You are on page 1of 7

Nicole Breuninger

MGP335
May 19, 2015
Earthquakes 4th Grade
A. Lesson plan overview and description
1. Duration: 2 hours or two days broken up
2. Social Sciences: geography and history
3. Concepts (Big Ideas): What earthquakes are and why they happen
along with examples of major earthquakes in the West
4. Vocab: Earthquake, fault, fault line, primary source, secondary source
5. Skills: Map reading skills, geographic skills, reading skills,
comprehension skills, writing skills
6. Broad Goals of Lesson: Students will be able to look at maps and
identify the information presented, students will be able to read
primary source documents and create presentations based on the
information
B. Content Outline
1. Shaky Ground (textbook section)
a. Earthquake: a sudden shaking of the ground
b. Faults: cracks in the Earths outer layer
c. Most earthquakes occur in the West due to the Pacific Ocean
movement against our continent
d. Fault Line: a break or fracture in the ground that occurs
when the Earth's tectonic plates move or shift and are areas
where earthquakes are likely to occur
e. Primary source: a document or physical object which was
written or created during the time under study. These sources
were present during an experience or time period and offer
an inside view of a particular event
f. Secondary source: source interprets and analyzes primary
sources
C. Standards
1. PDE SAS Standards:
Geography: 7.Geography. 1. Basic Geographic Literacy. 4 th
grade. A: Describe how common geographic tools are used to
organize and interpret information about people, places, and
environment.
History: 8.History. 1. Historical Analysis and Skills Development.
4th grade. B: Distinguish between fact and opinion from multiple
points of view, and primary sources as related to historical
events.; 8.History. 3.United States History. 4 th grade. B: Locate
historical documents, artifacts, and places critical to United
States history.
2. NCSS Themes and Subthemes
II Time, Continuity, & Change: c. Compare and contrast
different stories or accounts about past events, people, places,
or situations, identifying how they contribute to our

understanding of the past; d. Identify and use various sources


for reconstructing the past, such as documents, letters, diaries,
maps, textbooks, photos, and others;
III People, Places & Environments: Interpret, use, and
distinguish various representations of the earth, such as maps,
globes, and photographs; i. Explore ways that the earths
physical features have changed over time in the local region and
beyond and how these changes may be connected to one
another; j. Observe and speculate about social and economic
effects of environmental changes and crises resulting from
phenomena such as floods, storms, and drought;
VIII Science, Technology, & Science: a. Identify and
describe examples in which science and technology have
changed the lives of people, such as in homemaking, childcare,
work, transportation, and communication
D. Lesson Objectives
Given a primary source document, all students will be able to illustrate
and compose a short essay using 3 examples from the text.
E. Teaching Procedures
1. Anticipatory Set/Introduction
Students will watch a brief introductory video on earthquakes
(http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101videos/earthquake-101)
2. Lesson Input
Teacher will pass out to students worksheet with short excerpt
about earthquakes and two maps with earthquake prone zones
Students will popcorn read the short excerpt
Teacher will go over the first map of the United States showing
the areas prone to earthquakes
Teacher will ask students What part of the United States has
high intensity earthquakes
Students should answer the Midwest, or a particular state such
as California
Teacher will then explain second map of the different plates,
focusing on the Pacific Plate and the relation to the North
American Plate
Teacher will explain vocabulary words such as fault and
earthquake then write them on the board
1. Earthquake: a sudden shaking of the ground
2. Fault: cracks in the Earths outer layer
3. Fault Line: a break or fracture in the ground that occurs
when the Earth's tectonic plates move or shift and are
areas where earthquakes are likely to occur
Teacher will explain why the West coast is prone to major
earthquakes by referring to the map with the different tectonic
plates

Teacher will then instruct students to come to the front and sit in
front of the smart board
Teacher will bring up National Geographics earthquake
simulator
(http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natura
l-disasters/forces-of-nature/)
Teacher will read through Lab 1,2, and 3
Teacher will then use interactive simulator on Lab 7 to simulate
an Earthquake on a fault line with high intensity
Teacher will ask students why it is so dangerous to live in an
area prone to earthquakes
Teacher will then skip to Case Studies 5 San Francisco and read
through the informational text
Teacher will then go through the images provided and ask
students what they see in each picture
Teacher will then instruct students to return to their seats and
take out their Ipads
Once students have transitioned to their seats teacher will
explain that in the West where the students just learned have a
large number of earthquakes that many famous earthquakes
have occurred
Teacher will explain that one major earthquake occurred in San
Francisco in 1906 and caused massive damage and claimed
many lives
Teacher will instruct students to bring up certain website with
information on San Francisco
(http://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/great/1906/1906_2.html)
Teacher will begin reading then popcorn read through the rest of
the 14 pages, taking time to view each image
Teacher will explain the importance of primary sources which the
students just read through briefly
Teacher will review quickly between what a primary source and
secondary source is
1. Primary source: a document or physical object which was
written or created during the time under study. These
sources were present during an experience or time period
and offer an inside view of a particular event
2. Secondary source: source interprets and analyzes primary
sources
Teacher will then instruct students to take out a pencil and paper
then record two items that stood out to them while reading and
one question about the topic; students may refer back to web
page if needs
Once completed have some students share if time allows it then
collect

