Department of Education

The College of Maasin

R. Kangleon St. Tunga-tunga, Maasin City, Southern Leyte

Learning Competency: Describe the changes on the Earth’s surface as a result of

earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. S6ES-IVa-1

I. Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the learners will able to:
a. Explain how plate tectonics form the physical characteristic of Earth’
surface
b. Draw the three types of plate boundaries
c. Appreciate the importance of plate movement in forming different
landforms

II. Subject Matter

Topic: Forces of Change
References: Understanding Life Through Science Grade 6, page 238-242
Values Integration: Appreciative, Love and Care of Nature
Materials: PowerPoint Presentation, models of plate boundaries, pictures

III. Procedure
Teacher’s Activity Pupil’s Activity
A. Preliminary Activities
1. Classroom Mood Setting
Hep-hep, Hoorayy!

2. Prayer
Please stand-up class for our prayer.
In the name of the Father… In the name of the Father…
Our Father, Who art in Heaven…
Amen. Amen.

3. Greetings
Good morning, children! Good morning, teacher!

4. Classroom Management
Before you take your seats, please turn Yes, teacher!
to your left, to your right, then look up,
and look down. Please pick-up some
pieces of trash if you see one and throw
it in the trash bin. Understood?

You may now take your seats. (The students are seated)

As we start our lesson, I want you to

read our daily classroom rules.
(The teacher discusses the classroom
rules to the class)

Is it clear? Crystal clear? Yes, teacher it is crystal clear.

Yes! Very good! Can you follow our Yes, teacher indeed.
classroom rules, class?

5. Attendance
Let me check now who is present and
absent today. Make sure that you are
sitting at your assigned chair, because
I’m checking your attendance.
(The teacher continuously monitors the
attendance)
Very good, nobody is absent.

6. Review
Let us have first a quick review for our
last discussion. So, what was our topic Our topic last meeting is about
last meeting? earthquake, teacher!

Very good! Base on your

understanding, what is an earthquake?
Very good. What else?
Correct class! So, how is it important to
observe safety precautions before,
during, and after an earthquake?
It happens when two blocks of the Earth
suddenly slip part each other, teacher.
It is an intense shaking of the Earth’s
surface, teacher.
In order for us to minimize the impact of
an earthquake, teacher.

Very good! So now, let us proceed to

our topic this morning.

B. Motivational
Okay children, I have here
pictures/maps.

Who wants to volunteer to be here at

front to manipulate the maps? Me teacher!

The rest of you will help Kobe in doing

the puzzle. Kobe do the puzzle

Very good, children! Give yourselves a Children do so.

“wow clap”
C. Presentation
Look at the picture attentively.
What is the difference between this
picture and the map of the world today? Learners pay attention attentively

Well done!

Jahassiel, do you think that this is Yes, teacher.

possible?

How about Eunice, do you think it is Indeed teacher, that’s true.

real?

Very good!

Our topic for today is about Forces of

Change wherein at the end of the
lesson you will be able to:
a. Explain how plate
tectonics form the physical
characteristic of Earth’
surface
b. Draw the three types of
plate boundaries
c. Appreciate the importance
of plate movement in
forming different
landforms

D. Discussion
What could be the possible reason(s)
why the world map of today is very “Because of the natural disasters
different from billion years ago? teacher”

Very good. What else? “Because of volcanic eruption teacher,

also earthquake”
Correct. Another answer?
“through movements of plates teachers”

You know what children, Earth’s surface

is continuously changing. Some
changes occur very slow. Landforms
such as mountains, hills, valleys and
plain take hundreds of years to form.
However, earthquakes and landslides
can change these quite easily.

Are you familiar with tectonic forces? No teacher.

Gradational forces (erosional forces)? Also, no teacher.
Okay, Tectonic forces cause various
movements on Earth.

Erosional forces cause the removal of

some of Earth’s surface by different
natural agents, such as wind and water.

Is it understood, children? Yes teacher.

Very good!

How do we know that Earth’s crust When we feel earthquake, teacher.

continuously moves and changes?

Both highlands and lowlands

continuously change over time. Some
lowlands may grow higher and some
highlands may become lower. The
shallow shores and deep trenches in
the ocean also change, but most
changes happen so slowly that we do
not notice at all.

Scientists have formulated theories to

explain the changes in Earth’s crust.
These theories are the continental drift
theory, seafloor spreading, and plate
tectonic theory.

Continental Drift Theory

(present pictures of Pangaea and the
succeeding years to this day)

In the early 1900’s, a German scientist,

Alfred Wegener, formulated the
continental drift theory. He believed that
about 200 million years ago, Earth was
once a huge supercontinent called
Pangaea, meaning “all land”. As time
passed, this giant landmass broke apart
into smaller continents and moved to
the position where they are now.

Can you name the present-day (Asia, Africa, North America, South
continents? America, Antarctica, Europe, and
Australia)
Many evidence seem to support the
continental drift theory. One of these
evidences is the fit of the continents.
The coastlines of North America and
South America and those of Europe and
Africa, form a perfect match. The
matching coastline suggest that they
were once connected to one another,
and they are now separated because of
continental drift. Another evidence is the
similarity in the rock layers, tillites, and
fossils found in different continents.

