Middle School STEM Science Lab/Activity Planner

Name of Lab/Activity: Seaweed Tectonics / Grade: 6
California Science Standard(s): (please copy and paste standards taught during this lesson)
1e. Students know major geologic events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from plate motions.
Learning Objective/Goal:
Students will be able to explain major geologic events are result of motions from plate tectonics.
Language Objective/Goal: (based on California Common Core Standards)
Students will integrate information presented in different media or formats as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
Materials & Resources:
Seaweed sheets
Miso Soup
Clear bowl
Hot plate
Procedure:
Step 1: Make Miso soup over the hot plate.
Step 2: Place two sheets of seaweed on top of soup.
Step 3: Observe and record the movement of the seaweed sheets. / Teaching Notes: (include timing)
Math Connection:
If the contents move 25mm per year on average, how far would they move in 1000 years? 1 million years? 250 years? Then change answers to miles. / Teaching Notes:
Technology Extension of Learning:
Short video on Plate Tectonics http://mail.fmsd.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://science.discovery.com/videos/100-greatest-discoveries-shorts-plate-tectonics.html / Teaching Notes:
Formative Assessment: (please attach a copy)
See Below / Teaching Notes:
Strategies for EL and Special Needs Students:
Students will receive a hard copy of the lesson as well as one posted on the board. / Vocabulary:
Plate tectonics
Lithosphere – upper mantle
Asthenosphere- lower mantle
mid-ocean ridge
subduction
Alignment in science unit: (Brief description of lessons taught prior to & after this lab/activity)
Convection currents and earth’s layers, taught prior to lab activity. Macmillian/McGraw-Hill Chapter 5, lesson 1&2
Brief description of lessons taught after this lab/activity:
Types of earthquakes and ways to measure them will be taught after the lab activity. (2 kinds of scales)
Lab/Activity adapted from: (website, textbook, etc.)
Created by the authors. / Formative Assessment adapted from:
Please see attached.
This lesson was developed by:
Teacher’s Name / Currently Teaching at: (School & District)
Kim Do / Hellyer School, Franklin-McKinley SD
Danielle Albrecht / Windmill Springs, Franklin-McKinley SD

Diagram Answer Key

Closed Test Answer Key

1.theory

2. tectonic

3. mantle

4. asthenosphere

5. convection currents

6.asthenosphere

Plate Tectonics Diagram Assessment

Close Assessment

Plate tectonics is the ______that the Earth’s surface is made up of large ______plates. Lithosphere is the thin outer shell of Earth, the crust and the rigid upper ______. What lies underneath the lithosphere is the ______, which is made up of semimolten rock. Plate movement is the result of ______in the asthenosphere. The plates of the lithosphere float on top of the ______.

This project has been made possible in part by a grant from the Texas Instruments

Community Fund, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

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