TTE 324

Science Lesson Plan

Title of Lesson: Volcanos, Magma and Tectonic Plates

Grade Level: First grade
Time Needed: One hour
Lesson Overview
This is a brief paragraph that describes what the lesson is about. Be sure to
describe the context for the lesson as well (does this lesson fit into a sequence
that your mentor teacher is teaching, or is it a stand-alone lesson, etc.),
organization of groups (for example, is this a whole class lesson or will students
collaborate in pairs or small groups?), and any special circumstances.

This lesson is about the movement of tectonic plates and volcanic explosions (effusive
and explosive). My mentor teacher has been teaching about earth science all semester, and
students are currently learning about rocks and soil, so this lesson will help them gain a more
well-rounded understanding of what they are already being taught. The lesson will begin with a
science talk, then students will split into two groups, one led by my mentor teacher and one by
myself. One group will model the movements of tectonic plates using marshmallow fluff and
graham crackers, the other will simulate an effusive volcanic explosion with vinegar and
baking soda, then the groups will switch. The whole class will go outside to witness an
“explosive volcanic explosion” using Coca-Cola and Mentos. Then the class will discuss the
experiments and watch videos showing the real-life phenomena.

Driving Question: How does magma move the Earth’s surface and erupt from volcanos?
Ideal Response: Flowing magma under the Earth’s surface causes tectonic plates to move
which can create canyons, mountains, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
Disciplinary Core Ideas (From NGSS)

E1: The composition of the Earth and its atmosphere and the natural and human processes
occurring within them shape the Earth’s surface and its climate.

Scientific and Engineering Practices (From NGSS)

Explain what each practice will look like in this lesson; what are the students
doing when they engage in each practice you list. Ex: Students will ask questions
about how we hear sounds.

1. developing and using models – students will model movement of tectonic plates and volcanic
eruptions using graham crackers, marshmallow fluff, baking soda, vinegar, Coca-Cola, and
Mentos.

Learning Goals
• KNOWING (main idea): What science content do you want your students to
learn? Ex: Students will know that...
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1. Magma is underneath the Earth’s crust

2. Magma moves tectonic plates in three ways
3. There are two types of volcanic explosions

• DOING: What do you want your students to be able to do as a result of

engaging in your lesson. Ex: Students will be able to….
1. Demonstrate the three ways in which tectonic plates move using graham crackers and
marshmallow fluff
2. Identify the two types of volcanic explosions

Language Learning Goals

 Goals for speaking, reading, and writing in science
 Considerations/Accommodations for English learners at various proficiency
levels

1. Use the term “tectonic plates,” “magma” and “volcano”

2. Differentiate between “converge” “diverge” and “transform”
3. Differentiate between “effusive eruption” and “explosive eruption”

1. Teach vocabulary
2. Model sentence structure
3. Allow students to represent some of their ideas using drawings

Student Science Toolkits

 Describe how your lesson connects to and builds on students’ initial ideas
about the science topic.

Students have been learning about Earth Science all semester. They started by learning
about seeds and plants, and now they are learning about rocks and soil. This lesson will
give them a foundation to understanding the formation of some rocks (volcanic
explosions), and it will also give them a deeper understanding of the Earth’s crust and
formation of mountains, canyons, etc. This lesson will build on the Earth Science
curriculum and promote a well-rounded understanding of natural phenomena.

 Describe how your lesson connects to and builds on students’ funds of

knowledge.

The lesson will begin with a science talk, which is an opportunity for students to
share any background knowledge that they have regarding the lesson. This portion of the
lesson mostly entails the teacher listening to the students; the questions are relatively
open-ended and there are no wrong answers.

 Describe how your lesson connects to Indigenous Ways of Knowing.

While students make their drawings of the volcanic eruptions, tell them how
stories of volcanic eruptions have been preserved for thousands of years with
indigenous art – for example, drawings found on cave walls.
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https://www.iflscience.com/environment/true-story-volcanic-eruption-told-
aboriginals-7000-years/page-2/

Materials
Distinguish between the materials you will need and the materials your students
will need. Be sure to include quantities (for instance, will you need materials for
each student, or a set of materials for each group?) and amounts. Please include
any handouts or work sheets in your listing.

