Changes in Earth’s Surface Introduction

Do Now

Objective: Brainstorm potential slow and fast changes

that might impact a mountain.

Reflection: Look at the picture and

answer the following.

In what ways could this mountain range

change over a short period of time?

Explain your thinking.

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In what ways could this mountain range change over a very long period of time? Explain your thinking.

Think- Pair- Share

Turn to the people next to you and share what you wrote for your reflection.

On a piece of paper record any Earth Science Vocabulary Words that come up during your discussion

Share your thoughts with the class and record Vocabulary Words on Chart Paper, we will return to these later

Introduce Vocabulary Activity

Vocabulary Activity - You will define and explain ONE word and illustrate the concept. Make sure your illustrations/diagrams are labelled!

We will set up a vocabulary museum and complete a gallery walk where you will define and illustrate the terms in your very own dictionary!

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Gallery Walk

-You will work independently to create a gallery walk of terms related to tectonic plates.�-Each person will be assigned one of the following terms: physical weathering, chemical weathering, erosion, convection, density, tectonic plates, earthquake, landslide, avalanche, sinkhole, glacier, tectonic plate, plate boundary, volcanic eruption, tsunami, acid rain, slump (type of landslide), mountain building

and any we add from our class list. (lithosphere, asthenosphere, mantle, deep ocean trench, ocean basins, crust, epicenter, seismograph, magnitude, lava, magma, fault)

-Each person will then create a mini-poster that has the word, a good definition, an explanation and an illustration or diagram the has labels.

-We will display the posters around the room, walk around our museum, viewing the posters and completing our dictionaries.

Do Now Geologic Processes

Objective:Investigate potential processes

that impact Earth’s surface.

Reflection:Look at the picture and

answer the following.

What do you think the term

geologic process means?

Do you think all geologic processes

happen at the same speed? Explain.

Do you think all geologic processes

happen on the same scale? Explain.

Pre Activity Discussion/ Notes

1. What do you think a geoscience process is?
1. A change in the structure of Earth
2. What do you think would be some examples of small-scale geoscience processes?
• Some examples would be cave formation or stream erosion.
3. What would some large-scale geoscience processes be?
• Mountain building, seafloor spreading
4. What would be an example of a gradual geoscience process with a sudden catastrophic event?
• A volcano

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set up gallery walk

hang up vocab poster around the room- 1 min.

pick up copy of vocab sheet

vocab gallery walk- silent and independent 10 min

1. silently and independently walk around and place each vocabulary word in a row on your geologic process vocabulary sheet
2. when you are done return to your seat and...

Activity

1. Prepare a three-column chart in your notes.
2. Title the columns “Small-Scale Processes,” “Large Scale Processes,” and “Gradual with Sudden Catastrophic Events.”
3. Place each vocabulary word in the appropriate column.
4. Share with your group, and list any other geoscience processes as you can come up with under the correct headings

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Discussion

1. What additional geoscience processes did you come up with?
1. Add any ideas you have missed to your own chart.
2. Why is it important to understand the processes that change Earth over time?
• Studying geoscience processes helps us understand the history and ongoing evolution of Earth. Many of these processes, such as landslides, earthquakes, and shifting of riverbeds, directly impact human beings and our well-being

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Do Now

Objective:Investigate small scale, large scale and gradual catastrophic changes that impact Earth’s surface.

Reflection:Look at your 3 column chart and

1. circle any terms that you think may not belong in any of the columns
2. * Terms that you think belong, but had a hard time deciding where they go.

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Group Discussion

Go over your list with each other

Discuss terms you think may not belong and terms you had trouble categorizing

Make changes as you see fit

Make a list of terms you all agree don’t belong and a list of terms you can’t agree on.

Be ready to share.

3 column Chart Review

May not belong in chart:

crustal material, density of plates, ocean basins

Geologic Process Video

Apply-

Why is it important to understand the processes that change Earth over time?

Studying geoscience processes helps us understand the history and ongoing evolution of Earth. Many of these processes, such as landslides, earthquakes, and shifting of riverbeds, directly impact human beings and our well-being.

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Small Scale

Landslides

Do Now

Objective:Investigate potential small scale processes

that impact Earth’s surface.

Reflection:Look at the picture and

answer the following.

What geologic process do you think

is occurring? Explain your thinking.

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Would you classify this as a small or

large scale process? Explain your thinking.

Activity

Description

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You will use models for a landslide and acid rain to observe very large and very small natural systems and to study geoscience processes.

Pre-Activity Discussion/Notes

What does the term “scale” mean to you?

RECORD IN TWO COLUMNS

How would you title the columns?

What does the term small scale mean?

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Your Challenge is to observe models of two different geoscience processes and determine if the processes should be considered small-scale.

Landslide Post-Activity Discussion

1. Compare what occurred in the two different trials of the landslide model.
2. How would you categorize a landslide in terms of scale of size (global vs. local) and in terms of geologic time?
3. What are the driving mechanisms for landslides?
4. What type of landform is caused by geochemical reactions?
5. How would you categorize cave formation in terms of scale of size (global vs. local) and in terms of geologic time?
6. What are the driving mechanisms for geochemical processes?
7. How did the landslide model allow you to observe landslides in regards to time, space, and energy?
8. Is the small-scale landslide model a good predictor of what would occur to a particular mountain side with a rainfall supplying the same ratio of water to sediments?

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Large Sale

Mountain Building

Do Now 2/?/16

Objective:Investigate potential slow changes

that impact Earth’s surface.

Reflection:Look at the picture and

answer the following.

What geologic process do you think

caused the Himalayan Mountains to form?

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Would you classify this as a fast or

slow process? Explain your thinking.

Pre Activity Discussion

1. How do mountains form?

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• Is the process a small-scale or large-scale process?
1. large-scale, mountains take up a large area or small-scale, mountains only cover a small portion of a landmass.
• Do mountains form quickly or slowly?
• Mountains form as the result of the movement of tectonic plate

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Activity

This activity will model what happens when the plates of two continents collide.

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Diagram the collision of two continental plates.

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Work in groups of four to complete this task.

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Post Activity Discussion

1. Look at the plate map and give one location your mountain range could be found. (Hint: think about the motion of the plates).

any land-to-land convergent boundary.

1. Would it be a fair statement to say that younger mountain ranges have sharper peaks and are taller?
1. Yes, weathering and erosion will start wearing down mountains as they are forming. The older ranges, such as the Appalachian Mountains, have very rounded hills and are much lower in height due to these processes having longer amounts of time to work.
2. Would you call the wearing down of a mountain range like the Appalachian Mountains that were once extremely tall to their present-day height a large- or small-scale process?
• It would be a large-scale process because of the time it takes to do so.

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