Click Here for Treasure Hunt

This treasure hunt focuses on plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and mountain formation. The hunt should provide an interesting way for students to become familiar with concepts in these subjects.

Students in sixth grade science classes will use this treasure hunt. The students are heterogeneously grouped in these classes.

Students will need internet connections and web access to complete this activity. They will use a word processing program to record their answers. They will print their completed answer sheets. Ideally each student will have a computer for this work. They could also work with partners or in small groups.

Standard 2: Information Systems Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Standard 4: Science Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Standard 5: Technology Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.

Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.

Students are proficient in the use of technology.

Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software

Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources. Students use technology tools to process data and report results.

Students will complete the first section of the treasure hunt dealing with plate tectonics. They will be placed in teacher-developed groups to share the results of their research on this portion of the hunt. The goal of the group work is for everyone to have accurate answers to this portion of the hunt. Teachers will monitor this activity and review the answers in a large group.

The class will then be divided into groups, with each group working on one of the remaining portions of the hunt: earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, or mountain formation. Each group will research the answers to their portion of the hunt and develop a word-processed document with the answers to their section. They will then use the information they have found to develop a model showing some aspect of their topic. They must develop a "blueprint" of their model and receive teacher approval of the blueprint prior to building the model. These models will be shared with the class as part of an oral presentation on their topic. The presentation will include all the information from their hunt as well as a description of their model.

Students will be evaluated on their participation in their group work using a rubric developed by teacher. Their presentations will be evaluated based on completeness, accuracy, neatness of model and blueprint, using a rubric developed by teacher.

Plate Tectonics

http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/interior.html

http://www.solarviews.com/eng/earthint.htm#int

http://pangaea.org/wegener.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/17457/platetectonics/3.php

http://earthview.sdsu.edu/trees/krpt.html

http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/docs/parks/pltec/pltec3.html#divergent

http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/tectonics.html

Earthquakes

http://library.thinkquest.org/17701/high/geofeatures/feequake.html

http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/general/handouts/richter.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/17701/high/effects/fxqconstr.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/17701/high/effects/fxqprevent.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/17701/high/effects/fxqgeo.html

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/prepare.html

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/plates.html#1

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/hist.html#1

Volcanoes

http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/tut/tut23_ex/intro.html

http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/frequent_questions/top_101/Volcanoes/Volcanoes1.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/17457/volcanoes/types.php

http://library.thinkquest.org/17457/volcanoes/hotspots.php

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volc/

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/hellscrust/html/sidebar3.html

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volc/geysers.html

http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/frequent_questions/grp12/question3787.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/17457/volcanoes/prediction.php

Tsunamis

http://www.fema.gov/library/tsunami.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/tsunami/index.html

http://www.frontiernet.net/~docbob/waves.htm#big

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/tsunami/index.html

http://www.frontiernet.net/~docbob/waves.htm#form

http://www.frontiernet.net/~docbob/waves.htm#big

Mountain Formation

http://www.oneonta.edu/~hessf77/mountain.html#hamf

http://www.oneonta.edu/~hessf77/mountain.html#mountchain

http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1660.html

http://129.252.37.27/erth_sci/Metamorf/Folded.htm

http://www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/mountain1.htm

http://www.education.eth.net/enrich/geography/fault_blocks&horsts.htm