3. Independent Practice
Teacher will group students in fours and pass out primary source
written by a young boy shortly after the San Francisco
earthquake of 1906
In groups of four students will read the passage
If students are struggling with a word teacher will pause the
class and go over any potentially difficult words
Once students have completed reading the passage they will be
instructed to create on poster board a front page of a newspaper
that would have been published shortly after the earthquake
occurred
Students will each be responsible for a different part of the front
page
Students will draw a large picture and add a short written essay
to tell the events of what is going on, drawing from the primary
source account they had just read
Upon class completion each group will present their poster
telling the class what each person illustrated and wrote
4. Differentiation
I will differentiate my lesson when I have real students in front of
me
5. Closure
Students will be handed exit cards and will have to provide two
facts they learned after the lesson and two items they would like to
learn more about
F. Teacher and Student Resources and Evaluation of Resources
A. Student Reading Resources:
Earthquake handout
Primary source handout
Internet resource:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/great/1906/1906_2.html
B. Teacher Resources for Lesson Design:
Internet resources:

The Great Shake: San Francisco 1906


Forces of Nature: Earthquake
One Boy's Experience
Earthquake Introduction
Lesson Plan Earthquake Overview

Images:
http://people.hofstra.edu/Jeanpaul_Rodrigue/GESA/topic1/img/Map_Ring_of_Fire.gi
f

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2003/fs06803/images/map.gif
Textbook:
Harcourt Social Studies States and Regions: Chapter 12
Exploring the West
C. Evaluation of Teacher Resources Used for Lesson Planning Design
Resource Title or
Website Address

Influence:
Significant
Influence (SI) or
Minor Influence
(MI) in informing
your thinking,
decisions about
the lesson plan

The Great
Shake: San
Francisco
1906

SI

Forces of
Nature:
Earthquake

SI

One Boy's
Experience

SI

Earthquake
Introduction

MI

3+
Characteristics
suggesting that
the source is a
quality resource,
reliable material

-Reading level
for age group
-Illustrations
that match the
text
-Use of
primary
sources
-Easy to follow
-Accurate info
-Intractable to
engage
students
-Visual
representation
of earthquakes
-Case study
specifically on
San Francisco
-Longer
primary
source
-Good visuals
provided with
text
-From the
point of view
of the
students age
-Short video
clip
introducing
earthquakes
-Shows
primary

Accessibility
Access for
teachers or
others

Overall Rating
and Suggestions
for current,
future use of
resource

Easy
accessibility

Would use
again
A+

Easy
accessibility

Would use
again
A+

Easy
accessibility

Useful primary
source; might
use again
B

Easy
accessibility

Useful to
transition into
earthquake
lesson but not
necessarily
needed to

Lesson Plan
Earthquake
Overview

MI

Harcourt
Social Studies
States and
Regions:
Chapter 12
Exploring the
West

MI

source
photographs
from San
Francisco
quake
-Brief
explanation of
earthquakes
-Gives
information on
levels of
earthquakes
-Sets the
stage for
whats to
come
-Visually starts
to get
students
thinking about
the damage of
earthquakes
-Provides basic
definitions
-Very short
passage on
what could be
more in depth
information
-Vague

move forward
with lesson
C+

Easy
accessibility

Helpful for
students to
understand
the number
meanings of
earthquakes
without taking
students
completely
into a science
lesson. Might
use again.
C

Accessible for
this class;
unknown for
regular
teacher

Skipped
entirely for
students and
briefly viewed
to see where
my lesson
should go.
Would not use
again
F

G. Formative and Summative Assessment of Students


Formative: In the opening map activity making sure
students are able to read and comprehend the maps;
during popcorn reading of the text walk around and make
sure students are on the correct page; collection of the
short writing piece at the end of the reading with two
facts learned and one question
Summative: Completion of the group poster project
graded with a rubric; rubric attached
The formative assessments during this lesson were just to make sure
students were on task and also following along with each different piece.
Having a short writing piece will have students thinking about what they just
read along with what is to come. The short writing pieces will allow me as the
teacher to understand what stood out to students along with what they have
questions about. The summative assessment is a final project where students

work as a team to create a newspaper front page. Upon completion I can see
whether or not students grasped the primary source document and if the
imagery came across in their illustrations. If the students successfully
completed the project using 3 examples from the text then I know they are
right on level for where I wanted them to be by the end of the lesson and
have met the objective.
H. Technology/Materials/Equipment
Internet access
Ipads
Smartboard
Poster board
Markers/Crayons
Earthquake handout
Primary source handout
I. Reflection on Planning
Planning this lesson was incredibly fun! To start I had to figure out how
to take a topic that was mostly science and turn it into history. One of
the more famous earthquakes recorded in the West was the San
Francisco earthquake so I decided that was the best focus for this
lesson. Because this is just a standalone lesson in a small unit on the
West I did not know if students would have learned about earthquakes
yet, so I figured it was best to briefly introduce it. To start I had a video
to transition into the entire lesson, then transitioned to a short reading
and maps to get the students brains slowing. From there the
interactive National Geographic site summed up the rest of what I
would want to cover on earthquakes and started to introduce San
Francisco. From there I took students through different primary sources
which are incredibly important to use in the social sciences. Overall I
feel as if the lesson really allowed for students to understand the
dangers of earthquakes and how reading primary sources can really
take the students back to that time. The students had multiple
exposures to primary sources along with maps in my lesson building
more skills than just historical knowledge. I also incorporated the
science aspect to make it cross curricular. If technology went south
during this lesson then I would have a major problem. In the future I
would remake my lesson with a backup plan for if technology fails.

You might also like