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
Storyline Narrative 8.3.3
Episode 1 Phenomenon: Students will watch a video about the wolves in Yellowstone and their effect on the ecosystem. They will ask questions about why this is occurring.
Episode 2: Students will create a food web as a model using cards of organisms and string to show the relationships between them. They will identify that a food web helps to show the energy flow as well as the cycling of matter in an ecosystem.
Episode 3: Students obtain information as they participate in a Carbon Cycle Activity. They then use this information to develop a model of their own unique journey through the carbon cycle. They then compare their journey with other students journey’s. Students participate in a discussion where they share what they found out about their journey as an atom of carbon and how that compared to others journeys. Through this activity students are able to see the complexity of the carbon cycle, relate the cycle to the Law of Conservation of Matter, and relate how the carbon cycle is an important process in sustaining life on Earth.
Episode 4: Students will identify the organisms that are in the urban ecosystem around the school. They will create a food web model and then identify which organisms used to be in the food web but aren’t anymore. They will identify what caused the changes of our ecosystem.
Episode 5: Students explore and explain the phenomenon by researching a change happening in an ecosystem and writing a five paragraph essay communicating what they now know after obtaining, evaluating information.
Bacon Pancakes
Episode 1
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Question
What causes changes to occur in ecosystems?
Snapshot
Students will watch a video about the wolves in Yellowstone and their effect on the ecosystem. They will ask questions about why this is occurring.
Conceptual Understandings
Introducing wolves into Yellowstone had a dramatic change on the ecosystem.
How does organism have such a major effect on other organisms?
Conceptual Understandings
A food web is a model that shows the energy flow as well as the cycling of matter in an ecosystem. Organisms rely on each other and if one is affected so are the others.
What matter is cycling through the ecosystem?
Snapshot
Students in a class activity will create a food web using cards of organisms and string to show the relationships between them.
Episode 2
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Question
What relationships are there in an ecosystem?
Episode 3
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Question
What type of matter is extremely important to the function of an ecosystem?
Snapshot
Students participate in a Carbon Cycle Activity. They then use this information to develop a model of their own unique journey through the carbon cycle.
Conceptual Understandings
Carbon cycles through living and nonliving things in an ecosystem
What are the relationships in the ecosystem we live in?
Episode 4
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Question
How has our ecosystem changed?
Snapshot
Students will identify the organisms that are in the urban ecosystem around the school, create a food web, and identify what the food web used to look like before we came here
Conceptual Understandings
By living in the area we do it has changed the ecosystem.
What other types of changes affect ecosystems?
Episode 5
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Question
What type of changes are happening to ecosystems today?
Snapshot
Students explore and explain the phenomenon by researching a change happening in an ecosystem and write a five paragraph essay about what they learned.
Conceptual Understandings
Some of the problems faced by an ecosystem that bring about changes that jeopardize the stability of the ecosystem. And that there are ways that we can help bring stability back to an ecosystem.