4-ESS2-2

SCUSD NGSS Curriculum Guide

====** 4-ESS2-2: Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features. ** [Clarification Statement: Maps can include topographic maps of Earth’s land and ocean floor, as well as maps of the locations of mountains, continental boundaries, volcanoes, and earthquakes.] ====

Science Background for the Teacher:
The Earth is made up of plates that contain both continents and oceans. The evidence can be found at plate boundaries; this includes mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, fossils, rocks, ancient glaciers & similar climate data.

Key Vocabulary:

 * mountain range || trench || ocean floor || earthquake ||
 * volcano || continents || ocean ||  ||
 * boundary ||  ||   ||   ||

Possible Assessments (formative and/or summative):
Give students a map and have them write argument (claim) and evidence statement about the patterns they see in relation to the features of the Earth. For example, when looking at a map of earthquakes and volcanoes students should notice that they occur in the same places.

Key Student Activity:
Science textbook (FOSS Science Resource) page 220 and above. Have students look at & use different maps of the world that have earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain ranges. (USGS is a good source) Use latitude & longitude to plot earthquakes & volcanoes on a map.

Key Teacher Demo/Activity:
Google Earth- showing kids topography of the land and oceans (including the ocean floor)

Common Student Misconceptions:
There is no solid land under the oceans. The only boundaries are between oceans and continents (not plate boundaries).

Things to Avoid/Correct:
Please, oh please do not use the term continental boundary in the context of plates as MOST boundaries are oceanic/oceanic crust colliding or separating.

====Other Resources (text, video, simulations, activities, models, etc..): ==== __Good Habits, Great Readers, Vol 1__, "When the Earth Shakes" (begins p.52) with lessons for developing content knowledge/enhancing comprehension. Using USGS and National Geographic websites video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/forces-of-nature-kids/volcanoes-101-kids/