8th Grade Science Lesson Plans
Week One
Topic: Surfing for Earthquakes and Volcanoes
TOPIC
TITLE
Day one:
Surfing for
Earthquakes/volcanoes Earthquakes and
Volcanoes
*glogster*
# OF MINUTES
20/30 minutes
MATERIALS
Pencils or pens
•One worksheet
per student for
days
one through
four
- technology
evaluation
•Computer(s)
with access to
WWW on the
Internet. (Prefer
1 per 2
students)
•Computer
printer
Time and
patience
Day two:
Surfing for
earthquakes/volcanoes Earthquakes and
Volcanoes
Day three:
earthquakes and
volcanoes
Surfing for
Earthquakes and
Volcanoes
20 minutes
20 minutes
•Pencils or pens
•One worksheet
per student for
days
one through
four
•Computer(s)
with access to
WWW on the
Internet. (Prefer
1 per 2
students)
•Computer
printer
Time and
patience
•Pencils or pens
DESCRIPTION
Students use
worksheets to
research six seismic
and four volcanic
occurrences
throughout the
world using a
minimum of eight
different Internet
sources. Students fill
in latitude,
longitude,
magnitude/type,
date of occurrence,
interesting fact, and
the URL address for
each occurrence.
Students use
worksheet and
accompanying Blank
World Map2 to
research and to map
a wide variety of
seismic and volcanic
occurrences
throughout the
world. Inferences
can then be made as
to location of plate
boundaries. An
extension can be to
name each plate
with names that the
students create.
Students will share
data on their maps
and compare
•One worksheet
per student for
days
one through
four
•Computer(s)
with access to
WWW on the
Internet. (Prefer
1 per 2
students)
•Computer
printer
Time and
patience
Day four: earthquakes
and volcanoes
Surfing for
Earthquakes and
Volcanoes
•Pencils or pens
•One worksheet
per student for
days
one through
four
•Computer(s)
with access to
WWW on the
Internet. (Prefer
1 per 2
students)
•Computer
printer
Time and
patience
findings. Students
will have a chance to
update their maps
and share the names
they have created
for their plates. The
teacher will then
supply the Key for
Worksheet 2,
containing plate
boundary
information, and
students will further
update and correct
their own maps, as
well as their
understanding.
Students will again
use the Internet to
locate geological
data and combine it
with their prior
findings on their
maps to infer the
type of major plate
interactions.
Students will again
use Blank World
Map3 to identify the
type of major plate
interactions.
Introduce plate
boundary
interactions, if not
already covered in
class content. The
teacher will then
supply the Key for
Worksheet 3,
containing major
plate interactions
information, and
students will further
update and correct
their own maps, as
Day five: earthquakes
and volcanoes
Surfing for
Earthquakes and
Volcanoes
20/30 minutes
•Pencils or pens
•One worksheet
per student for
days
one through
four
*Google Earth*
-Technology
evaluation
•Computer(s)
with access to
WWW on the
Internet. (Prefer
1 per 2
students)
•Computer
printer
Time and
patience
well as their
understanding.
-Review prior days'
lessons, emphasizing
the main points
covered. Collect
worksheets for
review of
understanding. Pose
the question to
students why
Olympus Mons is
such a large,
singular, massive
volcano, and the
Hawaiian volcanoes
are a chain of
individual, smaller
volcanoes. If needed,
introduce the theory
of static plate activity
as evidenced by
Olympus Mons vs.
dynamic plate
activity as evidenced
by the Hawaiian
volcanic chain.
Assessment
Day one: check for understanding. Here would include reading the comments made by the student
that pertain to the use of the Internet. This lesson is geared towards an introduction to the Internet
and overcoming the hardships that the student may encounter. If the information in the charts is
complete and accurate, the photo is attached, and the use of the Internet section is complete, then
the student is ready for lesson two. It may help to check the accuracy of a couple of the URL
addresses for a better picture of the students' understanding and interaction with the Internet.
Day two: A key showing the locations of the plate boundaries has been included in this lesson. You
can make an overlay of this key and place it over the student work to check for accuracy. Another way
to use the key is to place it under the student work and lay both on an overhead projector. Turn on
the projector and you will be able to see through the student work and mark directly on it for
corrections. You may want to develop a tolerance of accuracy for the locations of plate boundaries.
The correct names of the plates have been included on the key. Encourage scientific names for the
plates but also accept creative answers. This is a fun part of the activity.
Day three: Allow students to correct their maps if necessary. Discuss reasons for differences and how
this relates to scientific comparisons and differences of data compiled. URL addresses to view sources
that contain plate boundary information
Day four: A map that depicts different types of plate interactions is included. This is a difficult area to
investigate since many boundary interactions are not confirmed in the scientific community. Accept
any scientifically based reasoning that seems to fit the model.
Day five: Use the URL for Mars () and for the Hawaiian Volcanoes () to compare the volcanoes.