The document provides resources and guidance for teaching a unit on plate tectonics and crustal features in 8th grade science. It includes a pacing guide, links to online resources about plate tectonics, example lesson plans addressing Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, formative assessments, and recommendations for differentiation and higher-order thinking questions. The goal is to support teachers in providing effective instruction around the formation of crustal features through the theory of plate tectonics.

1. CORE CONTENT
COACHING
Science Grade 8: Plate Tectonics & Crustal Features

2. To provide support for grade-level, unit content planning
PURPOSE

3. RESOURCES FOR PLANNING
• Teacher Yearly Resource Document (or Yearly Itinerary)
• CRM 4: Earth’s Features
• Blank Pacing Calendar
• 8th Grade 3rd Six Weeks Lessons: Plate Tectonics & Crustal Features Pacing Guides,
Plate Tectonics & Crustal Features Daily Lesson Pages
• Computer with Internet Access

4. TEACHER YEARLY RESOURCE DOCUMENT

5. 3rd Six Weeks Planner (25 days)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Nov. 10
Force & Motion
(as needed)
11 Student Holiday 12 13 14
17
Newton’s Laws
18 19 20 21
24
Plate Tectonic Theory
25 26 Holiday 27 Holiday 28 Holiday
Dec. 1
Plate Tectonics
2 3 4 5
8
Plate Tectonics
9 10 11 12
15
Topo Maps & Satellite
Views
16 17 18 19 Student Holiday

6. TEKS & STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
Content TEKS Skills TEKS
8.2C-8.9: Earth & space. The student knows that E, 8.3A & D, 8.4A
natural events can impact Earth systems. The
student is expected to:
8.9B: relate plate tectonics to the
formation of crustal features.

7. CRM 4: TEKS & ACQUISITION SECTION

8. National Geographic: Plate Tectonics The Changing Shape of the Earth
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/plate-tectonics/?ar_a=1
Khan Academy: Plate Tectonics
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/cosmology-and-astronomy/earth-history-topic/plate-techtonics/
v/plate-tectonics-difference-between-crust-and-lithosphere
Plate Tectonics Reading & Animations
http://www.indiana.edu/~g103/plate/plate2.html
NSTA Leaning Center- http://learningcenter.nsta.org/
Search Resources & Opportunities: plate tectonics, soil
ScienceFusion Grade 8 Teacher Edition: Content Refresher: p. 435
TEACHER CONTENT SUPPORT

9. VERTICAL ALIGNMENT
6TH GRADE
• identify the major tectonic
plates, including Eurasian,
African, Indo-Australian,
Pacific, North American, and
South American
• describe how plate tectonics
causes major geological
events such as ocean
basins, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, and
mountain building
8TH GRADE
8.9B: relate plate
tectonics to the formation of
crustal features.
Earth & Space Science
•evaluate heat transfer through Earth’s
subsystems by radiation, convection,
and conduction and include its role in
plate tectonics, volcanism, ocean
circulation, weather, and climate.
•explain how plate tectonics accounts
for geologic processes and features,
including sea floor spreading, ocean
ridges and rift valleys, subduction
zones, earthquakes, volcanoes,
mountain ranges, hot spots, and
hydrothermal vents.
•explain how plate tectonics accounts
for geologic surface processes and
features, including folds, faults,
sedimentary basin formation, mountain
building, and continental accretion.

10. PRIOR LEARNING
• The lithosphere is broken into separate sections called plates.
• The location and shape of each major tectonic plate including Eurasian, African, Indo-Australian, Pacific,
North American, and South American.
• The theory of plate tectonics states that pieces of Earth’s lithosphere are in constant, slow motion, driven by
convection currents in the mantle.
• As plates move, they collide, pull apart, and grind past each other causing major geological events.

11. 2014 STAAR-RELEASED QUESTION: 8.9B
F 7%
G* 58%
H 12%
J 23%

12. F* 82%
G 5%
H 6%
J 7%

13. 2013 STAAR-RELEASED QUESTION: 8.9B F 9%
G 10%
H 2%
J* 78%

14. 2013 STAAR-RELEASED QUESTION: 8.9B A 12%
B* 50%
C 25%
D 14%

15. BASED ON THE DATA AND DISTRACTORS, WHAT KEY POINTS
SHOULD TEACHERS EMPHASIZE DURING LESSONS?
• Converging plates collide creating uplift as islands, volcanoes, and
mountains. Seafloor spreading is caused by divergent plates.
Most common distractor
Activities to emphasize this
point included in the
curriculum:
1. Tectonic Plate
Landforms Lab
2. Modeling Tectonic
Plate Boundaries
3. Bill Nye Video: The
Sea Floor is
Spreading

16. BASED ON THE DATA AND DISTRACTORS, WHAT KEY POINTS
SHOULD TEACHERS EMPHASIZE DURING LESSONS?
• Volcanoes form at mid-ocean ridges. Deltas form at divergent boundaries.
Most common distractor

