SIOPLessonPlan

Grade,Class,andSubject
:SixthGradeScience-FossilEvidenceforContinentalDrift(biology,
geology,geography)

UnitTheme:
HowcanweuseknowledgeofEarthspasttopredictEarths(andhumankinds)future?

STANDARDS
UnitContentStandards:

MS-ESS2-3.

Analyzeandinterpretmapsshowingthedistributionoffossilsandrocks,continentalshapes,and
seafloorstructurestoprovideevidencethatEarthsplateshavemovedgreatdistances,collided,
andspreadapart.

[ClarificationStatement:Mapsmayshowsimilaritiesofrockandfossiltypesondifferent
continents,theshapesofthecontinents(includingcontinentalshelves),andthelocationsofocean
structures(suchasridges,fracturezones,andtrenches).][AssessmentBoundary:Paleomagnetic
anomaliesinoceanicandcontinentalcrustarenotassessed.Doesnotincludemechanismsforplate
motion.]

OBJECTIVES
ContentObjectives:

Attheendofthislesson,studentswillbeabletoexplainthereasoningbehindhowfossils
areusedasevidenceforcontinentaldrift.
Studentswillbeabletoread,interpretandmapsmapssuggestingthatthereisfossil
evidenceforcontinentaldrift.

Language/SkillsObjectives:

Thestudentswillbeabletoexplainwhatthegenerallayoutofthecontinentswerewhen
thosefossilizedanimalswereliving.
Studentswillmakealistrecallingqualitiesofaspeciesthattheylearnedinpreviousclasses.
Studentsdiscusswitheachotheranswerstoquestions
Studentswillplotlocationsonmapsusinglongitudeandlatitude(fromsocialstudiesclass)

Kid-friendly
:

Likeapaleontologistyouaregoingtoplotthelocationswherefossilshavebeenfoundall
overtheworld.Thenyouaregoingtotheorizewhythosefossilshavebeenfoundinthose
locations.

LESSONCONTEXT
Overview:
Previoustothislesson,thestudentshavelearnedaboutevolution,howfossilsareformedand
about4specificorganisms-Cynognathus,Mesosaurus,GlossopterisandLystrosaurus.Followingthis
lessonwewilluseaCERgraphicorganizerinordertoputtogetheraclaimabouttheodd
positioningofthefossilizedremainsofthesefourorganisms.Studentswillthenlearnthatthereis
aformaltheory,thetheoryofcontinentaldrift,whichexplainswheretheseanimalslived.
StudentswillalsolearnaboutPangeaandexaminehowthecontinentsmovedtogetfromtheir
placementinPangeatotheircurrentdaylocation.

KeyVocabulary:

Tier2words

Tier3words

theorize
extinction
geologictimescale
fossils
organisms
trends
reptile
predator
characteristic

cynognathus
mesosaurus
glossopteris
lystrosaurus
herbivorous
latitude
longitude
marine

SupplementaryMaterials:
classroomgeologictimescale
donowhandout
maptoplotcoordinatesonwithexamplesfilledout
map
tousethefollowingdayorattheendofthediscussiontoprovideavisualfor
continentaldrift

SIOPFeatures

Preparation
Adaptionofcontent
Linkstobackground
Linkstopastlearning
Strategiesincorporated

Scaffolding
Modeling
GuidedPractice
IndependentPractice
ComprehensibleInput

GroupingOptions
Wholeclass
Smallgroup
Partners
Independent

IntegrationofProcesses
Reading
Writing
Speaking
Listening

Application
Hands-on
Meaningful
Linkedtoobjectives
Promotesengagement

Assessment
Individual
Group
Written
Oral

LessonSequence
Day1

DoNow(alsoBridgeactivity):

Usingyournotes/previousworksheets,chooseoneofthefollowingplantsandanimalsandlist1-3
qualitiesofthatorganism:
Cynognathus(ex.apredatorymammal-likereptilethatlivedonlandandwasaboutameter
long.)
Mesosaurus(ex.apredatorymarinereptilethatresembledmoderndaycrocodiles.lived
alongcoastlines)
Glossopteris(ex.awoodyshrubortreewithseedstoolargetobeairborne)
Lystrosaurus(ex.apigsizedherbivorousmammal-likereptilethatlivedonland.Ithadhuge
frontlegsthatsuggestsitburrowedintotheground.)

ReviewtheDoNow:
TogoovertheDoNow,Iwillrecordanswersontheboardforallfouranimals,writingthemsothat
studentsgetachancetofillinmissingblanksontheirownsheetiftheyneedto.Studentswillalso
beabletotakenotesontheanimalstheydidntchoose.

