K-12 Blended and Online Learning

Name of Unit/Course: Weeks: 3-6 Earth’s Systems Land (NGSS Earth and Space Science course)

Unit or Course Goal(s)

Convection currents inside the earth run on density; those currents are happening inside the earth right now and this unit examines the historical evidence and asks participants to demonstrate their understanding of differing theories while citing current evidence.

At the end of this course the learner will (TLW):

Demonstrate the internal process which result in seafloor spreading
Analyze evidence collected about seafloor spreading and defend a conclusion
Create a model illustrating how the seafloor is spreading

Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how processes inside and outside the earth have changed Earth's surface at varying times, include evidence from each module/lesson.

Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions

Standards

Name of standards: Next Generation Science Standards

Link to standards: http://www.nextgenscience.org/msess2-earth-systems

Location information: This source is pre-Georgia approved NGSS. When adoption occurs some standards may be altered/renamed.

Grade/Year: middle grades, 6th-8th grades

Subject: Earth and Space Science

Standard (as written):

MS-ESS2-1.	Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
MS-ESS2-2.	Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales.

MS-ESS2-3.

Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions.

Learner Characteristics

Students in 6th-8th grades, primarily within Hall County, Georgia.

Technology requirements

Laptop/desktop with current processors/video cards

Enrollment in Hall County’s Blended Learning Academy

Complete Orientation for Learning Online

High speed Internet access, modern browser, web cam, headset/speakers, and telephone access.

Prerequisite Skills

Any student 6-12th grade may take this course

Complete Orientation for Learning Online (to include Copyright Clarity)

Complete Scientific Practices modules within course

Beginning understanding of density

Introductory Communication Plans

Students are expected to learn in both the face-to-face classroom and this asynchronous course as part of the blended learning environment..

Online activities which will be required:

Discussions to classroom forums on topics assigned by teacher, at minimum 1/module
Journal Entries to teacher, at minimum 1/module
Lync/Skype sessions as needed: group-work, student-teacher consultation
Select assessments will be administered online. Expect to take an online assessment if you were absent for the assessment before returning to the face-to-face class.
Select assignments will be submitted online. This will vary by student choice of method of completion and teacher assignments.

Universal Design Principles Considered

In this blended learning environment, multiple forms of learning and teaching each other can be enjoyed. Students and/or teachers can vary the amount of online versus face-to-face teaching and learning at any time.

Visual: a visual anticipatory set starts each module, video playlists are compiled for each lesson, and visual creations are encouraged in the discussion forum.

Auditory: the teacher narrates during the visual anticipatory set, many videos afford professional narration and closed captioning, and the teacher gives notes in a traditional lecture format while each learner has a differing version of gradual release note structure.

Writing: formal writing in an essay submitted as a journal entry, informal writing in Discussion Forums, note taking, summarizing, and wikis.

Products: creations are presented in open format for either physical or electronic submission, with little constraint to the materials, means, or scope of the product.

Number of Modules or Weeks

This portion of the geology unit consists of 3 modules and 3 standards, within the

Earth Space Science course. It will be available all at once as a portion of a blended learning experience for students.


