Earth Science

Grade Level: 4th-7^th Grade

Length: 8 weeks

Reason of Study: To learn and see what God has made so that we can get to know Him better and grow closer to Him while we praise Him for His creation!

• After a study of the earth, students will better understand the earth's makeup and structure and God's glorious hand that made it.
• After a study of rocks, the student will be able to test and determine the type.
• During a study of the earth, the students will realize what makes the volcanoes and earthquakes and the movement of the Tectonic plates.

Atmosphere

Earth's layers

Dirt composition

Rocks and their types

Oceans

Crystals

Big Bang theory versus Creation

Fossils

Pangaea and Plate Tectonics

Volcanoes

Geysers

Earthquakes

Erosion

earth sphere planet

land ocean crust

mantle core soil

rock igneous metamorphic

sedimentary island mountain

plate tectonics continental drift Big Bang theory

Creation volcano lava

ash earthquake fault

seismograph epicenter shock waves

Richter Scale geyser Pangaea

fossil

Inquisitiveness

Scriptures: Genesis 1, Psalm 24:1-2, Matthew 24:7-8

Teacher Resource Books:

• Hulcy, Jessica and Thaxton, Carole, Konos Curriculum Volume II, 1984
• Hulcy, Jessica and Thaxton, Carole, Konos Curriculum Volume I, 1984
• Thompson, PhD, Graham R. and Turk, PhD, Jonathan, Earth Science and the Environment, 1992, Harcourt Brace & Company, ISBN 0-03-005219-X
• Busch, Richard M., Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology, 1986, Merrill Publishing, 1990, Macmillan Publishing Company, ISBN 0-02-301071-1
• Christianson, Cindy, Forbes, Evan and Hale, Janet, Kidsworks Simple Science Fun: Hands-on Science Made Easy, 1996, Teacher Created Press, ISBN 1-55734-675-5
• Churchhill, E. Richard, Loeschnig, Louis V., and Mandell, Muriel, 365 Simple Science Experiments, 1997, Sterling Publishing Co., ISBN 1-884822-67-3, Library Code 507.8
• Collected science units of Earth and Geology, 1998, Tribune Education
• Flagg, Ann, "A Pocketful of Science: Getting to Know Rocks!", The Mailbox: Primary, June/July 1997, The Education Center, Inc.
• "Have You Seen a Crystal Grow?," Classmate, February/March 1987, Frank Schaffer's

• Kosek, Jane Kelly, What's Inside Earth?, 1999, The Rosen Publishing Group Inc., ISBN 0-8239-5277-0, Library Code J 551.1
• Watt, Fiona, Usborne Science & Experiments Planet Earth, 1991, Usborne Publishing, ISBN 0-88110-510-4, Library Code J 550
• English, June A. and Jones, Thomas D., Mission: Earth, Voyage to the Home Planet, 1996, Scholastic Press, ISBN 0-590-48571-7, Library Code J 550
• Schumann, Walter, Handbook of Rocks, Minerals, and Gemstones, 1993, HarperCollins Publishing and Houghton Mifflin Company, ISBN 0-395-51137-2, Library Code 552
• Baeur, Dr. Jaroslav, A Field Guide in Color to Minerals, Rocks, and Precious Stones, 1974, Chartwell Books, Inc., ISBN 1-55521-091-0, Library Code 549
• Court, Judith, Action Science Ponds and Streams, 1985, Franklin Watts Ltd, ISBN 0-531-04952-3, Library Code 551.48
• Saunders, Ian G., Bill the Nye Science Guy's Big Blue Ocean, 1999, Hyperion Books for Children, ISBN 0-7868-4221-0, Library Code 551.46
• Cook, Jan Leslie, The Mysterious Undersea World, 1980, National Geographic Society, ISBN 0-87044-317-8, Library Code 551.46
• Kindersley, Dorling, Ultimate Visual Dictionary, 1994, DK Publishing, ISBN 1-56458-648-0
• Horenstein, Merrill and Jennifer, "What a Place for Fossils", Ranger Rick's Nature Magazine, January 1981, The National Wildlife Federation
• "Special Issue: Treasure Islands", Ranger Rick, February 1985, National Wildlife Federation
• Hicks, Laurel, McAlister, Stephen, Nordtvedt, Matilda, Rickard, Gregory, and Rickard, Julie, Investigating God's World, 1990, A Beka Book
• Harris, Nicholas, Jurneyt to the Center of the Earth, Reader's Digest Children's Books, 1999, ISBN 1-57584-2742

