Sculpting the Earth
A Classrooms Unleashed Program
for Sixth Grade Students
Sculpting the Earth focuses on the various types of geologic changes to the Earth’s crust. Students become geologists and learn about how plate movements cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain formation. In addition, they learn about how rivers are formed and how boulders are weathered down into pebbles. In addition to a field study at a nearby nature area, we provide an in-classroom lesson as part of the Sculpting the Earth program.
All of our lessons are backward designed from Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core for sixth grade. In addition to the Sierra Nevada Journeys-led lessons, classroom teachers will be provided with 3-4 easy-to-use learning experiences to reinforce concepts and vocabulary, as well as pre- and post-assessments.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Classroom Lesson: CHANGES BENEATH OUR FEET
Student geologists use maps, diagrams and images, to look for clues to explain why earthquakes happen in some places and not in others. Students construct an understanding of plate tectonics, including the plate movements that cause earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain formation and seafloor spreading.
OUTDOORS at a Local Nature Area: GEOLOGISTS IN THE FIELD
At the field study, held at a nearby nature area, students use their observation skills to explore the outdoors and document evidence of weathering and erosion — as a real and natural process.
TEACHER INFORMATION
NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS
MS-ESS2-2: SEP: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; DCI: Earth’s Materials and Systems; CC: Scale Proportion and Quantity
COMMON CORE
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7