SMS Unit of Study Course:
Unit Title:
Science
Geologic History of the Earth
Teacher(s):
Unit Length:
Cindy Combs and Sadie Hamm
8 Days
Unit Overview
Focus Question: How can rock strata tell the story of Earth’s history?
Learning Objective: The student is expected to construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time
scale is used to organize Earth’s 4.6-billion-year-old history.
Standards Set—What standards will I explicitly teach and
Summative Assessment—How will I assess my students after explicitly
intentionally assess? (Include standard number and complete
teaching the standards set? (Describe type of assessment).
standard).
MS-ESS1.C.1 The History of Planet Earth: The geologic time
Ø Presentation of New Species
scale interpreted from rock strata provides a way to organize
Earth’s history. Analyses of rock strata and the fossil record
Ø Presentation of Infomercial or Advertisement
provide only relative dates, not an absolute scale.
.
Ø Unit Exam- Multiple Choice, Short Answer, Extended Response
MS-ESS1-4 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence
from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to
organize Earth’s 4.6-billion-year-old history.
Time, Space, and Energy Time, space, and energy phenomena
can be observed at various scales using models to study systems
that are too large or too small.
Construct a Scientific Explanation Construct a scientific
explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from
source (including students' own experiments) and the assumption
that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate
today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the
future.
Common Core ELA/Literacy
SMS Unit of Study RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection,
organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Common Core Mathematics
6.EE.B.6 Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable
can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.
7.EE.B.4 Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve
problems by reasoning about the quantities.
Program Review, FAL, & LDC Connections—How will I
integrate writing and/or arts & humanities or PLCS in this unit?
What FAL or LDC Module is included in this unit?
Program Review Evidence- Diagram of Law of Superposition
Vocabulary—What content vocabulary words (Tier 3) are essential?
Fossil Record
Geologic Time Scale
Law of Superposition
Rock Strata
Instructional Sequence
Day/Date
Standard #
Daily Learning Target(s)
Instructional Activity
Formative
Assessment
SMS Unit of Study Day 1/
MS-ESS1.C.1
Ø I can identify
similarities and
differences.
Teacher: Introduce Focus Question: How can rock strata
tell the story of Earth’s history?
Students: View image and discuss the following
questions:
1. What do you notice about the rock formations in
this photograph?
2. What sequence of events could explain the patterns
you see?
3. How are these rock patterns similar and different
from those in other landscapes you have seen?
Students will Journal responses the discussion questions.
Teacher: Use pre-discussion questions in lesson to initiate
class discussion and engage students. Project image of
different footprints over top of each other.
Students: Use the projected image and provided clues to
determine who left the scene last. Discuss at your table and
make a final decision. What evidence did you use to make
your decision?
Teacher: Discuss aloud. Teacher/Students: Create PDSA.
Students: Homework-Read Dating Rocks. Answer MC
Questions and be ready to discuss in class tomorrow.
FA- 1. Class
Discussions
SMS Unit of Study Day 2/
MS-ESS1.C.1
ü I can explain the
Law of
Superposition.
Teacher: Use homework to discuss the different ways of
determining age of rocks.
FA-2 Homework
questions.
Students: One student should place one hand in center of
table. Others follow. Decide whose hand is oldest, not by
age but by time. Answer questions on direction sheet in
journal.
FA-3 Exit Slip
Use Reference Sheet: What Happened First to determine
order of events. Answer questions in journal.
Teacher: Monitor groups as they work and assist as
needed. Check each group for correct answers. Use
questioning techniques to guide students who are incorrect
to the correct answer.
Day 3,4, 5
MS-ESS1.C.1
ü I can use the
geologic time scale
to discuss order of
events.
Students: Complete Exit Slip Homework- Law of
Superposition Worksheet.
Teacher:- Go over Homework and answer any questions.
Divide the class into small groups.
Students: Working in small groups to create a geologic
time scale. Answer questions in journals.
Teacher:- Monitor students as they complete activity. Use
post discussion questions to debrief activity.
FA-4 Class
discussion
questions
SMS Unit of Study Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
MS-ESS1.C.1
MS-ESS1.C.1
MS-ESS1-4
MS-ESS1.C.1
MS-ESS1-4
ü I can use the Law of
Superposition to
determine when
events occurred.
Teacher: Go over directions for assessment.
ü I can analyze rock
strata and the fossil
record in a model to
determine relative
age of rock layers.
Teacher: Discuss what an index fossil is. Go over
directions for activity.
ü
Students: Follow directions to create a law of
superposition diagram.
Students: Color code fossils. Cut out geologic columns
and line them up correctly. Glue into journals. Determine
which fossils are index fossils and glue them into journal.
Answer questions in journal. Construct a scientific
explanation to describe how the Law of Superposition, the
Geologic Time Scale, and index fossils aid geologist in
determining age of rock layers.
Students: Take Unit Exam.
SA-1 Diagram of
Law of
Superposition
FA 5Constructed
Explanation
SA-2 Unit Exam