Reading the Landscape Level: 5th Grade Time Frame: Approximately 1 Quarter  Description: Students learn about mapping, about the history and structure of the Earth, and about the rock and water cycles and effects of erosion.

Overview Activity List Learning Objectives Standards Resources

Learning Objectives
Students will know and/or demonstrate:

•  Land forms are the natural physical features of the earth’s surface.

•  Various types of bodies of water cover two-thirds to three-fourths of the surface of the earth; the land under the water varies in physical features.

•  Land forms are the result of various forces acting on the earth’s surface.

• Rocks have different physical properties.

• Rocks are useful to human beings in many ways.

• Many rocks are composed of smaller parts called minerals.

• Rocks have some characteristics that can’t be seen, but can be “tested” for.

• Earth materials change over time, usually due to slow changes.

• Changes in rocks is called weathering, and it can be caused by wind, water, or anything that causes small pieces of rock to break off from larger rocks.

• Water, wind, and ice shape and reshape the earth’s land surface by eroding rock and soil in some areas and depositing them in other areas.

• The extent and type of erosion caused by water varies with the amount and force of water, the starting landforms, the composition of the rock and soil, etc.

• The solid earth is layered with a crust; hot, convecting mantle; and dense metallic core.

• Lithosphere is the name given to a rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust. The lithosphere is broken into very large separate sections called plates.  The plates fit closely together along cracks in the crust.

•  Lithospheric plates constantly move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the (soft, liquid) mantle that lies beneath them.

• The surface of the earth changes. Some changes are due to rapid processes, such volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.

• Earthquakes occur when large sections of rock in the earth’s crust suddenly break or shift, releasing energy in the form of vibrations.

•  Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur at plate boundaries; but they can also occur at other places where there are cracks or “hot spots” in the earth’s crust.

• A volcano is a weak spot in the crust where molten rock from the mantle comes to the surface.

• All of the earth processes discussed (fast or slow) play a role in the rock cycle.

• In the rock cycle, old rocks at the earth’s surface weather forming sediments that are buried, then compacted, heated, and often recrystallized into new rock. Eventually, those new rocks may be brought to the surface by the forces that drive plate motions, and the rock cycle continues.

• Three types of rock are formed in this cycle: igneous rocks are formed by the cooling and crystallizing of molten material (magma) from volcanoes; sedimentary rocks are formed from layers of sediment (sand, etc.) that are squeezed and cemented together under intense pressure; metamorphic rocks are changed by intense heat or pressure, deep inside the earth.

• Fossils form when layers of sediment (clay, silt, sand) cover a dead organism and solidify around it (form sedimentary rock).

• Fossils provide important evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed.

•  Illinois has changed over long periods of time and has been affected by many of the change factors discussed in this unit. The geologic history of Illinois can be determined by studying the “geologic records” provided by the landforms, rocks, soils, and fossils currently found in the area.

Students will practice:

• Formulating questions on a specific science topic and choosing the steps needed to answer the questions.

• Collecting data for investigations using scientific process skills including observing, estimating, and measuring.

• Constructing charts and visualizations to display data.

• Using data to produce reasonable explanations.

• Reporting and displaying the results of individual and group investigations.

Standards
Illinois State Standards: Late Elementary- As a result of their schooling, students will be able to:  

12E. Know and apply concepts that describe the features and processes of the earth and its resources

• Identify and explain natural cycles of the Earth’s land, water, and atmospheric systems (e.g., rock cycle)
• Describe and explain short-term and long-term interactions of the Earth’s components (e.g., erosion, earthquakes, etc.)

 11A. Know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of scientific inquiry

• Formulate questions on a specific science topic and choose the steps needed to answer the question.

• Collect data for investigations using scientific process skills including observing, estimating, and measuring.
• Construct charts and visualizations to display data.
• Use data to produce reasonable explanations.
• Report and display the results of individual and group investigations.

Illinois Science Assessment Framework- For the 7^th grade ISAT, students are expected to know the following concepts. This unit is not intended to cover all concepts in depth, but it should contribute to preparing students for the 7^th grade ISAT.

12.7.78    Understand that land forms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces. Understand the constructive forces include crustal formation, volcanic eruption, and deposition of sediment, whereas destructive forces include weathering and erosion

12.7.80  Understand that glaciers can move at a rate of centimeters per year, and that in the past, glacial movement has carved new geological features on various continents.

12.7.82 Understand that there are strata in many places in the crust of the earth. Understand that the crust of the earth is mostly igneous/metamorphic, with a relatively thin veneer of sedimentary rock in many, but not all places.

12.7.84  Understand that the solid Earth is layered with a crust, under which is a hot convecting mantle, and that at the center of the earth is a dense, metallic core.

12.7.85  Understand that some changes in the solid earth can be described as the rock cycle: rocks at the earth’s surface weather, forming sediments that are buried, then compacted, heated, and often recrystallized into new rock. Eventually, those new rocks may be brought to the surface by the forces that drive plate motions, and thus the rock cycle continues. Identify the three basic kinds of rock. Igneous rock is the result of cooled magma; granite, pumice, and scoria are examples. Sedimentary rock is the result of fine particles from eroded rocks being re-deposited by water or wind; sandstone and limestone are examples. Metamorphic rock is the result of rocks being changed by high temperatures and/or pressures; marble is an example.

12.7.89    Understand that the earth is about 4.6 billion years old and that life has existed on earth for over 3 billion years.

12.7.90    Understand that life on Earth has been changed by major catastrophes.

National Science Education Standards- As a result of activities in grades K-4 (5-8), students should develop an understanding of the following fundamental concepts and principles:

• The surface of the earth changes. Some changes are slow due to slow processes, such as erosion and weathering, and some changes are due to rapid processes, such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.
• The solid earth is layered with a lithosphere; hot, convecting mantle; and dense metallic core
• Lithospheric plates on the scales of continents and oceans constantly move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the mantle. Major geological events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from these plate motions
• Land forms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces. Constructive forces include crustal deformation, volcanic eruption, and deposition of sediment, while destructive forces include weathering and erosion
• Some changes in the solid earth can be described as the “rock cycle.” Old rocks at the earth’s surface weather forming sediments that are buried, then compacted, heated, and often recrystallized into new rock. Eventually, those new rocks may be brought to the surface by the forces that drive plate motions, and the rock cycle continues.
• The earth processes we see today, including erosion, movement of lithospheric plates, and changes in atmospheric composition, are similar to those that occurred in the past.
• Fossils provide important evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed.

Benchmarks for Science Literacy- By the end of 5^th grade, students should know:

• Waves, wind, and ice shape and reshape the earth’s land surface by eroding rock and soil in some areas and depositing them in other areas, sometimes in seasonal layers.
• Rock is composed of different combinations of minerals. Smaller rocks come from the breakage and weathering of bedrock and larger rocks.

Resources.

Champaign Community Unit School District #4 * Mellon Administrative Center
703 South New Street * Champaign, IL 61820 * 217.351.3800