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This Plate Tectonics: Third Grade Lesson Plans and Activities unit plan also includes:
- Third Grade Student Workbook
- Lesson Plan
- Activity
- Vocabulary
- Graphic & Image
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Third graders examine plate movements and boundaries with a lab that demonstrates how volcanoes and earthquakes are formed. It presents different types of stresses an object can withstand through a hands-on experiment with clay to demonstrate the three major stresses associated with plate boundaries—converging, diverging, and transform.
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CCSS:
Adaptable
Concepts
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
- Incorporate vocabulary words onto a word wall; converging, crust, diverging, inner core, outer core, mantle, transform, plate tectonics, fault, stress, and pressure
- Have individuals write an explanatory paragraph about their myth drawings
Classroom Considerations
- The third in a series of four lessons that make up a unit on the plate tectonics cycle
- Have pupils refer to pages 7-8 in the attached workbook for this portion
- Acquire enough lab materials prior to teaching
Pros
- Post-lab engages learners in creating a myth about how Earth reacts to stress, promoting creativity and application of new-found knowledge
- A workbook for the entire unit is included below
Cons
- Teachers may need additional background information in order to support a more full-bodied lesson