• McNulty, Faith, How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World, 1979, Harper and Row, Publishers, ISBN 0-06-024147-0, Library Code J 551.1
• Cole, Joanna, The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth, 1987, Scholastic Inc., ISBN 0-590-40759-7, Library Code J 551
• Verne, Jules, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, 1996, Chivers Audio Books, ISBN 0-7451-2527-1
• Verne, Jules, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, 1946, The World Publishing Company
• Verne, Jules, Retold by Miller, Ron, Eyewitness Classics 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, 1998, DK Publishing, Inc., ISBN 0-7894-3428-8
• Livingston, Myra Cohn, Earth Songs, 1986, Holiday House, ISBN 0-8234-0615-6, Library Code J 811.54
• Ryder, Joanne, Earth Dance, 1886, Henry Holt and Company, Inc., ISBN 0-8050-2678-9, Library Code J 811.54
• Gans, Roma, Rock Collecting, 1984, Thomas Y. Crowell Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Books, ISBN 0-692-04265-5, Library Code J 551
• Cole, Joanna, The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor, 1992, Scholastic Inc., ISBN 0-590-41431-3
• Boyle, Doe, Coral Reef Hideaway: The Story of a Clown Anemonefish, 1995, Trudy Corporation and the Smithsonian Institution, ISBN 1-56899-182-7
• Andreae, Giles, Commotion in the Ocean, 1998, Little Tiger Press, ISBN 1-888444-39-8, Library Code 821

• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Walt Disney

• Expedition Earth Science stone collectables
• Peach
• Cornstarch
• Marble
• Foil
• Clay
• Variety of rocks
• White glue
• Several milk carton
• Plaster of Paris
• Blue masking tape
• Basketball
• Blank world maps
• Markers, colored pencils
• Hard boiled eggs
• Globe and maps
• Red play dough
• Modeling clay
• vinegar
• baking soda
• wax paper
• molasses
• heavy-duty foil
• stack of construction paper
• Different soil types
• trash bag
• box
• sand
• blow dryer
• block of ice
• dirt and pebbles
• graph paper
• round fruit or vegetable
• orange
• Rock Identification chart
• penny, knife, glass, hammer, vinegar
• rock hunting kit

• Jules Verne
• Days of Creation
• Noah and his sons and the flood dating

• Rock Hunting expeditions
• Trip to the Caves
• Fossil hunting and erosion hunting trips

• Read a variety of books on the unit theme (Language Art)
• Add timeline characters as they are studied (Social Studies)
• Complete daily entries in Learning Log (Language Arts)
• Teacher reads aloud Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Language Arts)
• Keep writing in Nature Journal (Language Arts and Science)

• Study Earth's atmosphere (Science)
• Read Bible verses for the unit to determine purpose for studying unit
• Discuss items that occur in each layer of the atmosphere (Science)
• Go over vocabulary list and make vocabulary cards. (Language Arts)
• Discuss the character of inquisitiveness (Bible)
• Cover a basketball with 286 inches of blue masking tape to represent the amount of water on the earth. Pass ball back and forth trying not to touch any tape. (Geography and Science)
• Write a fictional story about a outer space aliens visit to earth (Language Arts)
• Discuss the layers of the earth, demonstrating with a peach (Science)
• Draw a diagram of the earth layers (Science)
• Discuss the earth's crust and inner mantle. Do experiments simulating the two types and how they work. (Science)
• Discuss the earth's inner core. Explore Internet sources on the earth layers.

