Teaching about the movement of tectonic plates offers a fascinating way to help students understand the dynamic nature of our planet.
This topic explains how the shifting of these massive plates shapes the ocean floor, creating features like hydrothermal vents and ocean trenches. It also illuminates the origins of natural phenomena such as earthquakes and tsunamis. By exploring the mechanisms behind these geological processes, students can gain a deeper appreciation for Earth’s natural systems and the forces that drive them.
This blog will provide you with engaging explanations and resources to make this complex topic accessible and exciting for your students. Let us dive into the world of tectonic plates and discover how they shape our oceans!
This unit covers the following topics
- 2.1 Tectonic processes
- 2.2 Weathering, erosion, and sedimentation
- 2.3 Tides and ocean currents
Resources
- Introduction to Chapter 2
- PowerPoint/ Lecture/Notes
- Guided Notes
- Bell Ringers
- 2.1 Tectonic processes – Review/Practice/Assessment/QUIZ
- Chapter 2 Task Cards: Tectonic Processes & Weathering
- 2.2 Practice Q/Review/Assessment
- 2.3 Tides and Ocean currents – Review/Practice/Quiz
- Tides and Ocean Currents Task Cards
- TIDES graphing and data analysis
- Practice Questions AICE Style – with Answer Key
- Ch2 Earth processes – Task Cards
- TEST
- Introduction to Chapter#3 Interactions in marine ecosystems
- Study Guide
- BUNDLE Chapter 2
Timeframe
- 4 weeks
- 9 days/class periods – 90 minutes each
Daily Agenda
Here’s an insight into my daily routine, outlining both my current practices and planned strategies. This encompasses the content I deliver, the methods I employ to reinforce concepts, the array of activities I incorporate, including simulations and laboratory work, and my approach to student assessment.
While this routine isn’t without its imperfections, it has proven effective for my students, as evidenced by my average pass rate of 90%.
Feel free to use this as a foundation, adapting it to align with your preferences and, crucially, incorporating valuable feedback from your students.
The goal is to maintain an atmosphere of engagement and enthusiasm, keeping students intrigued by the subject matter and get them to pass the AICE Exam.
Note: All pacing suggestions are estimates. Adjust the time to accommodate for specific student needs and interests.
Curriculum Pacing Guide
1 Day = 90 minutes class.
Day 1 Lesson
- 2.1 Tectonic processes
Objectives
- describe the structure of the Earth
- describe the theory of plate tectonics, and the evidence supporting the theory
- identify and describe the three types of plate boundary as convergent, divergent and transform
Instructional Materials
- Introduction to Chapter 2
- Bell Ringer #1
- Lecture/Notes (PPT – slides 1-13)
- Student Guided Notes
Day 2 Lesson
- 2.1 Tectonic processes
Objectives
- explain how tectonic processes produce ocean trenches, midocean ridges, hydrothermal vents, abyssal plains, volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis
- describe how hydrothermal vents form
Instructional Materials
- Bell Ringer #2
- Lecture/Notes (PPT – slides 14 -21)
- Student Guided Notes
- Practice Questions (PPT – slides 22 – 29)
Day 3 Lesson
- 2.2 Weathering, erosion, and sedimentation
Objectives
- distinguish between weathering and erosion
- describe the three main types of weathering: chemical, physical and organic
- describe the four main types of erosion: by ice, water, wind and gravity
- describe sedimentation
Instructional Materials
- Bell Ringer #3
- 2.1 Tectonic processes – Review/Practice/Assessment/QUIZ
- Lecture/Notes (PPT – slides 30 – 35)
- Student Guided Notes
Day 4 Lesson
- 2.2 Weathering, erosion, and sedimentation
Objectives
- explain the littoral zone
- describe how weathering, erosion and sedimentation give rise to the morphology of rocky shores, sandy shores, muddy shores, estuaries and deltas
Instructional Materials
Day 5 Lesson
- 2.3 Tides and ocean currents
Objectives
- explain how tides are produced
- explain the formation of spring and neap tides
- interpret tide tables and graphs in terms of tidal height, tidal range, spring and neap tides
Instructional Materials
- Bell Ringer #5
- Lecture/Notes (PPT – slides 41 – 50)
- Student Guided Notes
- 2.3 Tides and Ocean currents – Review/Practice/Quiz
Day 6 Lesson
- 2.3 Tides and ocean currents
Objectives
- describe the formation of ocean currents and upwelling
- explain the formation of the global ocean conveyor belt and its importance
- discuss the causes and effects of El Niño and La Niña events during the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle in the Pacific Ocean
Instructional Materials
- Bell Ringer #6
- Lecture/Notes (PPT – slides 51 – 60)
- Student Guided Notes
- Practice Questions (PPT – slides 61 – 62)
- Tides and Ocean Currents Task Cards
Objectives
- Review topics covered in Chapter 2
Instructional Materials
Exposing students to proper blend of lecture, practice activities and questions is of paramount importance for their success on the Cambridge exam.
I would love to hear from you!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! Are there any topics you’d like to learn more about or see discussed here? I’d love to hear your suggestions. Please let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe for more updates!
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