GEOLOGY FOR TEACHERS
GEO 204
SUMMARY OF LESSON PLANS AND CLASS PRESENTATIONS
DECEMBER 5TH, 2007
Fall 2007 – Dr. Sandy, Department of Geology,
University of Dayton
GEOLOGY FOR TEACHERS - GEO 204 FALL 2007
CLASS ACTIVITIES AND PRESENTATIONS
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Understanding Weather Patterns and Seasons page 3
Kristina Frazier, Renee Boutilier, Emily Cipolla
Grade: 2nd
Clouds page 7
Kayla Diddle, Jessica Seymour, and Julie Sbarboro
Grade: 4th
Observe and investigate that rocks are often found in layers page 13
Lauren Carney, Carly Gallo, Katherine Locasto
Grade: 2nd, appropriate for 3rd Grade
Soil Layers page 15
Dana Radley, Brittany Williams, Shannon Lynch
Grade: 3rd
Discovering Climate Zones page 18
Eileen Flaherty, Betsy Brooks, Julie Hellerstein
Grade: 7th
Activity: Reduce, Reuse, And Recycle!! page 27
Jess Groff, Lisa Klenk, Christa Cox
Grade: 1st
The Water cycle and its affect on weather page 30
Jennifer Schwertman, Melissa Larking, Lindsey Sacksteder
Grade: Middle School
Volcanoes: Convergent Plate Boundaries page 32
Katie O’Brien, Beth Toerner, Eva Rappe
Grade: 8th
Kristina Frazier, Renee Boutilier, Emily Cipolla
Title: Understanding Weather Patterns and Seasons
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Description: Allow the children to discover both short-term and long-term weather through observation, collecting data, and discussing their experiences during each season.
The teacher will provide “Weather Logs” for daily weather data; a “Rain Collector” to measure rainfall; an activity on how to dress for each season; and a final worksheet to further understand how the weather changes throughout the year and how it affects the students. This activity is to develop a sense of how weather changes both daily and throughout the year. It correlates with the Ohio Science Academic Content Standard listed below.
Short-Term Weather Patterns:
- The teacher will introduce the topic of weather. The students will be asked to keep a “Weather Log” for one week (an anticipated rainy week). The students will record how the air feels (hot, cold, windy) and what they see (sunlight, darkness, clouds, rain, snow, etc.). The students will collect their observations when they are waiting for the bus, during recess time, and before they go to bed. The class will compile their observations to create a weather record for the week.
- The students will also keep a “Rain Collector” outside, which is a bucket with measured increments along the side. The students will take recordings of how much rain they collect each day and throughout the week. The teacher will create graphs to display the students’ observations and data.
Long-Term Seasonal Patterns:
- The teacher will begin to introduce the seasons by showing the children a picture of the earth tilted towards and away from the sun. The teacher will ask the students which picture represents either summer or winter and ask the students why. Afterwards, the teacher will provide the students with various articles of clothing and accessories. Four students will be chosen and assigned to one of the four seasons. The students will have to dress up according to what they would wear during that season and explain to the class why they picked those types of clothing and accessories. The teacher will then have the students complete a worksheet as a conclusion to the lesson.
Materials:
- Short-Term Weather Patterns: “Weather Logs,” bucket with measured increments
- Long-Term Seasonal Patterns: Earth/Sun diagram, winter jacket, scarf, mittens, raincoat, rain boots, umbrella, sweatshirt, light jacket, bathing suit, flip flops, sunglasses, etc.
- Question worksheet (attached)
Ohio Science Academic Content Standard:
Earth and Space Sciences: K-2: C.) Observe, describe, and measure changes in the weather, both long term and short term.
- The students are observing the daily weather and keeping records, they are measuring the daily precipitation with the “Rain Collector,” and they are describing the seasonal patterns during the dress-up activity.
References:
Blaylock, Janet. (2007). “Understanding Seasons.” Retrieved on November 29, 2007. http://www.localschooldirectory.com/include/teachers/lesson_plan.php/lesson_plan_id/67
McConnell, Steer, Knight, Owens, Park. (2007). The Good Earth- Introduction to Earth Science. McGraw Hill.
Ohio Science Academic Content Standards
“What Causes the Four Seasons.” (2002). Retrieved on November 29, 2007. http://www.mbg.net
Weather Log
Date and Day of the Week:
How does the air feel?
What do you see falling from the sky?
Is it bright or dark outside?
Measurement from Rain Collector (Taken during recess):
Name:______
Directions: Answer the following questions in the line provided.