1.5 graham crackers per student (33)

One large jar of marshmallow fluff
Paper plates
One spoon
Handouts for students to draw observations (22)

Fake volcano (Cardboard)

One box baking soda
One bottle vinegar
Handouts (22)

One pack of Mentos

One 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola

Computer and projector to show videos

Preparation
Describe the set-up, including how materials will be organized and how students
will be grouped. Be sure to consider how you will handle the distribution and
clean- up of materials.

Students will be called to each activity by their regular table group names (e.g. Orange group
and purple group with Ms. Gomez, other groups with Ms. Camille). Advanced group and
lowest group will be together, medium groups will be together.
Plates with marshmallow fluff and graham crackers will be prepared ahead of time and set on
tables for students. The plates for the second group will be ready in the back of the classroom.
The fake volcano, measuring cups, and ingredients will be ready on the other table.
Before the switch, kids will clean their stations.

Safety
Describe any safety precautions that must be considered before, during, or after
the lesson.

Kids will be required to wash hands before activities

Kids will receive half of a graham cracker to eat at the end of the lesson, but they are not
allowed to eat anything used in the experiment

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Kids need to be told to stand at least 10 feet away during the Coca-Cola and Mentos part of the
experiment

Lesson
First, outline your lesson. Break down each step. Each step will be an activity. For
example, a discussion, a demonstration, a hands-on activity, and reading from a
book are all different activities, even though they are part of the same lesson.
Each activity should serve a purpose or function in your lesson plan. Include I-AIM
stages and functions (i.e. Question: Establish a question). Every lesson will not
include all of the I-AIM functions. However, be sure your lesson includes
stages and functions that will:
1. Introduce or re-connect to the driving question - Your lessons should
ALWAYS include an opening activity that lets students know what the
driving question is and what they will be doing in the day’s science lesson.
2. Elicit and build on student ideas/funds of knowledge throughout the lesson.
3. Have experiences before explanations (if your lesson is just about
explanations, be sure to make clear what experiences students had in prior
lessons that you are referring to in the explanations).
4. Closing that refers back to the driving question -Your lessons should
ALWAYS include a closing activity that reviews the day’s activities and
what students should have learned.
Then, describe each activity in enough detail that someone else could teach it. It
is helpful to write this out step-by-step. Questions to consider as you write this
part of your lesson plan include: What will you do? What will your students do?
What transitions will you use between activities or places in the classroom? What
questions will you ask students during the lesson (either to the whole class or to
small groups as you walk around)?
Include 3-5 activities

1 Title: Science Talk I-AIM Stage & Function

Question
Establish a question or problem
Elicit students’ initial ideas
Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what
the teacher says/does.
Teacher asks some questions to the students just to find out what they know. There
are no wrong answers in the science talk, the teacher should mostly just listen.
1. How do you think mountains are formed?
2. How do you think the Grand Canyon was formed?
3. What is an Earthquake? What causes Earthquakes?
4. What is underneath the ground outside?
5. What is a volcano? What do volcanoes do?

1. ¿Cómo crees que se forman las montañas?

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2. ¿Cómo crees que se formó el Gran Cañón?

3. ¿Qué es un terremoto? ¿Qué causa los terremotos?
4. ¿Qué hay debajo del suelo afuera?
5. ¿Qué es un volcán? ¿Qué hacen los volcanes?

Assessment:
What will you look for in student talk/writing/activity that will tell you what students
are thinking? Be sure to align with your knowings and doings.

Students are making thoughtful remarks, putting effort into their answers, listening
to and respecting their peers.

Accommodations/Adaptations:
What accommodations are necessary for students with special needs? How will you
support students who at various levels of Spanish language development?

Provide extra time to talk

Help guide their thinking/speaking process when needed by asking guiding
questions and suggesting words

2 Graham Crackers and Marshmallow I-AIM Stage & Function

Fluff as Tectonic Plates
Explore and Investigate
Explore phenomena for patterns
Identify patterns
Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what
the teacher says/does.
1. Each student receives a worksheet that has space for them to draw their
observations of each type of tectonic plate movement. The types of
movements are represented using arrows.
2. Each student receives a plate with a graham cracker that has been broken
into two parts on top of a dollop of marshmallow fluff
3. The teacher has a plate as well so that she can demonstrate. She instructs
the students:
a. “Pull your graham crackers apart,” (diverging) then
b. “Move one graham cracker up and the other graham cracker down,”
(transform) then
c. “Push your graham crackers together so that one goes under the other
one,” (converging) then
d. “Push your graham crackers so that they both break” (converging).

