THE WONDERFUL EARTH’S MACHINE

Title of the Unit: EARTH’s DYNAMICS.

Level: 2ºESO.

Subject:: Natural Science.

With the learning outcomes of this unit, the students will:

1. Understand why lithospheric plates change, know how plate boundaries interact and express the theory of plate tectonics in simple terms.
2. Understand why earthquakes occur and know how they are measured.
3. Identify the parts of a volcano, recognize the main materials that volcanoes release, and understand the relationship between the origin of volcanoes and the dynamics of plate tectonics.
4. Know volcanic and seismic risks and explain how they can be prevented.
5. Recognize the main igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Now, I will show to you a detailed description of the application sessions in the classroom, the activities undertaken and resources to work.

There are 8 sessions in this unit (with the final test included) and I will use a power point as support for all activities and resources.

In the first session, I want to make an introduction in order to connect the knowledge of the students about THE EARTH'S STRUCTURE with the new concepts that we are going to work in this unit.

First of all, I show them a word cloud (made with TAGXEDO) and a conceptual map (made with POOPLET).

And then I'll show them some flashcards about plate tectonics and I'll give them a vocabulary organizer in order to have all the specific words organized in grammar categories.

To finish this session, we are going to do an activity about the Earth's structure using a video from youtube and the worksheet 1, so students will improve their listening, reading and writing skills.


In the second session, we are going to start with a brainstorming activity (worksheet 2), so students will have to think if continents have changed their positions from the beginning or not. Obviously, they are going to answer yes.

Then they will want to know how continents (plate tectonics) would have been able to move. As a result, we are going to study the mechanism about this movement (CONVECTION CURRENTS) and the evidence of that movement.
To understand the mechanism that allow plate tectonics to move we are going to use this animation. Convection in Earth’s Mantle

Then, I'll explain them who Alfred Wegener was and his hypothesis about continental drift and other important researches like (Edward Suess) with worksheet 3.


In session 3 we are going to study PLATE TECTONICS AND PLATE BOUNDARIES.
To start session 3, I am going to use an infographic about plate tectonics, then I'll use some flashcards to fix the different plate's location and I'll explain some characteristics of each plate.

Finally students will make worksheet 4. In this task they will have to remember and analyze the previous information to organize it in charts, and to compare among different processes.

Then, we are going to use this animation Changing Earth's Crust to understand how plate boundaries are created and I'll use the power point to show them different photos of different landscapes created by the three types of boundaries.

To finish this part, they will have to do worksheet 5 that includes:

• A test about plate tectonics
• A chart that students will have to fill it with the suitable information about plate boundaries

Session 4 and 5 will be designed to EARTHQUAKES and VOLCANOES.

To start studying earthquakes and faults I will use an introductory video: 

Then we are going to study different concepts related with earthquakes using several resources like animations, 

1. Seismic waves
2. Stress and faults 
3. Earthquake risks. Video of a tsunami 

There are worksheets (6 to 8) for each issue and students will be able to improve all the skills (listening, writing, reading and speaking).
They can also evaluate themselves with some test activities.

After earthquakes, we will study VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS.

We are going to start defining what a volcano is, what the volcano's structure is and where they are located. So students will discover the connection between volcano's location and plate boundaries.

Then, we are going to use this animation to explain all about volcanoes and then students have to do worksheet 9.

Using the power point, I'll give the students some information about volcanism in Spain and prevention and prediction of this geological risk.


Session 6 is about IGNEOUS AND METAMORPHIC ROCKS

I am going to start this issue with an animation about how rocks are formed and then I will use flashcards to recognize the main igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Then, they have to do worksheet 10 watching two videos from youtube related to the two types of rocks so they have to understand, analyze and organize this information in charts.

Finally, they have to evaluate their acquired knowledge about igneous and metamorphic rocks identifying the name and type or rock of real samples in the laboratory.

In the two last sessions, students will be able to evaluate themselves with two types of tasks.
The first one is a RESEARCH WORK using ICT about an episode related to one geological risk (earthquakes or volcanic eruptions). 
Students must work in groups of three people, so each group must do a presentation (google slides/power point) about this episode including different items learned in the unit.

The second one is a FINAL TEST about all the information studied in this unit. 

After completing this unit students will have improved their key competences and they will be able to:

1. Remember the internal Earth's structure.
2. Understand the phenomena caused by the internal energy of the Earth.
3. Understand the relationship between pressure and temperature and the resulting seismic activity.
4. Describe the parts of a volcano and the materials which are ejected during an eruption.
5. Describe the processes associated with earthquakes.
6. Value the importance of disaster prediction and prevention.
7. Recognize igneous and metamorphic rocks.