Module Objective(s)	TLW: Demonstrate the internal process which result in seafloor spreading Analyze evidence collected about seafloor spreading and defend a conclusion Create a model illustrating how the seafloor is spreading ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth Tectonic processes continually generate new ocean sea floor at ridges and destroy old sea floor at trenches. (HS.ESS1.C GBE),(secondary to MS-ESS2-3)
Module Assessment(s)	Group Project/Vocabulary Study Discussion Forum Journal Entry Quiz Create a Model
Description of Learning Activities	Visual Anticipatory Set Group Project/Vocabulary Study: Work with your team to construct and complete your team vocabulary wiki (requirements, rubric). Vocabulary Study: Scientific theory, fossils, rocks, minerals, continent, seafloor, evidence, boundary, divergent Video Playlist Discussion Forum: select a visual model of the internal process and create a video/screencast that you embed or link to from the discussion board. Use this rubric to critique/make suggestions to each other’s internal processes screencast/videos. Cornell Notes Journal Entry: Submit essay as Journal Entry analyzing all evidence (lesson # ) you have collected, supporting and contrary, for sea floor spreading and/or continental drift and explain how that supports your conclusion. (Essay rubric) Study Guide Quiz: Study Guide should prepare you for a 30-50 minute quiz over module material. Create a Model: Consulting the rubric, create a model of seafloor spreading. Submit online or in class.
Formative Evaluation & Feedback	Formative: Weekly(+) face-to-face classroom meeting Vocabulary Study peer review Discussion Forum peer review Cornell Notes Summary Summative: Journal Entry rubric score Quiz score Model rubric score
Physical Learning Materials	Any materials required to demonstrate may be used in the classroom as part of the blended learning environment.
Digital Learning Objects	Flexbook: Mrs. Christensen’s Earth Science HallConnect (LMS) course materials also available outside the course at: World Ocean Floors - http://www.platetectonics.com/oceanfloors/index.asp Midocean Ridges - http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/eoc/teachers/t_tectonics/p_convection2.html Convection cells drive seafloor spreading - http://www.absorblearning.com/media/item.action?quick=12p
Plans for Differentiation	Cornell Notes at differing levels of completion available for all student reading levels. Varying Product: Global Tectonics: Competing Theories (Safari Montage). Suggest students create social media accounts to represent competing theories. Face-to-face will allow for other spontaneous proposals of alternate presentations of knowledge as needed. Scaffolded Model Creation for Students as Needed: View Khan Academy: Plates Moving Due to Convection in Mantle (Safari Montage). Ask the student to use a complementary image(s) and narrate about one of the other prevalent theories regarding structures of the earth.


Module Objective(s)	TLW: Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how processes inside and outside the earth have changed Earth's surface at varying times, include evidence from each module/lesson. ESS2.A: Earth’s Materials and Systems All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planet’s systems. This energy is derived from the sun and Earth’s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth’s materials and living organisms. (MS-ESS2-1) The planet’s systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future. (MS-ESS2-2)
Module Assessment(s)	Group Project/Vocabulary Study Discussion Forum Journal Entry Quiz Create a Model
Description of Learning Activities	Visual Anticipatory Set Group Project/Vocabulary Study: Work with your team to construct and complete your team vocabulary wiki (requirements, rubric). Vocabulary Study: density, convection, convergent, subduction, melting, crystallization, weathering deformation, sedimentation, magma, lava, asthenosphere, lithosphere, crust, mantle, transform, hot spot Video Playlist Discussion Forum: select three (differing levels of complexity) of a visual image of the internal process of the earth that you embed or link to from the discussion board. Use this rubric to order your selected images from least to most sophisticated; explain why you think each image is more/less sophisticated than the others. Comment on two other peer entries supporting or challenging their rankings. Cornell Notes Journal Entry: Submit essay as Journal Entry with 5 real world examples of convection currents you observe on a daily basis. (Essay rubric) Study Guide Quiz: Study Guide should prepare you for a 30-50 minute quiz over module material. Create a Model: Consulting the rubric, develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process. Submit online or in class.
Formative Evaluation & Feedback	Formative: Weekly(+) face-to-face classroom meeting Vocabulary Study peer review Discussion Forum peer review Cornell Notes Summary Summative: Journal Entry rubric score Quiz score Model rubric score
Physical Learning Materials	Any materials required to demonstrate may be used in the classroom as part of the blended learning environment.
Digital Learning Objects	Flexbook: Mrs. Christensen’s Earth Science HallConnect (LMS) course materials also available outside the course at: Convection Visualizations - http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/deepearth/visualizations/mantle_conv.html Dynamic Earth mini-course - http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/structure/dynamicearth/index.htm Mantle convection cell image - http://bprc.osu.edu/education/rr/plate_tectonics/mantle_convection_cell.gif Mantle Convection - http://energy.concord.org/energy2d/mantle.html Lava Lamp - http://www.retrolamp.com/
Plans for Differentiation	Cornell Notes at differing levels of completion available for all student reading levels. Varying Product: Looking ahead and researching on your own, can you find similar characteristics in the rock cycle, movement of ocean water, the movement of the atmosphere? Use a graphic organizer such as Lucid Chart or Mindmeister to represent the relationships between these differing processes. Face-to-face will allow for other spontaneous proposals of alternate presentations of knowledge as needed. Scaffolded Model Creation for Students as Needed: View this Glog http://corrie642.edu.glogster.com/plate-tectonics/ (edu.glogster.com). Ask the student to use a complementary image(s) and videos to explain other evidence and the theories it does or does not support.