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4. After each movement, the students will have three minutes to make a
drawing of what they observed.
a. "Separa tus galletas graham", (divergiendo) luego
b. “Mueve una galleta Graham hacia arriba y la otra galleta Graham hacia abajo,”
(transformar) luego
c. "Empuje sus galletas Graham juntas para que un pase por debajo de la otra"
(convergente) y luego
d. "Empuje sus galletas Graham para que ambos se rompan" (convergentes).

Assessment:
What will you look for in student talk/writing/activity that will tell you what students
are thinking? Be sure to align with your knowings and doings.

Their drawings should at least somewhat resemble what happens in the

experiment.

The students might ask questions or make meaningful verbal observations.

Accommodations/Adaptations:
What accommodations are necessary for students with special needs? How will you
support students who at various levels of English language development?

Using a visual demonstration paired with verbal instruction.

Appeals to the senses.

Pair students who have low language proficiency with students who have high
language proficiency.

3 Vinegar and Baking Soda as an Effusive I-AIM Stage & Function

Volcanic Eruption
Explore and Investigate
Explore phenomena for patterns
Identify patterns
Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what
the teacher says/does.
1. Students make a hypothesis using a sentence starter: When I
add______________ to ______________, I predict that it will look like
(give them three minutes to make a drawing)
2. Students measure one cup of vinegar and one-half cup of baking soda
3. Students place the baking soda underneath a fake volcano
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4. Students dump the vinegar on top of the baking soda

5. Students draw what they observed

1. Los estudiantes hacen una hipótesis usando un iniciador de oraciones: cuando

agrego ______________ a ______________, predigo que se verá así
(Dales tres minutos para hacer un dibujo)
2. Los estudiantes miden una taza de vinagre y media taza de bicarbonato de sodio
3. Los estudiantes colocan el bicarbonato de soda debajo de un falso volcán.
4. Los estudiantes tiran el vinagre encima del bicarbonato de sodio.
5. Los alumnos dibujan lo que observaron.

Assessment:
What will you look for in student talk/writing/activity that will tell you what students
are thinking? Be sure to align with your knowings and doings.

Thoughtful hypothesis and semi-accurate drawing of chemical reaction

Attention when directions are given, full participation during activity
Asking questions when confused

Accommodations/Adaptations:
What accommodations are necessary for students with special needs? How will you
support students who at various levels of Spanish language development?

Pair students with low language proficiency with students who have higher
language proficiency
Let students use drawing to explain their thinking
Pause at intervals to explain what is happening

4 Coca-Cola and Mentos as an Explosive I-AIM Stage & Function

Volcanic Eruption
Explore and Investigate
Explore phenomena for patterns
Identify patterns
Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what
the teacher says/does.
1. This part of the lesson is mostly a demonstration
2. After both groups have finished the previous activities, the whole class will
move outside
3. The students will watch as teachers add Mentos to Coca-Cola.

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1. Esta parte de la lección es principalmente una demostración.

2. Una vez que ambos grupos hayan terminado las actividades anteriores, toda la
clase se moverá fuera
3. Los estudiantes observarán cómo los maestros agregan Mentos a Coca-Cola.

Assessment:
What will you look for in student talk/writing/activity that will tell you what students
are thinking? Be sure to align with your knowings and doings.
Students are paying attention
Student talk is mostly regarding the activity
Students are curious/excited about the experiment
Accommodations/Adaptations:
What accommodations are necessary for students with special needs? How will you
support students who at various levels of Spanish language development?

Students with hearing or vision impairments could stand near the front
This activity does not require a lot of language use as it is mostly visual

5 Title: Discussion and Videos I-AIM Stage & Function

Explain
Students explain patterns
Introduce scientific ideas
Compare student and scientific
ideas
Step-by-step directions for teaching. Include what students do and what
the teacher says/does.
Teacher will ask students to describe what they observed, their thoughts about it,
what surprised them, questions they have, patterns they observed, and possible
connections to real life.
Teacher will play these videos (the second one can be skipped if short on time) and
take questions and comments after the videos. Teacher will help students make
connections between videos and experiments.
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrXAGY1dmE (tectonic plates 1
minute)
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-HwPR_4mP4 (tectonic plates and
natural disasters – 7 minutes)
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J6X9PsAR5w (effusive eruptions –
only need to watch for about 30 seconds)
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4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ys7uPivBLg (explosive eruptions –

only need to watch for about 30 seconds)

There will be some time for questions and comments after each video
Assessment:
What will you look for in student talk/writing/activity that will tell you what students
are thinking? Be sure to align with your knowings and doings.