17. COMPONENTS OF A GOOD LESSON PLAN
1. Engage Student Interest
2. Review/Scaffold to TEKS
3. Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the TEKS
• Labs, Activities, Videos
4. Organize and Practice Vocabulary
5. Reading & Comprehension Strategies
6. Writing Opportunities & Scaffolds
7. Daily Listening & Speaking Opportunities
8. Differentiation
9. Formative Assessment & Reteach

18. EMBEDDED IN LESSONS:
ENGAGE STUDENT INTEREST
• Modeling Clay: A 3-D
Representation-
Demonstrating Plate
Boundaries & Crustal
Features
• Vocabulary Magic:
Plate Tectonics &
Crustal Features

19. RECOMMENDED IN LESSONS:
REVIEW / SCAFFOLD TO TEKS
• Plate Tectonics & Crustal Features Unit
Overview
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Plate Tectonics
& Mountain Building Sections 181-187
• ScienceFusion Unit 7 Lesson 2: Digital
Lesson & Virtual Lab
• This Dynamic Planet: http://nhb-arcims.
si.edu/ThisDynamicPlanet/index.h
tml
• Exploring Earth Visualizations:
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_s
cience/terc/content/visualizations/es0804/
es0804page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualiza
tion

20. EMBEDDED IN LESSONS:
STUDENT-CENTERED ACTIVITIES DIRECTLY RELATING TO THE DEPTH
AND COMPLEXITY OF THE TEKS (LABS, ACTIVITIES, VIDEOS)
• Convection Current with Tea Lights
Demonstration
• Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye
Video: Earth Science Plate Tectonics
• ScienceFusion Labs: Causes of
Landforms, Modeling Tectonic Plate
Boundaries, Tectonic Plate
Landforms
• Analyzing Plate Boundaries
• Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye
Video: Earth Science The Sea Floor
is Spreading
• BrainPop Video: Plate Tectonics

21. EMBEDDED IN LESSONS:
ORGANIZE AND PRACTICE VOCABULARY
• Plate Tectonics & Crustal Features
Unit Overview
• A 3-D Representation
• Earth’s Crustal Layers & Plate
Boundaries Pictorial
• Earth’s Features Cornell Notes
• Crustal Features Advance Organizer
• Cloz-ing in on Science Cloze 2
• Vocabulary Review: Word Map,
Concentration, Index Bubbles, Pick
One, Frozen Images

22. EMBEDDED IN LESSONS:
READING & COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES
• ScienceFusion: Plate Tectonics &
Landforms p. 356-367
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Plate Tectonics &
Mountain Building Sections 181-187
• Comprehension Strategies
• Student Companion Notebook p. 102-
104
• Paired Reading Recommendation:
Have each student in a pair read a
paragraph at a time and then have the
non-reader summarize the section.
• Active Reading Strategies embedded
in ScienceFusion Reading

23. EMBEDDED IN LESSONS:
WRITING OPPORTUNITIES & SCAFFOLDS
• Word Map
• Cornell Notes Summary
• Journal Entries
• Exit Tickets
• Cloz-ing in on Science Cloze 2
• Scaffolds: Sentence Frames, Word Bank
word
definition
example
sentence

24. EMBEDDED IN LESSONS:
DAILY LISTENING & SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES
• A 3-D Representation
• Vocabulary Magic
• Vocabulary Review: Concentration,
Index Bubbles, Frozen Image
• Investigations
• Geologist Reading & Activity
• Earth Scientists Reading
• Analyzing Plate Boundaries
In this picture I
see…
I think this picture might match
the word … because…

25. • Special Education:
1. Mixed-Ability Partners
2. Science Glossary
3. Vocabulary Magic Trailer for Review
4. Multiple Views of Vocabulary Magic Trailer
5. This Dynamic Planet
6. Exploring Earth Visualizations
7. Think Out Loud
8. Word Bank
9. Sentence Frames
10. Visual Representation
11. Pre-teach Vocabulary
12. Print Out Student Vocabulary Instruction
Sentences (Slides 14, 16, & 18)
13. Divide Words into Smaller Sets
14. Unit Overview
15. Stopping Points During Video for
Discussion/Summarizing
16. Index Bubble Template
17. Page Numbers in Textbook Reading for Index
Bubbles
18. Shared Reading
19. Fill-in-the-Blank Cornell Notes
20. Total Physical Response
21. Closed Sentences
• English Language Learners:
1. Mixed-Ability Partners
2. Dual Language Science Glossary
3. Sentence Frames
4. Earth’s Crustal Features Pictorial
5. Advance Organizer
6. Word Bank
7. Visual Representation
8. Pre-teach Vocabulary
9. Stopping Points During Video for
Discussion/Summarizing
10. Shared Reading
11. Justifying Answers
12. Closed-Captioning
13. Total Physical Response
14. Closed Sentences
15. Glossary Instructional Strategies
EMBEDDED IN LESSONS:
DIFFERENTIATION

