Small Groups
This activity is designed to familiarize the students with the vocabulary, investigate the geological changes that Utah has gone through over time, and develop an understanding that uplift creates the mountains and valley areas on Earth's surface and that fault lines are often in earthquake zones.
Additional Resources
Booklet
The Wasatch Fault, Utah Geological Survey Public Information Series 40, 1996; ISBN 1-55791-387-0 available PDF http://ugs.utah.gov/online/pdf/pi-40.pdf
Earthquake hazards and safety in Utah (pdf), Public Information Series #6 http://ugs.utah.gov/online/pdf/pi-6.pdf
Photo essay of four Utah earthquakes, 1921-1972 (pdf) Public Information Series #72 http://ugs.utah.gov/online/pdf/pi-72.pdf
Media
Vocabulary PowerPoint, by Gennie Kirch developed using Microsoft Office, 2008
Utah: A Geologic History, Utah Geological Survey; Public Information Series #54
Wasatch Front poster and Fault Blocks, Utah Geological Survey, UGS office at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Building at 1594 West North Temple, Suite 3110, Salt Lake City. 801.537.3300;
Organizations
Utah Geological Survey, UGS office at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Building at 1594 West North Temple, Suite 3110, Salt Lake City. 801.537.3300; http://geology.utah.gov/
Local Earth-Science Resources for Utah Teachers http://geology.utah.gov/teacher/teacher_resources.htm
Teaching Kits
All kits are available at the UGS for a refundable deposit. Call 801-537-3300 or http://geology.utah.gov/teacher/teachkits.htm for more information about these kits.
Classroom Materials
Hands-on Activities
Slide Sets
Earth's surface is constantly changing. Some changes happen very slowly over long periods of time, such as weathering, erosion, and uplift. Other changes happen abruptly, such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. All around us, we see the visible effects of the building up and breaking down of Earth's surface.
Most students grasp an understanding of weathering and erosion, but they do not understand geological forces and process that have occurred on Earth over long periods of time. Common misconceptions are that Lake Bonneville was the only lake that existed in Utah; volcanoes are the only things causing Earth's surface to uplift; and Earth is not changing. While it is true that Earth will not change very much in their lifetime, Earth is changing all the time. These activities are designed to help students understand that erosion and uplift are forces that are active right now and they have and will continue to change Earth's geological face.
This activity is designed to familiarize the students with the vocabulary, investigate the geological changes that Utah has gone through over time, and develop an understanding that uplift creates the mountains and valley areas on Earth's surface and that fault lines are often in earthquake zones.
1. Use science process and thinking skills.
2. Manifest scientific attitudes and interests.
4. Communicate effectively using science language and reasoning.
Invitation to Learn
Invite students to hypothesize: What geological change has Utah has gone through over time? Ask what they might know about Utah's geological past. Ask if anyone has heard that the Great Salt Lake area was once filled with water (Lake Bonneville). At this time if students are unable to use correct terminology, review vocabulary. Two ways are provided: Vocabulary Match and Vocabulary Whip. Directions for Vocabulary Whip - Ask one person to start; he/she reads their card exactly as written. The next person to read has the card that has the vocabulary word for the definition read. Students continue to read their cards until it returns to the first person that read. (It does not matter which definition is read to start the game.)
Instructional Procedure
Group Activity: Use the cutouts from the Utah: A Geologic History poster. In this activity students will look at cutout pictures of Utah's geological past. Pass out the cutouts. Ask each group to hypothesize what is going on in their cutout pictures. Then using the Utah: A Geologic History poster, have each group try to determine where the cutout fits into the poster. It should be very difficult for them to determine where to place their cutout. Have all the students be seated and invite several students to read the Utah Cutouts information card set. Start at #1. As the card is being read, the group that has that cutout will come and put it on the poster. Discuss what geological forces are apparent in the cutout and what happened at that stage of Utah's development. Focus on what processes would have been working on the Utah area at that particular time. (Volcanoes, uplift, erosion) Encourage open discussion about the geological processes that would have caused the changes the picture represents and how Earth's surface has been built up (uplift) and eroded away (erosion). Close this part of the activity by asking, "How do scientists know this information?" "What evidences do they use to determine what Utah used to look like?"
Curriculum Extensions/Adaptations/ Integration
Family Connections
"What geological processes has the Utah area gone through over time?" (Some things that should be in the journal would be fault blocks, uplift, mountains, valleys, other changes, fault lines and earthquakes.)
Research Basis
Sutton, J., & Krueger, A. (Eds.). (2002). EDThoughts: What we know about science teaching and learning. How does teacher pedagolgical knowledge impact instruction? Aurora, How does teacher pedagogical knowledge impact instruction CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning. 28-29
This article stresses that different teaching methods accomplish different goals. High-quality science teaching should include a deep knowledge of subject matter, incorporates inquiry, and focuses on skills of observation, information getting, predicting, and testing. It should be carefully aligned to curriculum, assessment, and high standards. Building on real-life situations that apply concepts (hands- on) deepens understanding. Varied opportunities for discussion and reflection are incorporated in science teaching.
TAN, Kok Siang (June, 2007) Using "What if" questions to teach science. Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 8, Issue 1, Article 16. Accessed January 5, 2008 http://www.ied.edu.hk/apfslt/v8_issue1/tanks/tanks5.htm
Using "what if" questions are a reflective learning strategy that can be effective in classroom situations. Students are actively engaged in thinking up possibilities, talking about ideas and developing deeper insights. Through "what if" questions social interaction occurs and real life problem solving skills are employed.