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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pass the Plate

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students define constructive forces. They describe how landforms are created as a result of constructive forces. Students recognize active volcano areas in the United States. They demonstrate an understanding of Panagea.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Patterns

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students review the patterns they discovered from a previous activity.  In this investigative lesson students plot data as a class and color a map. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Patterns

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read about a volcano and use the latitude and longitude information to plot and describe the volcano on the map. They discuss patterns seen on the map. In addition, they color code a map according to zones, plates, etc.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prehistoric Mesosaurus

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students draw conclusions why Mesosaurus has only been found in Africa and Brazil and how its fossil remains serve as important evidence that shows where two continents were once joined together.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hawaiian Hot Spots

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students describe how plate tectonics contribute to the development of volcanoes. In this earth science lesson, students examine the map of Hawaii and explore the physical and biological environment there. They write a story about an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Hydrothermal Adventure

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students analyze hydrothermal vents. In this hydrothermal vents lesson, students discover the effects of hydrothermal vents on tectonic plates. Students make model hydrothermal vents to understand how they form and operate.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquakes and Volcanoes

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore plate tectonics, earthquake faults, and the types of volcanoes.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Explosive Ideas!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the layers of the Earth and the dynamic changes that they cause on Earth's surface. Volcanoes and earthquakes become the focus of the lesson plan as the Oregon State quarter and its Crater Lake images are linked to the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Layered Earth

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners role play plate tectonics by creating a "plate statue" made up of students. In this earth science lesson, learners describe how Earth's movement cause earthquakes and volcanoes. They draw and name the different layers of the Earth.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The BIG One

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students observe an earthquake demonstration. They research an earthquake and use color dots to plot the location of each of their earthquakes on the large map.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Volcanic Panic!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students begin with an overview of the Earth's interior and how volcanoes form. They learn how engineers predict eruptions. In a class demonstration, students watch and measure a mock volcanic eruption and observe the phases of an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students simulate the three types of plate boundaries using robots. In this earth science lesson plan, students explain how earthquakes and volcanoes are formed. They collect real-world earthquake data and plot them on the map.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Crackin' Under New Zealand

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students construct a model of the Earth using clay and oranges. In this earth science lesson, students explain the causes of earthquakes and volcanic activity. They write their findings in their science journal.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Convection in a Pan

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students explore convection. In this lesson on heat and energy, students investigate how heat moves in convection currents. They use their finding to better understand how convection currents effect the movement of tectonic plates.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drifting Continents

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students, through teacher-led demonstration, explore the idea of continental drift. They complete a worksheet involving the calculation of continental drift over time.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Examing the San Francisco Earthquake

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students analyze photographic data about the San Francisco earthquake for evidence of its cause and effect. they determine if damage was caused by the earthquake itself or the ensuing fire. They role-play as earthquake survivors and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sea Floor Spreading Demonstration

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the Earth's boundaries, the ocean floor, and the types of plate boundaries.  In this sea floor lesson students fill out worksheets on the ocean floor and observe a demonstration. 
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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Spaghetti Fault Model

For Teachers 6th Standards
Does increasing the pressure between two moving plates provide a stabilizing force or create more destruction? The hands-on lesson encourages exploration of strike-split fault models. The sixth lesson in a 20-part series asks scholars to...
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Unit Plan
University of Southern California

What Is The Ocean?

For Students 4th - 8th
Go on a tour of the ocean through the lens of a scientist. Learners read maps of the ocean floor, study tide behavior, examine wave motion, and analyze components of soil. Each lesson incorporates a hands-on component.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquakes: Getting Ready For The Big One

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners devise a plan to prepare a city for an earthquake. In this lesson on earthquakes, students differentiate between the different types of earthquakes, examine the impact they can have on a city, and write a proposal on how to...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Volcanic Violence

For Teachers 4th - Higher Ed
Students complete activities to study volcanic activities. In this volcanic activities lesson, students read an article about violent volcanoes. Students complete discuss questions and volcano projects for the lesson. students also take...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The 50 States and its Holidays

For Teachers Pre-K - Higher Ed
Though the format of this ELL lesson plan is confusing (the standards listed are for plate tectonics, yet the objectives are for American geography and holidays), a teacher could glean some ideas from the main idea. Here, pupils complete...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eureka! You've Struck

For Teachers 4th
While incomplete, this lesson could provide ideas for a lesson on the California gold rush. Learners look at a chart to analyze population growth in San Francisco after the discovery of gold, analyze political changes that occurred, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pangaea Puzzle

For Teachers 5th - 11th
Students explore plate tectonics and the formations of the Earth's surface and why maps are distorted.  In this Earth's surface lesson plan students complete a lab and answer questions.