8th Grade Earth Science Objectives

ABACUS 01-SC08-30
PASS CS8.4.1

Links:

PASS Strand:
1. Structures of the Earth

Objectives:

6. Land forms result from constructive forces such as crustal deformation, volcanic eruption, and deposition of sediment and destructive forces such as weathering and erosion.
   
   Local categories: Geology: faults, folds, volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics

Time Range:
3rd Quarter; One month

Suggested Teaching Strategies:

• Fold and fault model investigations. Students color, cut out and glue together models of 2 kinds of faults and two kinds of folds. After construction there are questions about each model to help understand some of the destructive forces at work in our Earth as well as the relative ages of the layers of Earth.
• We have a graphing assignment using latitude and longitude to locate earthquake and volcano points on Earth. This allows students to see the edges of some of Earth's tectonic plates and realize what their movement can sometimes cause. Focus in on the Pacific Ocean and the "Ring of Fire." This activity also provides additional practice with latitude and longitude.
• Use slinky to do hands-on demonstration of P-wave and S-wave motions of earthquake waves. Have students become P and S waves by standing in a line and showing the motion of each waves (pushing, side-to-side).
• Demonstrate faulting and fault block mountains/basins with fault block models.
• Demonstrate folding with foam strips.

Aligned Resources:

• Core Lab 5: Locating the Epicenter
• Core Lab 6: Faulting and Folding
• Core Lab 7: Sea Floor Spreading
• Chapter 4: Plate Tectonics
• Chapter 5: Earthquakes
• Chapter 6: Volcanoes
• Video: Earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building

Revision Date:
June 2005