MS-ESS2-3

SCUSD NGSS Curriculum Guide


 * 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. ** [Clarification Statement: Examples of data include similarities of rock and fossil types on different continents, the shapes of the continents (including continental shelves), and the locations of ocean structures (such as ridges, fracture zones, and trenches).] [//Assessment Boundary: Paleomagnetic anomalies in oceanic and continental crust are not assessed.//]

Science Background for the Teacher:
The Earth is made up of plates that contain both continents and oceans. These plates are moving at different rates. They collide, separate & move past each other. The evidence can be found at plate boundaries; this includes mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, fossils, rocks, ancient glaciers & similar climate data.

Key Vocabulary:

 * fossils || rocks || sea floor || ridge || magma ||
 * continental drift || convection currents || tectonic plates || tectonic forces || magnetic reversals ||
 * hot spots || asthenosphere || lithosphere || oceanic crust || continental crust ||
 * trench || fracture zone || plate tectonics || subduction zones || sea floor spreading ||
 * convergent || divergent || transform || mid-oceanic ridge ||  ||
 * subduction zone || rift || slab pull || ridge push ||  ||

Possible Assessments (formative and/or summative):
Give students a map and have them write claim (argument) and evidence statement about the patterns they see in relation to the movement of the plates. For example, when looking at a sets of map of fossils, rocks & continent shape students should notice that they occur in patterns and change over time.

Key Student Activity: Boundaries Maps - Map viewing patterns of earthquakes, volcano, youngest rocks & topography. Pangaea Puzzle

Key Teacher Demo/Activity:
Tayna Atwater Animations

Common Student Misconceptions:
Scientific Theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on knowledge that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation.

Things to Avoid/Correct:
Multiple pieces of evidence and cause of movement. The Earth is 4.6 billion years old

====Other Resources (text, video, simulations, activities, models, etc..): ==== USGS, National Geographic & IRIS websites