1. What season is it when the ground is white? ______
2. What season is it when you wear swimsuits? ______
3. When do you wear snow boots? ______
4. Can you wear swimsuits in the winter? ______
5. What is your favorite season? ______
6. When do the leaves fall off the trees? ______
7. When do the leaves bloom again? ______
8. Can you wear snow suits in the summer? ______
9. What season is it when you can plant crops? ______
10.What season do you wear light jackets? ______
Cloud Activity Plans
Cloud Mobile
By: Kayla Diddle, Jessica Seymour, and Julie Sbarboro
Level: Grade 4
Students will be making a cloud mobile that compares the four main types of clouds (cumulus, cumulonimbus, cirrus, and stratus) based on height, shape, formation, and weather patterns associated with each.
Materials needed:
-yarn -coloring utensils -wire hangers -scissors -hole punch
-computer and projector with Microsoft PowerPoint
-Handout over general cloud vocabulary and information
-Worksheet with cut out clouds
-Worksheet with cut out weather
Procedure:
Introduce vocabulary with a PowerPoint.
-cloud, cumulus, cumulonimbus, cirrus, stratus
Have students answer questions on a handout as they follow along.
Make the mobile:
1) Color worksheet according to the notes under each cloud rectangle.
2) Cut out along the outside of each rectangle.
3) Punch a hole in each of the 4 rectangles.
4) Tie the coordinating size piece of yarn (see PowerPoint for specific sizes) to the rectangle.
5) Tie the other end of each piece to the hanger.
6) Color weather worksheet.
7) Cut out each form of weather; punch a hole on each weather form and the bottom of every type of cloud.
8) Tie another piece of yarn to connect the weather pattern to the coordinating cloud.
Review with “quiz” questions on PowerPoint.
Ohio Science Academic Content Standards:
Grade 4 Earth Systems-
7. Describe the weather which accompanies cumulus, cumulonimbus, cirrus, and stratus clouds.
References:
McConnel, David. The Good Earth: Introduction to Earth Science. Boston: McGraw-Hill,
2008.
“Weather: Understanding Clouds and Fog.” USA Today. 13 Oct 2005. 20 Nov 2007 http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wcloud0.htm>.
Name ______
CLOUDS!
Clouds are made of tiny ______molecules.
Cumulus Clouds:
Color: ______
Shape: ______
Weather is ______
Cumulonimbus Clouds:
These clouds are taller ______clouds.
Also called ______
Weather these clouds bring: ______
Cirrus Clouds:
Location in the sky: ______
Shape: ______
Color: ______
Weather is ______
Stratus Clouds:
Uniform ______color
Cover whole sky like a ______
Weather these clouds bring: ______
Cumulus Clouds
-Cumulus clouds are white.
-The sky in the background looks blue.
Cirrus Clouds
-Cirrus clouds are white.
-The sky in the background looks blue.
Stratus Clouds
-Stratus clouds are solid gray.
-No blue sky is usually visible.
Fair Skies Fair Skies
Thunderstorms Light Rain
Geology Lesson Plan
- Observe and investigate that rocks are often found in layers -
1. Title of Activity: Rock Layers
Group Members:
Lauren Carney
Carly Gallo
Katherine Locasto
2. Grade level appropriate for: 3rd Grade
3. Description of Activity and materials
Materials:
- Cubes
- Blank Paper
- Colored Pencils
Students will be placed in groups of 3-4 and given a variety of different colored cubes to correspond to different rock layers. Students will build up the cubes to represent the layers using one specific color for each layer. Next, students will use blank paper and colored pencils to duplicate in a drawing what they created using the cubes. The colored pencils will be used to represent the different layers as well just like the different colored cubes did.
4. Ohio Science Academic Content Standards:
The standard that it meets is under the earth and space science’s category. The earth and space science includes demonstrating and understanding of the composition of the universe, the solar system and earth. Our individual benchmark is to observe and investigate that rocks are often found in layers. Through our activity using the different colored cubes to represent the different layers of rocks it will help the students to understand the composition of the earth.
5. References:
“Academic Content Standards.” Ohio Department of Education. 2003.
McConell, Steer, Knight, Owens, Park. “The Good Earth: Introduction to Earth Science.”
New York: The McGraw-Hills Companies 2006.
Description of Activity:
Lauren Carney, Carly Gallo, Katherine Locasto
Topic: Observe and investigate that rocks are often found in layers.
- To begin the activity we will lightly touch on the three different rock categories that are found on earth: sedimentary, igneous, and metaphoric. This will act as a brief introduction to lead into how rocks are often found in layers.