Students are asking thoughtful questions

Students are making connections between experiments and videos
Students are paying attention
Students can describe experiments and outcomes

Accommodations/Adaptations:
What accommodations are necessary for students with special needs? How will you
support students who at various levels of English language development?

Pause videos at intervals to explain what is happening

Ask questions to check for understanding
Let students sit near the front if helpful
Let students go to the other part of the classroom if the video is a trigger

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Lesson Artifacts
Attach copies of any handouts, activity sheets, overheads, etc. (These may be
turned in as hard copies in class).

Nombre___________________________________ Fecha________________

Dibuja las galletas graham divergentes

Dibuja las galletas graham transformadoras

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Dibuja las galletas graham convergentes

Dibuja las galletas graham convergentes

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Nombre__________________________________________ Fecha_____________

Cuando agrego ______________ a ______________, predigo que se verá así:

Que pasó:

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Bibliography/Sources
What sources did you use in the creation of this lesson plan? Did you build from
any existing materials? If so, list them here. Please include URLs for websites if
applicable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrXAGY1dmE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-HwPR_4mP4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J6X9PsAR5w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ys7uPivBLg

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For details on grading categories, please see complete rubric in on D2l.

Category Criteria for Exceeds Expectations Your Points &
Comments
Thorough overview that gives the context of
Lesson Overview
the lesson, how the lesson fits with previous or
following lessons, and any special
3 points
circumstances.
Driving question frames the lesson; is
relevant, interesting, and motivating for
students, requires an explanation; and is
clearly related to knowings/ doings.

Driving Question Driving question is presented to students and

and Ideal students have an opportunity to share ideas.
Response Ideal response correctly identifies and
describes important big ideas related to the
5 points lesson; is appropriate for grades level; and
clearly relates to all knowings/doings and
driving question.
Driving question and ideal response address
feedback from learning goals assignment.
Identifies and defines relevant Disciplinary
Core Ideas from the NGSS/Framework for K-
12 Science Education
Standards
Identifies and defines relevant practices from
3 points
the NGSS/Framework for K-12 Science
Education
Disciplinary Core Ideas and Scientific Practices
are intertwined.
Knowings identify what students will know at
the end of the lesson
Doings identify what students will be able to
do with their new knowledge after completing
the lesson (Knowings)

Learning Goals All practices are identified and described

accurately and fully.

5 points Language goals and accommodations for dual

language learning are appropriate, relevant,
and complete.
Written in correct format
Sufficient to address driving question
Knowings and doings completely address and
aligned with standards.
Student Toolkits Insightful description of how lesson activities
connect to and build on students’ science
10 points ideas.

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Insightful description of how lesson activities

connect to and build on student funds of
knowledge.

Insightful description of how lesson activities

connect to and build on Indigenous Ways of
Knowing.

Materials, Materials, preparation, and safety issues are

Safety, anticipated and thoroughly described.
Preparation
Materials and preparation completely identify
what’s needed for whole class and/or small
5 points groups including quantities.

Experiences with phenomena precede

explanations in the lesson.
Experiences provide students with
opportunities to see patterns. Patterns are
clearly identified and made visible to students.
Activities functions are identified and clearly
relate to I-AIM.
Includes an opening activity and a closing
Activity activity that reflect the driving question.
Sequence
Activity sequence provides opportunities to
elicit and probe student thinking.
15 points
Activity sequence engages students in
scientific practices identified in learning goals.
Activity sequence includes speaking, reading,
and writing in science.
All activities address the learning goals
Activities described in excellent detail to
understand the activity and guide teaching.
15 points
All science content is integrated throughout
Science Content
lesson, is accurately represented in more than
one form and does not present
5 points
misconceptions.
Formative assessments included for all
activities.
Assessment measures for all activities are
Assessment described and are linked to learning goals.

7 points All learning goals are assessed.

Formative & summative assessments are
described in detail, including complete
indicators of student performance.

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All necessary student needs are

accommodated for, including special needs
and language development accommodations
Accommodations
for each activity.
5 points Lesson plan demonstrates thoughtful attention
to detail when planning accommodations for
special needs and language development.

Bibliography and Includes complete and properly formatted

Sources bibliography of resources and relevant artifacts
used to prepare the lesson plan
2 points
Total = 65
points

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