Plate Tectonics and the 6th Grade PBL

Welcome!!!

You will be creating a public service announcement to people living in areas of plate tectonic activity. You will create an educational video/slideshow to reassure/ educate the residents about what causes these things and why they happen in certain locations more frequently. 

You are doing this because you passed the STAAR! Now, while we await the STAAR science results, we are going to get ready for sixth grade by doing a project. In response to the question of, "what do sixth graders struggle with in science?", the answer was plate tectonics. Here are the  links you will be using to do your research. Remember to make sure that you copy and paste the address of the websites you use into a document so that you will have a works cited!

http://www.geography4kids.com/files/earth_tectonics.html

http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0043-plate-tectonics.php

http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/plates1.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/Continents.shtml

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/plate-tectonics/?ar_a=1

http://www.ducksters.com/science/earth_science/plate_tectonics.php

http://scienceforkids.kidipede.com/geology/platetectonics/

Congrats on testing out of the review group!!!

Now, massage the brain. Ok, now that that's over, let's get down to a project using technology. I would like to challenge you to create a presentation so great, that it will be used by kids for years and years. Here are the questions I want you to answer:

I have two identical clear substances. One is water and one is poison (this is pretend!!!). Design a way for me to tell which one is water. Film the process of the test.

I have to decide which circuit I want to use in my house. Design a test to figure out whether I should use a parallel circuit or a series circuit.

I want to know the difference between a periscope and a microscope. Explain and demonstrate the difference.

I have various settings (see me for the cards) and the world's power grid has shut down. People everywhere are trying to find a way to get things going again. Using the environment around you, explain how you plan to restore power to your village.

Using an old map of Earth (fake map from millions of years ago) tell me where I should look for coal, oil, and natural gas and why.

Research the Buried Pyramid. Explain how it came to be buried and how old it is. What has happened to it over the years? How can we use things in the ground to learn about the past?

Look at the picture below. It was taken at the same time from the same place everyday. Explain what is happening and why it looks like the sun is moving not only from east to west during the day, but also why it makes this bowling pin shape over the course of a year.

Pick an ecosystem and explain all of the cycles and webs that are involved in sustaining (keeping) the ecosystem running.

You own a restaurant, a dairy farm, and a lawn care business. You have to get rid of a lot of food scraps, manure, and yard trimmings. Besides throwing them away, explain what you could do with them and why.

You are an animal researcher. (See me for the type of animal and behavior to be studied) Your job is to design an experiment to see if the a behavior is inherited or learned. Create a hypothesis and design the experiment.

Please film or photograph all of this. You guys have earned this so enjoy it. Make it yours. Put your own personal touches on it. Work together, and have fun. Remember, it's a lot easier to remember stuff when you enjoy doing it!