- Next, we will teach the students about how rocks are often found in layers and then introduce the activity by passing out the cubes.
- A handout will be passed out to all students that have key points for the students to follow along with.
- Students will be placed in groups of 3-4 and given a variety of different colored cubes to correspond to different rock layers. Students will build up the legos to represent the layers using one specific color for each layer. Next, students will use blank paper and colored pencils to duplicate in a drawing what they created using the legos. The colored pencils will be used to represent the different layers as well just like the different colored legos did.
Dana Radley
Brittany Williams
Shannon Lynch
Dr. Sandy
3 December 2007
Cup of Soil Layers
Date: 5 December 2007
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Subject: Science- Earth Systems
Duration: 20-25 min.
Description: This lesson, introduces young children to be able to identify that soils are often found in layers using a teaching method of edible materials. The children will be able to observe the composition of soil through the use of chocolate chips, crushed Oreo’s mixed in with chocolate pudding to represent the bedrock layer, crushed Oreo’s and gummy worms to represent the layer of subsoil, and another layer of chocolate pudding to represent the topsoil layer, and finally green sprinkles to represent grass.
Goals: For children to be able to identify the different layers of soil.
Materials:
** ingredients will vary depending on size of class
1 container chocolate pudding
¼ cup chocolate chips
¼ cup chocolate cookie crumbs
2 gummy worms
Pinch of green sprinkles
Plastic clear cups
Plastic spoons
Vocabulary:
Bedrock, Subsoil, Topsoil
Procedure: (Description of Activity)
1. Into a dessert cup, place 1/2 container of chocolate pudding. Then put in chocolate chips and
cookie crumbs and mix together in cup, using a spoon.
(This represents the bottom layer or Bedrock).
2. Add 1/4 cup of chocolate cookie crumbs. (This represents the middle layer or Subsoil).
3. Add 2 gummy worms onto of the crushed cookie crumbs. Then add the rest of the ½ container
of chocolate pudding. To finish off the cup of dirt, add on green sprinkles to represent the
“grass”. (This layer represents the top layer or Topsoil).
Ohio Science Academic Content Standards:
This activity meets the content standards of Earth Systems because the lesson teaches the different layers found in soil. Therefore the activity of a “cup of soil layers” represents the content standards of number three: “Observe and describe the composition of soil (e.g., small pieces of rock and decomposed pieces of plants and animals, and products of plants and animals). The lesson also meets the content standard of number six, “Investigate that soils are often found in layers and can be different from place to place.”
References:
Chiff.com.”Worm N’ Dirt.” Adds by Google. 1999-2007. 3 December 2007
http://www.chiff.com/recipe/pages/10436.htm
Nation Corn Growers Association. Soil Management. 3 December 2007.
http://www.ncga.com/education/pdf/unit2lesson3.pdf
Name: ______Date: ______
Word Bank:
Bedrock Layer Subsoil Layer Topsoil
Soil has three main layers:
The is the bottom layer, and is also called the “parent material.” It is the rock from which the soil was made hundreds, thousands or millions of years ago. It might be dozens of feet below the surface of the soil, or very near the surface, depending on the geology of the region.
The is the layer above the bedrock. If the topsoil is eroded, the subsoil may be at, or very near, the surface of the soil. If the topsoil is rich and deep, the subsoil may be several feet below the surface.
The is where the roots of corn and other plants live. This area is filled with millions of plants and animals.
Discovering Climate Zones Lesson Plan and Activity Description
Eileen Flaherty, Betsy Brooks, Julie Hellerstein
Seventh Grade
Lesson Plan: We are going to show the class a brief power point on the different biomes. Next, we are going to divide the class into small groups to research a certain biome with the packets we provide. The students will work on their activity (travel brochures) and share with the class.
Activity Description: Students will be provided with a packet covering a certain biome (desert, grasslands, forests, tundra, or alpine). The students will research their assigned biome from the given packet. With their gained knowledge they will create a travel brochure for their climate zone as a small group. Their brochures will include:
· organisms that live in the area
· precipitation
· temperature
· reasoning for the climate conditions
· location of climate zone
· 10 essential things to pack to visit the area
· best time of year to visit the biome
· draw picture of landscape
This activity will require the packets of each region, markers, colored pencils, and paper.
Academic Content Standards:
Grade 7: Earth systems:
Describe how temperature and precipitation determine climatic zones (biomes) (e.g., desert, grasslands, forests, tundra, alpine).
References:
"Forests" & "Tundra". What's it like where you live?. 2004. Missouri Botanical Garden. 3 Dec. 2007 < http://www.mbgnet.net/index.html>.