Despite these evidences, most

scientists rejected the continental drift
theory because Wegener could not
present a plausible mechanism that
would explain how or why the
continents drifted. Thus, other scientists
looked for new evidence that would
explain how or why the continents
drifted.

Seafloor Spreading
(Present diagram)

Scientist tried to explain the formation of

continents in other ways. In the 1950s
and 1960s, scientists turned their
attention to the bottom of the sea. Harry
Hess, a geologist and Navy submarine
commander during World War II,
studied the deepest parts of the ocean
floor. He had discovered that hundreds
of flat-topped mountains, perhaps
sunken islands, shape the Pacific floor.
The discovery of the Great Global Rift in
the 1950s inspired him to look back at
his data from years before. He then
proposed that the movement of the
continent was a result of seafloor
spreading.

Seafloor spreading is a process in

which the ocean floor is extended when
two plates move apart. As the plates
move away from each other, the rocks
break and form a crack between the
plates. Hess proved Wegener’s basic
idea right and clarified the mechanism
that broke the giant landmass
“Pangaea” into seven continents we
have today. The continents are
attached to the plates and do not move
independently. But the plates
themselves move and change shape,
carrying the continents along.

Theory of Plate Tectonics

(Present the Models)

The theory of plate tectonics holds that

the lithosphere or the solid part of Earth
is composed of seven major and
several minor parts called plates which
are in motion. These plates include
North American Plate, South American
Plate, Eurasian Plate, Arabian Plate,
African Plate, Antarctic Plate, Indo-
Australian Plate, and Pacific Plate. Plates may move in different direction,
teacher.
How do plates move?

They may collide, grind against one

another, split, or drift apart. Their
movement is described by the three
type of plate boundaries; divergent,
convergent, and transform-fault
boundary.

Divergent Boundaries
The place where two plates meet is
called boundary. When two or more
plates move away from each other,
divergent boundaries are formed. This
is where the lithosphere is being pulled
apart.

In the Atlantic Ocean, the North

American Plate is moving away from the
Eurasian and African Plates. This
divergent boundary is called the Mid-
Atlantic Ridge.

Convergent Boundaries
Plates may also collide with each other
and form a convergent boundary. This
happens when one plate is subducted
or moves beneath another plate.

There are two plates distinguished in

convergent boundaries: continental
plates and oceanic plates. Continental
plates are those lithospheric plates that
lie beneath the continents. Those that
lie beneath the ocean are oceanic
plates.

There are three types of convergent

boundaries. The first type occurs when
two continental plates collide. Here, the
continental rocks that are caught in
between are compressed, wrinkled, and
lifted up. Mountain ranges are formed
out of this process.

The second type of convergent

boundary creates a deep oceanic
trench where one oceanic plate is
subducted under another oceanic plate.
Subduction leads to melting of rocks in
the mantle. The magma will then rise to
Earth’s surface. This results in the
formation of undersea volcanoes which
are typically strung out in chains called
island arcs. (Pacific Ocean)

A continental plate and an oceanic plate

may collide and form the third type of
convergent boundaries. The plates
undergo subduction which creates a
trench. Volcanoes occur at subduction
zones.

Transform-Fault Boundaries
Transform-fault boundaries are where
two plates slide past each other in
opposite directions. Most of these faults
are found on the ocean floor. A few,
however, occur on land. A good
example of this type is the famous San
Andreas Fault in California, U.S.A.

E. Generalization
To check your understanding for our
today’s lesson, let us have quick review.
Continental Drift Theory, Seafloor
What are the theories formulated to Spreading, Theory of Plate Tectonics
explain the changes in Earth’s crust?
Pangaea
Under the Continental Drift Theory,
what is the name of the supercontinent? Puzzle like “fit of the continents”,
similarity in the rock layers, tillites, and
fossils.
 What are the evidences that that
Pangaea exist? Ocean floor is extended when two
plates move apart.
What is the process of seafloor
spreading? Divergent, Convergent, and Transform-
fault boundaries
What are the mechanism under theory
of Plate Tectonic?

F. Application
Direction: Identify what is being ask. Divergent Plate Boundary

1. This boundary forms when two or

more plates move away from Transform Plate Boundary
each other.
2. This boundary forms when two
plates slide past each other in Convergent Plate Boundary
opposite directions.
3. This boundary forms when plates
collide with each other, and one
plate is subducted beneath Pangaea
another plate.
4. What is the name of the Alfred Wegener
supercontinent?
5. Who is the scientist behind
Continental Drift Theory and “all
land”

IV. Evaluation
Direction: Complete the table below and write the specific term.
Plate Movement Plate Boundary What is formed?
1. Convergent boundary Mountains

2. 3. Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Two plates are neither 4. San Andreas Fault

spreading apart nor colliding
with each other.
5. Convergent boundary 6.

A continental plate and an 7. Subduction zones

oceanic plate are colliding with
each other.

V. Assignment
Research and study about Volcanic activities and Earthquakes.