ContextinGeologicTime:
Theclassroomwillalreadyhaveageologictimescalesetupwitheventsthatthestudentshave
researchedandpostedonthetimescale,suchaswhendinosaursexperiencedamassextinction.
Thegeologictimescalewillhaveabigarrowthatshowswhatpointintimewearetalkingabout
today.Wewillarrowtotheappropriatelocationonourclassroomgeologictimelinesothat
everyoneknowswhereinEarthshistorywewillbetoday.

InordertoprovidesomecontextforwhereweareinEarthshistory,theteacherwillaskthe
studentstopointtovariousimportanteventssuchaswhenthefirstlifeevolved,thefirsthumans
walkedtheearth.

FossilLocationsActivity:
Eachmemberofthefourpersontablegroupswillreceive:
Onequarterofthismap(sothattogetherthetablecancreateafullworldmap):
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/testmaps/latlong.gif
Alistofgeographiccoordinatesthatcorrespondtoeachstudentssectionofthemap
Fourcoloredpencils,oneforeachofourfourfossilizedorganisms

Thestudentswillchartthelocationsthatfossilswerefoundintheirquadrantofthemap.Each
colorwillrepresentoneorganism.Theselocationsrepresentwherethoseanimalslivedduringtheir
lifetime.Whenthestudentsarefinishedwiththeirsections,theywilltapetogethereachquarter
ofthemap.

Theteachershouldmodelhowtochartthesepointsandcolorcodethemproperlybeforethe
studentsstartontheirown.Writteninstructionsareincludedonsheetaswellasspokendirections
andmodeling.

Discussion:

Onebyonethefollowingquestionsontheboard.Studentswilldiscussthequestionswiththeir
tablemates.Afterdiscussionasatable,studentswillsharewiththerestoftheclasswhatthey
thought.Asstudentsshare,wewillprojecttheirmapontheboardinorderto

1.
Howdothelocationsofthesefossilfindsrelatetowherethatactualspecieslived?
2.
Whattrendsdoyounoticeinthelocationsofthefossilfinds?
3.
Whydoyouthinkthoseorganismslivedintheplacestheydid?
4.
Discusswithyourgroupreasonswhyonespeciesmaybefoundonmultiplecontinents.

4principlesforsuccess

IncreaseComprehensibility
- usepicturesondonowtohelpremindkidswhatthecomplicatedscientificnamesmean
- useanactualformtofilloutfortheDoNowratherthanhavethemcopyitdownfromthe
board-thishelpsreducedistractionbytheprocessofthedonow
IncreaseInteraction
- studentsneedtoworkwitheachothertocreateacompletemap.thisbothdecreases
theirindividualworkloadaswellasallowsthemtoseewhatotherstudentsaredoingty
arenotsurewhattodo
- studentsdiscusstheanswerstoquestionsbeforeweshareasanentiregroup-thisallows
themtopracticetheiranswerbeforesayingtoalargergroup.thiscanalsobemodified
forpairsratherthangroupsoffour.
IncreaseThinkingSkills
- Studentsbothhavetocompleteskillbasedhands-ontasks(plottingcoordinates)butthen
theyhavetocomeupwithasolutionforaconceptualproblem(howdidthesamespecies
endupondifferentcontinents)
IncreaseConnectionstoStudentsLivesandCultures
- thislessonispartofalargerunitgearedathelpingstudentsunderstandourplaceasa
speciesinallofgeologictime.
- mappingthefossilfindsmaycoincidewithinternationalstudentshomecountries

PotentialPitfalls
OnethingIamalwaysconcernedaboutwhendoinganinquiry-basedlessonisthatyoucanattempt
toleadthestudentstotherightanswerthroughthequestionsyouask,butthereisalwaysthe
opportunitythattheywillnotgettheplaceyouwantthemtobe.Inthecontextofthislesson,
studentsmisconceptionsmightinclude:
thefossilfindsdonotaccuratelyrepresentwherethosespecieslivedbecauseonefossilfind
onlyrepresentsoneanimal
thefossilfindsdonotaccuratelyrepresentwherethosespecieslivedbecausethatanimal
couldhavelivedsomewhereelseandthenmigratedtooneareabeforeitdied
theanimalsmayhaveswumbetweenthecontinents
theremustbesomeotherreasonotherthancontinentaldriftthatexplainshowthese
animalsendeduponmultiplecontinents
Itsmyjobasateachertogivethestudentsenoughinformationtoseethatnoneofthese
misconceptionscouldbetrue,andtoseethatcontinentaldriftisbyfarthemostlikelysolutionto
thisconundrum,whichisverydifficulttodoinashortperiodoftime.

AnotherconcernIhaveforELLstudentsspecificallyisthatImrelyingontheirabilitytoplot
coordinateswhichtheyhopefullylearnedinanotherclass.Thislessonwouldbecomemuchmore
difficultifallthestudentswereconfusedabouthowtoplotcoordinatesandIhadtoreteachthem
beforehand.Theprocessofplottingcoordinatesmightdrownoutanymeaningtheywouldfindin
theresultingmap.