26. EMBEDDED IN LESSONS:
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Formative Assessment
• Word Map
• Vocabulary Review: Word Map,
Concentration, Index Bubbles, Pick One,
Frozen Images
• Investigation Questions
• Cornell Notes Summary
• Journal Entries
• Exit Tickets
• Crustal Feature Advance Organizer
• Closed Sentences
• Plate Tectonics & Crustal Features
Assessment
• BrainPop Video Quiz: Plate Tectonics

27. EMBEDDED IN LESSONS:
RETEACH
• Plate Tectonics & Crustal Features Unit
Overview
• ScienceSaurus Reading: Plate Tectonics
& Mountain Building Sections 181-187
• ScienceFusion Unit 7 Lesson 2: Digital
Lesson & Virtual Lab
• This Dynamic Planet: http://nhb-arcims.
si.edu/ThisDynamicPlanet/index.ht
ml
• Exploring Earth Visualizations:
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_sc
ience/terc/content/visualizations/es0804/e
s0804page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualizati
on Other Lessons Folder Activities

28. HIGHER LEVEL QUESTIONS
• “Research shows there’s a link between critical thinking skills and increased student achievement in the
classroom.” (Moore & Stanley, 2010)
• Higher level questions must be planned in order to be implemented effectively in the classroom.
• Levels of Questions
• Knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation
• Plan and provide a variety of questions at each level and build student knowledge and critical thinking by
providing Higher Level Questions.

29. LOWER LEVELS OF QUESTIONS
Level of Question Key Words Examples of Questions
Knowledge
Which
Choose
Find
How
Define
Identify
Label
Show
List
Match
What is…?
Choose the one that…
Find the one that…
How did…?
Define…
Identify which one…
Label the one(s) that…
Comprehension
Compare
Contrast
Demonstrate
Interpret
Explain
Illustrate
Infer
Relate
Summarize
Classify
How would you (explain, compare, contrast)…?
Restate in your own words…
Which is the best answer…?
Explain your answer…?
How would you classify the type of…?
Describe…
Application
Build
Construct
Plan
Organize
Model
Solve
Show
What examples can you find to…?
How would you solve _____ using what you learned?
Give other examples of…
Solve the following…

30. HIGHER LEVELS OF QUESTIONS
Level of Question Key Words Examples of Questions
Analysis
Analyze
Relationships
Categorize
Examine
Distinguish
Conclusion
How is _____ related to _______?
What conclusions can you draw…?
What is the relationship between?
What evidence can you find…?
Synthesis
Create
Estimate
Improve
Design
Predict
Modify
Elaborate
What changes would you make to…?
What would happen if…?
How would you improve…?
How would you test….?
Can you predict the outcome of…?
Can you formulate a theory for…?
Evaluation
Criticize
Judge
Recommend
Opinion
Support
Prove
Dispute
Disprove
Defend
Evaluate
Do you agree with…?
What is your opinion of…?
Would it be better if…?
How would you evaluate…?
How would you justify…?
What information would you use to support your
view…?
What data was used to make the conclusion…?

31. SAMPLE UNIT QUESTIONS
Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluate
What are the major
tectonic plates?
What are the three
major plate
boundaries?
How do plate
tectonics cause
changes in
crustal features?
How does the
Earth’s surface
change?
How do natural
events illustrate
plate tectonic
movement?
What conclusion
can you draw
about the tectonic
plate movement in
the illustration
below?
Predict the
outcome of two
plates colliding in
the ocean.
What information
would you use to
support your view
that divergent
plates cause sea
floor spreading?

32. RECOMMENDED ANCHORS OF SUPPORT
• Plate Tectonics & Crustal Features Unit
Overview
• Word Map
• Earth’s Crustal Layers & Plate
Boundaries Pictorial
• Earth’s Features Cornell Notes
• Crustal Features Advance Organizer
• Analyzing Plate Boundaries
• ScienceFusion: Visual Summary p. 366
• ScienceFusion: Visualize It! p. 358,
359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365

33. ANCHORS OF SUPPORT
Other Resources
•Interactive Word Wall- Current, working models with student contributions
• Interactive Word Walls Article: http://learningcenter.nsta.org/files/ss1103_45.pdf
• “Word walls can be arranged on cupboard doors or classroom walls, or hung
from the ceiling with wire and string.”
• “Maximum instructional potential and efficiency are achieved when interactive
word-wall construction is aligned with lessons and students are allowed to
participate in the process. As a result, walls are usually built over many days
and are finished as a unit nears completion. Word walls support units and are
changed or replaced as units change.”
• Interactive Word Walls Rubric: Next Slide
• ScienceFusion Textbook, Science Glossaries, Dual Language Science
Glossaries

35. ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
DAILY LESSON PAGE
CURRICULUM ROAD MAP