Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that
information expressed visually
RST.6-8.9: Compare and Contrast the information gained from experiments, solutions, video or multimedia sources
with that gained from reading a text on the same topic
Standards Justification:
Today we will be reading about continental drift and plate tectonics. Students will look at a series of images that
depict the distribution of fossils, rocks and seafloor structure. This directly correlates to MS-ESS2-3. They will be
looking at data and theories. Students are asked to argue continental drift. This makes students distinguish causation
and correlation (S&EP) as they are analyzing data to provide evidence for the phenomena. They are learning about
plate tectonics and the processes to see how the plates spread (ESS1.C, ESS2.B). This asks students to identify the
patterns of data shown to argue continental drift (CC).
Students must use their poof book to cite evidence, integrate technical information from the presentation and
compare the evidence to argue it. This covers the RST standards.
Language
Key Vocabulary:
How will you teach the vocabulary?
Demands
Continental Drift, Pangaea
Students will perform a self-guided
discovery during their Near Pod. They will
read about the words and use context
clues. They are welcome to use
dictionaries, and we will be going over the
definitions in class after they read. The
video also goes over the words.
Language Function:
Illustrating, Arguing and Supporting Continental drift and Pangaeas past.
Syntax:
Students are making a poof bookwhich is like a graphic organizer. They will be summarizing
readings that have to do with their vocabulary.
Sentences will be written for the summary in the poof book.
Discourse:
Students should be explaining their thoughts using the scientific language. They know the technical
terms for plates, boundary types, fossils and continental drift.

Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks (include estimates of time and instructional grouping for each part):
1. Warm Up
a. Draw a picture of convection current. Explain how convection currents affect plate movement.
i. 7 minutes, Individually
b. Exchange paper with face partner. Read and look at partners answer. Do you agree with this?
Explain.
i. Partners, 2 minutes
c. Next slide- Picture of Convection Currents
i. 1. Which temperature of air is more dense? Which is less dense?
ii. 2. Show me with you thumbs (thumbs up/down) which way does hot air go? Colder air go?
iii. How does this relate to what we are learning?
iv. How do convection currents effect our daily life?
v. Whole Group, 3 minutes
2. LEQ
a. Read aloud, What evidence suggests that the continents are in constant motion?
b. We will be reading about the evidence behind plates (continents) constantly moving.
i. Whole group, 1 minute
3. Poof Book/Near Pod
a. Hand out and switch to instructions slide.
b. Read SUMmarize slide
i. We are only writing the main details of each page topic. Only write what is important.
c. Open iPads. Nearpod.com Join session. Session #____________
d. With shoulder partner, you will follow the near pod and its prompts.
e. Display TOC while students work.
f. Whole group 3 minutes, Near Pod Partners, 30 minutes
4. Plate Tectonics Brain Pop- Exit Ticket
a. Link is in above materials section
b. We are going to watch the video 1x just watching and listening
c. Hand out Plate Tectonics Quiz
d. Play video 2nd or 3rd times while students are filling out the quiz.
e. Whole group, Individual 15 minutes
Instructional Strategies Justification:
Students work much better when they are engaged. Try to call on random students, even if they do not have hands
raised. Connect this to students life by explaining that convection currents could This lesson supports NGSS.
Misconceptions: After reading the warm ups, many students think that the continents were always where they are
now. They do not believe that they are moving. This will change when they read through the NP.
Assessment Summary How will you know your students learned today?
Formative Assessment- Results of Near Pod activity. Near Pod calculates students scores as they answer the
questions. Also, the Brain Pop Quiz- We will grade their exit ticket as classwork. Proficiency goal is a score of 85% for
all students on the multiple-choice questions.
Differentiation Strategies and IEP, 504, ELL concerns or accommodations:
-All students are given the accommodated poof books (pre-created) because of time constraints.
- Since this is a reading activity, small group instruction will be provided for students who need it. They will be pulled
out into an empty room and the near pod will be read aloud. Additional changed to the activity may be made by the
special education teacher as she sees necessary.
-Students who finish early will be asked to fill in their vocabulary packet with the new words. They will also be asked
to organize their binder. If time is still left over, they will research everyday convection currents (boiling water, camp
fires, weather, etc.)
Safety Concerns:
Web safety- Only go on NearPod Website
(Students are ripping paper instead of using scissors)