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Science of the Comstock - Lesson Plans

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Earth Science

Introduction

This section presents three lesson plans that refer to the material in the Earth Science section: Mapping, Local Geology, and Regional Geology. The first section, mapping, stresses the development of the skills of working maps. It is interactive on the site (Earth Science, Mapping) and this plan suggests ways of using the lesson. The local geology and regional geology lessons both involve reading and discussing the background information presented.

Mapping Unit - Lesson Plans

Author: Lindsay Craig

Unit Title: Mapping

Lesson Titles: Contour Maps, Global Positioning and Time Zones

Grade Level: 9-12

Curricular Goals and/or Educational Standards: From Nevada Educational Standard 11.12.3 students investigate, design and use contour maps and from 11.12.4, students define locations on the Earth in terms of latitude, longitude and time zones. From the National Science Standards, CONTENT STANDARD E, Science and Technology: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop abilities of technological design and understandings about science and technology. This unit by design directly address exceeds the benchmarks set by the state and national standards listed above.

Unit Overview and Goals: These lessons are designed for the high school Earth Science student and they directly address their cognitive learning needs while taking in key aspects of the national and Nevada state educational standards. This unit integrates the sequential study of three associated topics: 1) Contour Maps, 2) Global Positioning and 3) Time Zones into three different self guided Internet based lessons. The unit goals are to develop the student’s understanding of the three topics listed above with perspective of discussions and focus of activities taken from examples of Nevada’s famous Virginia City/Comstock Lode.

Lesson 1: Contour Maps

Lesson Overview: This lesson is intended to be an investigation into reading of, and modeling from, a standard USGS topography (contour) map.

Time Resources: This lesson is designed for a time period of 90 minutes.

Objectives: Students will be able to investigate and design contour maps and model landscapes using contour maps.

Educational Instruction:

Activity #1, Paragraph writing, What is a Map? – 5-10 minutes.

Reading: 5-10 minutes.

Question Form: 5 minutes.

Activity #2, Creating a Contour Map and Model – 40 minutes

Reading and Activity #3, Creating a Shaded Relief Map – 35 Minutes.

Materials Needed: The materials needed for this lesson include, pencil and notebook paper (to create contour map), push pins (to locate contour line on cardboard), shears (to cut along contour lines on cardboard), 10 notebook paper size cardboard rectangles/per student (to create the topographic model) and glue for the model layers.

Assessment: Assessment is to be made of the student’s paragraph writing. Other assessment is embedded in informal questions within the text and within a formal assessment quiz inclusive of entire unit at the end of the unit lessons.

Lesson 2: Global Positioning

Lesson Overview: This lesson is intended to be an investigation into the use of latitude and longitude positioning grids.

Time Resources: This lesson is designed for a time period of 75 minutes.

Objectives: Students will be able to read and plot latitude and longitude positions on a map, and create a map using latitude and longitude coordinates.

Educational Instruction: Reading and interactive questioning on Latitude and Longitude m - 15 minutes.

Activity #1, Creating a Latitude and Longitude Grid on a Paper Map – 30 minutes

Activity #2, Creating a Map using Latitude and Longitude Coordinates – 30 minutes.

Materials: The materials needed for this lesson include the paper map the students created from the lesson on Contour Maps (Activity #2) ruler and access to a world globe.

Assessment: Assessment is embedded in informal questions within the main text and within a formal assessment quiz inclusive of entire unit at the end of the unit lessons.

Lesson 3: Time Zones

Lesson Overview: This lesson is intended to be an investigation of world time zones based on correlation with longitude.

Time Resources: This lesson is designed for a time period of 60 minutes.

Objectives: Students will be able calculate approximate time globally based on longitude information and they will be able to investigate real time global maps of time zones online.

Educational Instruction:

Reading: 10 minutes.

Activity #1, Image Manipulation and Questions - 20 minutes.

Activity #2, Describing real world time zones on Internet based maps – 20 minutes.

Quiz, unit summary quiz: 10 minutes.

Materials: Students will need access to a printer or the image within the lesson needs to be copied onto paper for the student’s use. Note book paper and pencil is needed for paragraph writing or access to a word processor is needed.

Assessment: Embedded in informal questions within the text and writing Activity #1 and formal assessment quiz inclusive of entire unit is at the end of the unit lessons.

All original materials, activities, and text were created for use this unit, "Proudly Home Made in Nevada."