5.1 Strand
Earth’s major systems are the geosphere (solid and molten rock, soil, and sediments), the hydrosphere (water and ice), the atmosphere (air), and the biosphere (living things, including humans). Within these systems, the location of Earth’s land and water can be described. Also, these systems interact in multiple ways. Weathering and erosion are examples of interactions between Earth’s systems. Some interactions cause landslides, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions that impact humans and other organisms. Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards, but solutions can be designed to reduce their impact.
Standard(s) 5.1.1: Analyze and interpret data to describe patterns of Earth’s features. Emphasize most earthquakes and volcanoes occur in bands that are often along the boundaries between continents and oceans while major mountain chains may be found inside continents or near their edges. Examples of data could include maps showing locations of mountains on continents and the ocean floor or the locations of volcanoes and earthquakes. (ESS2.B)
Practices
Analyzing and Interpreting Data Analyzing data in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to introducing quantitative approaches to collecting data and conducting multiple trials of qualitative observations. When possible and feasible, digital tools should be used.
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Analyze and interpret data to make sense of phenomena using logical reasoning.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions
The locations of mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, ocean floor structures, earthquakes, and volcanoes occur in patterns. Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur in bands that are often along the boundaries between continents and oceans. Major mountain chains form inside continents or near their edges. Maps can help locate the different land and water features areas of Earth.
Cross Cutting Concepts
Patterns
Patterns can be used as evidence to support an explanation.
Storyline Narrative
To begin this storyline students will investigate the phenomenon, a volcano rapidly formed in a field in Paricutin. Students will obtain information about a volcano that grew in a field in Paricutin, Mexico over the course of 9 years, destroying the village.
Then students will obtain information about other North American examples of volcano and earthquake activity and mountain ranges to analyze patterns in the data. They will look at volcanoes in the area of Paricutin to understand and reason that the occurrence of that volcano was part of a pattern rather than a random act. From there, students will look at examples and nonexamples of volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain ranges to further analyze and interpret data to find patterns of Earth’s features. Finally, when given a map with known volcano and/or earthquake occurrences, students identify which location is more likely to have the next occurrence and support their answer using the data from their investigations?
Site Feedback
Utah Science
Curriculum Consortium
Tyson Grover
Annette Nielson
Big Idea: Matter can be broken down into smaller and smaller pieces.
Phenomenon: Episode 1: Students will explore the phenomenon of static electricity caused when rubbing a balloon against other objects. They will come up with questions about what is causing this to happen.
Episodes:
Episode 2: This activity is going to help students develop atom models using bowls and pom poms (or other materials) to help students understand the parts of an atom and what makes one element different than another. They then will be making comparisons about the models’ representations of proportion and quantity of the numbers of protons, neutron and electrons in different atoms. In addition, they will be analyzing the models for their accuracies and limitations. It is recommended that students work in groups of 3 to 4 for this activity.
Episode 3: Students participate in an experience with scotch tape that looks at a transfer of charges. This will allow them to explore and hypothesize about the charges of particles in an atom. They will analyze their data and identify what they have learned about charges in atoms.
Episode 4: Students will look at information about the past atomic models and identify accuracies and inaccuracies of each of the models. They will then redraw their understanding of the structure of an atom. They will then apply their understanding of atoms to the phenomenon.
Episode 5 : Students will be given a variety of materials to develop a model of an atom (if desired give students a time limit). Students should take into consideration the scale of their model as well as the proportion and quantity of the particles that make up their model. Students will analyze accuracies and limitations of two or three other group’s models.
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Episode 6: Students obtain information about the scale and proportion of an atom by making predictions and watching a video. They will then watch the video and identify how close their predictions were to the actual scale model.
Episode 7: Students will explore the periodic table and try to find that elements are there but some substances are not elements ie water. They will then categorize different models into 3 categories, atoms, compound molecules, and elemental molecules. They will create a definition of the 3 categories.
They will then identify how to write a molecular formula for a molecule which represents another type of model. They will practice how to identify the quantity of each type of atom in a molecular formula and by association how many of each atom there are in a particular molecule.
Episode 8: In this episode, students will be creating and analyzing models of simple molecules. For each molecule, they will first put the molecule model together. Then they will fill in the table information by observing the model along with the chemical name and formula. As they are building the molecules, they will also see the relationship of atoms to molecules and how the proportions of the different atoms determines the type of molecule formed.
Possible assessments:
1. Students record analogies from the video that they can relate to.
3. Observing different atomic models. As a group go over the limitations of these models.
4. The building of an atom model. They list the limitations of their models.
5. The modeling pictures they created with the Bohr model and the building of the molecules with the spice drops.
Episode 1
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Question
What can I observe when experimenting with static electricity?
Snapshot
Students look at the phenomenon caused by a balloon rubbed against hair and then lifting small pieces of paper. They come up with questions about what is causing this to happen.
Conceptual Understandings
There are invisible things that are too small for us to see that have forces on other things.
What are the small things that we can’t see?
Episode 2
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Question
What are the small things that we can’t see?
Snapshot
Students develop atom models using physics objects to help them identify the different parts of an atom.
Conceptual Understandings
Matter is made of atoms. There are different particles in the atom.
What are the charges of the parts that make up the atom?
Conceptual Understandings
Pulling two pieces of tape apart can result in the exchange of charged particles.
What are the particles in matter and how do we know what they are?
What makes one atom different from another?
Snapshot
Students participate in a simple experiment with tape that involves the transfer of electrons. They will analyze their results and state what was proved.
Episode 3
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Question
Is matter made up of particles?
Episode 4
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Question
How have atomic models changed over time?
Snapshot
Students will look at information about the past atomic models and identify accuracies and inaccuracies of each of the models. They will then redraw their understanding of the structure of an atom.
They will then apply their understanding of atoms to the phenomenon.
Conceptual Understandings
Atomic understanding has developed over time.
Students model drawings of the atom should have become more accurate.
How does the size of an atom compare to the size of the particles themselves?
Episode 5
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Question
How can we make an accurate model of an atom?
Snapshot
Students will construct atom models with their group. They will focus on the scale, proportion and quantity of the particles in the atom.
Conceptual Understandings
The particles do relate to each other in size and distance.
There will always be inaccuracies within the model?
How does the size of an atom compare to other things?
Conceptual Understandings
Atoms are extremely small pieces of matter that consist of mostly empty space. The distances between the nucleus and the electrons is great.
How do atoms combine to form molecules?
Is the structure of the molecule in a specific arrangement?
Snapshot
Students will view the TedED video on this question and record information on the scale, proportion and quantity of an atom.
Episode 6
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Question
How small is an atom?
Conceptual Understandings
Molecules are made of atoms that are held together by bonds.
The formula of a molecule states the type and number of atoms in the molecule.
How are molecules put together?
Snapshot
Students categorize the different types of molecules (diatomic/element molecules) and compound molecules as well as atoms.
Episode 7
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Question
What is the difference between an atom, and a molecule?
Episode 6
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Question
How are molecules structured?
Snapshot
Students will build simple molecule models by following formulas and pictures of the molecule arrangement.
Conceptual Understandings
The formula of a molecule states the type and number of atoms in the molecule.The arrangement of the atoms is very specific.