Grades 6-8
Students classify rocks, identify minerals, and relate to their origin within the rock cycle. They explore plate tectonics through the study of earthquakes and volcanoes. Students work in small teams to make a “smoking” volcano erupt and use mapping skills to explore volcano and earthquake activity on an interactive world map.
Learning Standards for Science:
MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
MS-ESS2-4. Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
MS-ESS2-6. Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions
ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
ESS2.A: Earth’s Materials and Systems
ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions
Common Core Learning Standards:
English Language Arts:
• Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
• Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Learning Standards for Science:
• Use Scientific Inquiry to Pose Questions, Seek Answers, Develop Solutions
Cost: $12.00 per student Chaperones are complimentary
Class Limit: Minimum class size = 16 students
Length of Program: 2 hours