Dynamic Earth: 5E Lesson | PBS NC Science
This aligned 5E Lesson Plan offers aligned, hands-on projects for Environmental Science
students and educators.
Lesson Summary
The Dynamic Earth 5E Lesson Plan includes hands-on projects and investigations that,
along with the accompanying Dynamic Earth Interactive Lesson, provides students with
a rich experience that blends classroom activities with personalized learning.
The Dynamic Earth blended lesson can serve as a complete curriculum that fully aligns to
North Carolina Essential Science Standards (specifically objectives ESS 6.2.1 and 6.2.2). Or,
the components that compose the Dynamic Earth 5E Lesson, as well as the Dynamic
Earth Interactive Lesson’s two animations—The Geosphere and The Moving Earth—
can serve as a collection of open educational resources (OERs) that teachers can use to
supplement other lesson plans.
The full Dynamic Earth 5E Lesson Plan is divided into three main sections:
The Introductory Activity, featuring an Engage project in which students dissect a boiled
egg and use it as a model to study the Earth’s layers.
Learning Activities, which include:
• An Explore project that sends students to five in-class stations to model and explore
Earth’s characteristics and dynamic actions.
• Three Explain activities that 1) sends students (individually, in teams, or as a class) to
the Dynamic Earth Interactive Lesson; and then asks them to 2) collect and compare
data sets of plate tectonics and landforms and 3) create a model of Earth’s interior.
Culminating Activities, which feature Extend and Evaluate components of the lesson.
Time Allotment
The entire Dynamic Earth Blended Lesson will take between six to ten class periods to
complete.
Prep for Teachers
Preview the media assets.
Work through the Dynamic Earth Interactive Lesson so you can become familiar with the
content, animations and interactive glossaries, and anticipate students' questions.
If students are using individual computers, tablets, or other devices, make sure the
interactive lesson is loaded and open to full screen on each device.
Preview the list of Supplies to be sure you have them or that they are easily attainable for
your class.
Print out handouts you will use for the lesson—you will of course want to make an
appropriate number of Student Handout copies.
Supplies
Hard-boiled eggs
Food coloring
Paper baking cups
Plastic knives
Cardstock
Cardboard
Plastic Tubes (quart-size)
Culture Tubes (50 mL and 10 mL)
Plastic bags (gallon)
Sponges and scrub pads
Shaving cream
Colored pencils
Scissors
Next Generation Science Standards
MS-ESS 1-2 Earth’s Systems
• MS-ESS 2-1.
Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that
drives this process.DCIESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System
Crosscutting Concepts
• System and System Models
Science and Engineering Practices
• Developing and Using Models
Support Material for Teachers
• Handouts
– Teacher Handouts | Dynamic Earth 5E
Support Material for Use with Students
• Handouts
– Student Handouts | Dynamic Earth 5E
Introductory Activity
ENGAGE: Eggs-Ploring Earth’s Layers
To kick off their study of Earth’s interior, students will discover what lies beneath the
surface of our planet by dissecting a hard-boiled egg
Complete instructions can be found on the Engage Teacher Notes, and worksheets can be
found on the Engage Student Template. An Answer Key is also included.
EXPLORE: Unlocking Earth’s Forces
In this activity, students will rotate through five classroom stations to learn more about
Earth’s structure and plate tectonics.
You’ll find complete instructions, map template and answer key in the Explore Teacher
Handouts, and worksheets on the Explore Student Handouts.
Learning Activities
EXPLAIN
Explain Activity 1: The Dynamic Earth Interactive Lesson.
Allow one or more class periods for students to complete the interactive component of this
blended lesson.
Explain Activity 2: Mapping the Geosphere
After completing the Dynamic Earth Interactive Lesson, students will create a model
globe, and then locate, mark and explore the planet’s various layers.
A global template and Teacher Notes containing complete instructions are included in the
Explain Teacher Handouts, along with an Answer Key. Explain Student Handouts
provide worksheets for both the data and map portions of this activity.
Explain Activity 3: Mapping the Lithosphere
After completing the Dynamic Earth Interactive Lesson, students will fill out a data table
examining plate tectonics and landforms, and then use their model globe to identity
locations of various landforms.
Explain Teacher Handouts include full instructions on the Explain Teacher Notes, Data
Cards, and an Answer Key. Explain Student Handouts provide worksheets.
Culminating Activity
EXTEND: Discovering Landscapes with New Eyes
This activity asks students to create a poster detailing the ways in which plate movements
formed a given landform.
Handouts include Teacher Notes that contain instructions, a rubric, and a Student
Worksheet.
EVALUATE: Dust to Dust
In addition to the Dynamic Earth Interactive Lesson’s final project, this blended lesson
includes this formative assessment, in which students play a vocabulary game that focuses
on correct vocabulary and word associations.
Red and green playing cards, along with teacher notes and a rubric, are included in the
Evaluation Teacher Handouts.
Reprinted from PBS LearningMedia: Dynamic Earth: 5E Lesson | PBS NC Science
https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/dynamic-earth-5e-lesson-lesson-plan/pbs-
nc-science-ncdcr-educational-resources/
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