Module Objective(s)	TLW: Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions. ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions Maps of ancient land and water patterns, based on investigations of rocks and fossils, make clear how Earth’s plates have moved great distances, collided, and spread apart. (MS-ESS2-3)
Module Assessment(s)	Group Project/Vocabulary Study Discussion Forum Journal Entry Quiz Create a Model
Description of Learning Activities	Visual Anticipatory Set Group Project/Vocabulary Study: Work with your team to construct and complete your team vocabulary wiki (requirements, rubric). Vocabulary Study: Law of Superposition, earthquake, volcano, meteor, catastrophic Video Playlist Discussion Forum: select one type of evidence supporting/disputing the movement of tectonic plates (lesson #). Create any manner of presentation that you embed or link to from the discussion board. Use this rubric to grade your presentation and the presentation of two others on the discussion board. Cornell Notes Journal Entry: Submit essay as Journal Entry with 5 real world examples of convection currents you observe on a daily basis. (Essay rubric) Study Guide Quiz: Study Guide should prepare you for a 30-50 minute quiz over module material. Create a Model: Consulting the rubric, develop any model to describe any internal earth process. Include 75%-all of the vocabulary words for modules 1,2 &3. Submit online or in class.
Formative Evaluation & Feedback	Formative: Weekly(+) face-to-face classroom meeting Vocabulary Study peer review Discussion Forum peer review Cornell Notes Summary Summative: Journal Entry rubric score Quiz score Model rubric score
Physical Learning Materials	Any materials required to demonstrate may be used in the classroom as part of the blended learning environment.
Digital Learning Objects	Flexbook: Mrs. Christensen’s Earth Science HallConnect (LMS) course materials also available outside the course at: Law of Superposition - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EadTLGMu3LI Continental Drift animation - http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/anim1.html
Plans for Differentiation	Cornell Notes at differing levels of completion available for all student reading levels. Varying Product: After viewing the Law of Superposition video, search for other images and complete a screen cast talking the audience through your suppositions on layering of the earth visible and why your reasons for that thinking. Utilize screen casting, drawing programs, presentations tools to analyze 8-10 images in a thorough nature. Face-to-face will allow for other spontaneous proposals of alternate presentations of knowledge as needed. Scaffolded Model Creation for Students as Needed: using comic strips list three major pieces of evidence (lesson #) in support of plate movements in the past. Use ten vocabulary words from the group wiki correctly.

Lokey-Vega (2014)

Demonstrate the internal process which result in seafloor spreading

Analyze evidence collected about seafloor spreading and defend a conclusion

Create a model illustrating how the seafloor is spreading

Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process

Construct an explanation based on evidence for how processes inside and outside the earth have changed Earth's surface at varying times, include evidence from each module/lesson.

Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions

TLW:

Demonstrate the internal process which result in seafloor spreading

Analyze evidence collected about seafloor spreading and defend a conclusion

Create a model illustrating how the seafloor is spreading

ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth

Tectonic processes continually generate new ocean sea floor at ridges and destroy old sea floor at trenches. (HS.ESS1.C GBE),(secondary to MS-ESS2-3)

TLW:

Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.

Construct an explanation based on evidence for how processes inside and outside the earth have changed Earth's surface at varying times, include evidence from each module/lesson.

ESS2.A: Earth’s Materials and Systems

TLW:

Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions.

ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions