Unit Plan: Earth Science

Science / Grade 7

Big Ideas

Earth and its climate have changed over geological time.

Concepts

  • Change
  • Cause/effect
  • Impact
  • Responsibility

Essential Questions

Students will keep considering…

  • N/A

Evaluative Criteria

Teachers should consider how summative assessments should be based on clear criteria and include a variety of ways for students to show demonstrate their learning.

  • N/A

Monitoring Progress

Teacher will monitor progress:

Teachers can monitor progress through ongoing formative assessment including but not limited to:

  • N/A

Resources
  • N/A

Reflection

How will teachers and their students reflect on and evaluate the completed project?

Teacher Reflection

  • What aspects of the unit went well
  • What did students struggle with
  • What did you struggle with?
  • What would you add/revise the next time you taught this unit?
  • Were there any unintended outcomes?
  • Were students engaged?

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Big Ideas

Earth and its climate have changed over geological time.

Concepts:

  • Change
  • Cause/effect
  • Impact
  • Responsibility

Transfer Goals

Students will be able to independently use their learning to…

  • N/A

    Meaning

    UNIT UNDERSTANDINGS:

    Students will understand that…

    • N/A

      ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

      Students will keep considering…

      • N/A

        > Click here to learn more about Essential Questions

        Acquisition

        CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES

        Students will be skilled at…

        • Make a product using known procedures or through modeling of others. 
        • Demonstrate their product, tell the story of designing and making their product, and explain how their product contributes to the individual, family, community, and/or environment (Applied Design & Tech K/1).
        • Incorporate First Peoples worldviews and perspectives to make connections to mathematical concepts (Math K/1).
        • Create artistic works collaboratively and as an individual, using ideas inspired by imagination, inquiry, experimentation, and purposeful play(Art K/1).

        CONTENT

        Students will know…

        Changes in biodiversity over geological time:

        • The geologic time scale categorizes the time periods of Earth’s geologic history
        • Ages of rocks and fossils can be determined by both relative and absolute methods

        First Peoples knowledge of changes in biodiversity over time

        Evidence of climate change over geological time and the recent impacts of humans:

        • Change in climate affects:
        • The interconnectedness of plants and animals, and their local environment
        • E.g., changes to harvesting dates, changes to schedules due to early/later ripening and runs, lowered water levels in creeks, rivers and lakes, change in humidity impacts the ability to preserve salmon, etc.
        • Humans are capable of changing Earth’s landscape, climate, and systems
        • Efficacy of sustainable practices

        Physical records

        • Ice flow data, fossil record, etc.

        Local First Peoples knowledge of climate change

        • Oral history, change in traditional practice (e.g., the timing of harvest has been impacted by climate change), etc.

          CORE COMPETENCIES

          Which Core Competencies will be integrated into the unit?

          QUESTIONING AND PREDICTING

          • Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest
          • Make observations aimed at identifying their own questions about the natural world
          • Identify a question to answer or a problem to solve through scientific inquiry
          • Formulate alternative “If…then…” hypotheses based on their questions
          • Make predictions about the findings of their inquiry

          PROCESSING AND ANALYZING DATA AND INFORMATION

          • Experience and interpret the local environment
          • Apply First Peoples perspectives and knowledge, other ways of knowing, and local knowledge as sources of information
          • Construct and use a range of methods to represent patterns or relationships in data, including tables, graphs, keys, models, and digital technologies as appropriate
          • Seek patterns and connections in data from their own investigations and secondary sources
          • Use scientific understandings to identify relationships and draw conclusions

          EVALUATING

          • Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of evidence (qualitative and quantitative)
          • Exercise a healthy, informed skepticism and use scientific knowledge and findings from their own investigations to evaluate claims in secondary sources
          • Consider social, ethical, and environmental implications of the findings from their own and others’ investigations

          APPLYING AND INNOVATING

          • Contribute to care for self, others, community, and world through personal or collaborative approaches
          • Co-operatively design projects
          • Transfer and apply learning to new situations
          • Generate and introduce new or refined ideas when problem solving

          COMMUNICATING

          • Communicate ideas, findings, and solutions to problems, using scientific language, representations, and digital technologies as appropriate
          • Express and reflect on a variety of experiences and perspectives of place as sources of informationIdentify possible sources of error and suggest improvements to their investigation methods

          APPLYING AND INNOVATING

          • Contribute to care for self, others, community, and world through personal or collaborative approaches
          • Co-operatively design projects
          • Transfer and apply learning to new situations
          • Generate and introduce new or refined ideas when problem solving

          COMMUNICATING

          • Communicate ideas, findings, and solutions to problems, using scientific language, representations, and digital technologies as appropriate
          • Express and reflect on a variety of experiences and perspectives of place as sources of information

          First People's Principles of Learning

          The unit will make connections with:

          N/A

          The following resources are made available through the British Columbia Ministry of Education. For more information, please visit BC’s New Curriculum.

          Big Ideas

          The Big Ideas consist of generalizations and principles and the key concepts important in an area of learning. The Big Ideas represent what students will understand at the completion of the curriculum for their grade. They are intended to endure beyond a single grade and contribute to future understanding.


          Visit the Ministry of Education for more information

          Core Competencies

          orangecommunicationCommunications Competency

          The set of abilities that students use to impart and exchange information, experiences and ideas, to explore the world around them, and to understand and effectively engage in the use of digital media

          bluethinkingThinking Competency

          The knowledge, skills and processes we associate with intellectual development

          greensocialSocial Competency

          The set of abilities that relate to students’ identity in the world, both as individuals and as members of their community and society


          Visit the Ministry of Education for more information

          Curricular Competencies & Content

          Curricular Competencies are the skills, strategies, and processes that students develop over time. They reflect the “Do” in the Know-Do-Understand model of curriculum. The Curricular Competencies are built on the thinking, communicating, and personal and social competencies relevant to disciplines that make up an area of learning.


          Visit the Ministry of Education for more information

          Additional Resources

          First People's Principles of Learning

          To read more about First People’s Principles of Learning, please click here.

          For classroom resources, please visit the First Nations Education Steering Committee.