STEM and NGSS

Plate Tectonics

Standard: ESS1.C, ESS2.B

"Rock strata and the fossil record can be used as evidence to organize the relative occurrence of major historical events in Earth's history. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory that explains the movements of rocks at Earth's surface and geologic history. Maps are used to display evidence of plate movement" (NGSS Lead States, 2013).

In this unit, students read about the journey of John Wesley Powell and watched many videos describing the formation of the Grand Canyon. Students completed foldables to learn the basics of the types of faults and the evidence of the different types of faults. Students read differentiated articles about plate tectonics and earthquake and volcanic activity. After reading, students were to create a visual representation of the main idea from the reading. Students explaining their drawings and understanding are below. By utilizing a variety of learning tasks, students have gained a deeper understanding of the concepts and are then able to make connections to the studies of the red planet, Mars.