EARTH SYSTEMS UNIT PLAN

Earth Systems Grade 3

Title of Unit
Level
Curriculum Science Time 13 days
Area(s) Frame
Kash Chowdhury
Developed by

IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

Programs of Study Foundations
What program foundations form the emphasis of the unit? What big ideas from the program of studies will you include?

Students analyze changes in Earth’s surface and explain how its layers hold stories of the past

Essential Question
What is the big, overarching question guiding your unit plan?

• How does Earth’s layers change over time?

• How does Earth’s layers record stories from the past?

Unit Plan Outcomes

What are the program of studies general outcomes and specific competencies to be covered in your unit?
What will students understand, be able to do, be able to apply?

• Earth’s surface contains layers that have been deposited over long periods of time
• Soil includes
o Living plants and animals
o Decaying plants and animals
o Rock particles
o Air
o Water
• Changes to Earth’s surface can be shared through
o Scientific knowledge

Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)

 o Stories
o Traditional knowledge
• Natural events that can change Earth’s surface in a short period of time include
o Floods
o Landslides
o Earthquakes
o Volcanoes
• Changes that can occur to Earth’s surface over a long period of time include
o Glaciers moving, advancing and receding
• Ice moves material as it flows
• Glaciers are remnants of thick ice sheets that once covered Canada
• Melting glacier ice creates runoff that forms and maintains rivers in Alberta
• Earth is warming from natural and human causes, accelerating melting of glaciers

LESSON PLAN SEQUENCE/OUTCOMES

How will you assess

What is the primary whether learning has
Time in What are the primary primary activities in this
Lesson # objective of this lesson in occurred in each lesson?
Lesson lesson?
your own words? How will you employ
formative assessment?

1. Earth’s 30 mins/1 Students learn basic • Students watch powerpoint and fill in • Collected work
Layers Intro day information about Earth’s worksheet
layers

120 mins/2
2. Earth’s days Students reinforce learning • Students create two different models of • Completed work
Layers Crafts about Earth’s layers Earth’s layers • Checklist

3. Earth’s 60 mins/ 1 Students will refresh their • Watch experiment • Completed work
Layers day knowledge of what each • Complete assessment worksheet • Checklist
Review layer is made of and
complete an assessment
task
Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)
 Students will learn about
different components found
4. Soil 95 mins/ in soil like living and dead
Investigation 2 days plants and animals, rock
particles, air and water
• Complete group models • Observation
• Complete diagram of model • Completed work
• Checklist

5. Floods 35 mins/ 1 Students will learn about • Conduct class research for floods • Checklist
day floods and how they change • Learn about 2013 Calgary Flood • Interaction
Earth’s surface

6. Landslides 60 mins/ 1 Students will learn about • Group experiment on different conditions • Interaction
day landslides and how they for landslides
change Earth’s surface • Learn about Frank Slide

7. Earthquake 55 mins/ 1 Students will learn about • Pairs build earthquake-proof houses • Completed
Inquiry day earthquakes and how they • Look at before and after earthquake experiment
change Earth’s surface pictures • Interaction
• Connect to other natural disasters • Checklist

8. Volcanoes 120 Students will learn about • Each student fills out KW sections of KWL • Completed work
mins/2days volcanoes and how they chart • Interaction
change Earth’s surface • Class does volcano experiment • Checklist
• Class fills out L section together using
powerpoint

9. Glaciers 110 mins/ Students will learn about • Each student fills out KW sections of KWL • Completed work
2 days glaciers and how they chart • Interaction
change Earth’s surface in • Class does glacier experiment • Checklist
Alberta • Class fills out L section together using
powerpoint

Adapted from Wiggins, Grant & J. McTighe (1998)