Essential Question: How do Earth's natural processes impact our lives?

Enduring Understanding: Studying the forces that cause Earth changes results in a better understanding of the effects of these changes. 

Knowledge Focus

In this unit, students will read informational texts, such as firsthand accounts of writers’ experiences with Earth’s natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Students will build schema around the following concepts:

Science

• Earthquakes and volcanoes change Earth's landscape and impact the lives of human beings.

• Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur due to plate tectonics.

• Metamorphic rocks are formed when rock is heated by magma.

Social Emotional Awareness

• Humans must draw on their physical strength and emotional resolve when facing natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.