(Computer and Science)

• Explore dirt. Determine soil by soil and water experiment in a jar. (Science)

• Read poems about the earth (Language Arts)
• Vocabulary words (Language Arts)
• Make soil (Science)
• Investigate and observe sandstone (Science)
• Collect rocks (Science and Physical Education)
• Field trip to caves and natural geological sites of the state
• Discuss oceans and read books on oceans. (Language Arts)
• Do ocean experiments as discussed in Konos and Bill Nye's Big Blue Ocean (Science)
• Write report and do an illustration of the water cycle (Language Arts)
• Draw atmosphere layers (Science)

• Group rocks into the three groups (Science)
• Explore the three types of rocks and how they are formed. Compare amount of the three types of rocks collected. (Science)
• Discuss minerals (Science)
• Do lab work identifying rocks (Science)
• Try making some crystals (Science)
• Internet investigation on identifying rocks (Science and Computer)
• Vocabulary words (Language Arts)

• Discuss the Big Bang theory versus creation (Bible and Science)
• Memorize days of creation and draw out pictures of each day (Bible and Art)
• Compare Earth before and after the flood (Science and Bible)
• Discover fossils, identify types of fossils, and make fossil prints. (Science and Art)
• Look into Internet on fossils (Computer)
• Go on a fossil hunt (Science and Physical Education)
• Write report on how the fall affected the earth (Language Arts)
• Vocabulary words (Language Arts)
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea movie

• Discuss and do experiments demonstrating Pangaea and plate tectonics (Science)
• Discuss types of volcanoes and do experiments demonstrating them (Science)
• Explore the structure of lava using molasses (Science)
• Read about famous volcanoes and the countries formed by them (Language Art and Science)
• Vocabulary Words (Language Arts)
• Draw cutaway of a volcano (Science and Art)
• Draw ring of fire on map (Geography)
• Make a volcano model (Science)
• Write a report on the times God used fire (Language Arts and Bible)

• Explore what a geyser is (Science)
• Vocabulary words (Language Arts)
• Write a newspaper article on a volcano or earthquake based off information gleaned from the Internet (Language arts and Computer)
• Discuss faults, areas of earthquakes, and precautions to use during earthquakes (Science, Geography, Health)
• Discuss earthquake's damage and effects (Science)
• Read a famous account of an earthquake and draw a picture of what it was like (Social Studies and Art)
• Discuss and do experiments demonstrating mountain formation (Science)
• Do earthquake simulation experiments (Science)
• Make a seismograph, experiment with it, and discuss Richter scale (Science)

• Discuss erosion and do experiments demonstrating such (Science)
• Look for signs of erosion on hike (Science and Physical Education)
• Investigate the Grand Canyon and Diablo (Geography and Science)
• Vocabulary words (Language Arts)

• Play Which Way? and Where Am I? (Geography and Life Skills)
• Vocabulary words (Language Arts)
• Draw a map of yard or block (Geography)
• Review skills learned (Science)
• Work on Cumulation activities (Science and Language Arts)

• Lap book

• Learning Logs (60 pts)
• Spaceship Story (100 pts) - use story rubric to score
• Water cycle paper (100 pts) - use general writing critique
• Lab work with rocks (100 pts) - use lab critique
• Days of Creation Memorized (50 pts) - quiz
• How Did the Fall Affect the Earth? essay (100 pts) - essay writing critique
• Drawing of Volcano Cutaway (50 pts) - Scientific Drawing rubric
• Drawing of Earth Layers (50 pts) - Scientific Drawing rubric
• Drawing of Atmosphere Layers (50 pts) - Scientific Drawing rubric
• Times God Used Fire essay (100 pts) - Composition Evaluation
• Eyewitness Account of a Famous Volcano or Earthquake (100 pts) - News Column Critique
• Lap Book as a final (600 pts) - Lap Book Rubric with specific skills added

© Tamra Monroe, 2001