Plate Tectonics and Water Movement

Standard: (HCPS III) SC.MS.3.1 – The student describes why the sea level rises and falls as plate tectonics alter the volume of ocean basins or as water warms and cools.

TSWBAT: Demonstrate plate movements using blocks of wood to represent transforming plates, diverging plates, and converging plates and how stress is created and released. To understand how earthquakes and tsunamis are produced, students will use water-filled containers, magnets, food coloring, and blocks of wood to create their own scenarios.

Materials:

• images/video to describe plate tectonics
• wooden blocks for each student or group
• water filled containers

First Meeting with Students!

Friday 9/23 was our first day with the students. Twelve eager fourth and fifth graders were excited to be a part of the “Ocean Science Club” and were also very curious what they would be doing this year. We took a few minutes at the beginning of the afternoon to personalize name tags that will be laminated and returned to the students next week. Some students shared with us their ocean knowledge while others wrote down lists of ocean-related questions which we plan to incorporate or answer in our upcoming lessons. To end the afternoon we asked the students to think of a name and/or logo for the club, in order to make it more meaningful to them. A lot of creative drawings and names were handed in and students will get to vote on their favorite one in the upcoming weeks.