Year 9 Geology Unit Weekly Outline

Week
4 and
a bit
of 5

5 and
a bit
of 6

Topic
Introduce the unit, go through the
assignment
Rock cycle
o Types of rocks
Sedimentary
Igneous
Metamorphic

Layers of the earth

o Crust
Oceanic
Continental
o Mantle
o Core
Inner
Outer

Lessons
Lesson 1 (wk4): Go through assignment and
checkpoints; teach kids how to make an online
website/portfolio using weebly or wix. Show examples.
Spend lesson on sorting out the layout of their portfolio.
Referencing website http://www.citethisforme.com
Lesson 2/3 (wk4): Give class an overview on the rock
cycle then let them work through the Rock cycle
instructions document.
Kids work their way through the document using the
website to answer the questions in their books
Lesson 4: Identifying rocks (wk5)
Using the rock specimens in the store room. Rock
samples examination sheet on Schoology for them to
fill out.
Lesson 5 (wk5): The earth is not a solid ball of rock, it
has 4 distinct layers and we will be learning about
those over the next few lessons.
> Do layers of the earth jigsaw (Link 1) and copy the
finished image into your book you need to know these
four layers. Leave room to add information on the four
layers around your diagram.
> Using Puffin complete the drag and drop activity (Link
2) adding information to your diagram on each layer of
the earth. For each of the four layers, you will need
information such as are their layers within this layer,
what is it made off, what is the temperature and
pressure at this layer, is it solid or liquid, how thick is
this layer.

Resources

http://prashkhanna98.
weebly.com/
http://geologytest.wee
bly.com/

Checkpoint
Friday 30th
May, week
5,

Rock cycle
instructions.pdf
http://www.learner.
org/interactives/rock
cycle/index.html

1)
http://www.jigsawplan
et.com/?rc=play&pid=0
4b7cbb73ea5

2) http://gtmmedia.discoveryeduca
tion.com/videos/dsc/
externalApplications/
accessible/simulation
s/draganddrop/Struct
ure%20of%20the%20
Earth/sim.swf

Friday 13th
June, week
7

Lesson 6 (wk5): Rock cycle due date Friday week 5

Igneous rocks and crystals practical
Probably should have done this earlier but I just
found it and itll still be good especially for their
portfolios to show their learning in a different way.
Print out document and they can fill in results,
discussion and conclusion. Could be an assessment
piece if you like
SUBMISSION Allow time to submit rock cycle
checkpoint (all they need to do is submit their web
link)
Lesson 7 (wk6):
Continue layers of the earth activity. Start short
story
Lesson 8 (wk6): Finish Layers of the Earth by writing a
Short Story (Beginning teacher day Leave plan)
6&7

The Earths Crust

o Tectonic plates
How do they move?
How do they create
landforms?
What land events occur
because of the plate
movement?

Lesson 9 (wk 6): The Earths crust is made up of tectonic

plates and we will be spending whats left of this term
learning about them, how they move, and the affects
they have on the surface.
Start with a discussion of the continents today - do
they know them?
o Show Map of continents today
Theory of continental drift - give an overview (use
Plate Tectonics Overview.ppt)
Class task Wegner and continental drift - will need
to print.
Lesson 10 and 11 (wk7): Plates and boundaries
Covergent, divergent and transform
Colliding (convergent)
Moving apart or spreading (Divergent: ocean
ridges and sea
Grinding OR Slipping and sliding (Transform)

Schoology Class task

PRAC: Igneous rocks
and crystals
Web link on
Schoology to help
them find discussion
answers about
crystals if they need.
Schoology: CLASS
TASK: Wegner and
Continental Drift

Schoology: CLASS TASK:

Plate Tectonics
Boundaries and
Movement

http://www.learner.
org/interactives/dyn
amicearth/structure.
html
Map of world sheet

Friday 20th
June, week
8

 Complete map of world sheet

Lesson 12 (wk 7): COSMOS Live Learning Lesson and
Portfolio lesson (layers of earth due)
This is going to be a bit painful getting the kids
on here but it is a really good interactive lesson
that works on the iPads and we were given a
free subscription so we should at least use it
once I think.
I have given access to the lesson to everyone,
you should have a stile Cosmos login from
earlier in the year if not youll be invited to join
through email. WORKING ON STUDENT LOGIN.

Lesson 13 (wk 8): Complete Cosmos lesson

8&9

What impact does the crust and plates

have on surface features?
Ocean floor
Sea floor spreading
Impacts
Where do we find active/changing
landforms? E.g. ring of fire
Australia - Where is it
positioned on the plate?
Land events?
Land forms?

Lesson 14(wk 8): Land features: volcanoes, mountains,

earthquakes and sea floor spreading

Land feature lessons will be inquiry style

learning where students research the
information on the land features caused by
plate movement. They need specific examples.
Ive put a few resources/activities in the
Schoology folder you may wish to use.
Lesson 15(wk 8): Portfolio lesson (Plate tectonics due)
Plate tectonics due. Allow a portfolio lesson to
submit and catch up on anything missed.
Lesson 16and 17 (wk 9): Land features: Volcanoes,
mountains, earthquakes and sea floor spreading
Land feature lessons will be inquiry style
learning where students research the
information on the land features caused by
plate movement. They need specific examples.
Ive put a few resources/activities in the
Schoology folder you may wish to use.

Cosmos Plate
Tectonics Lesson
Stileapp.com

Final due
date, Friday
30th June,
week 10

10

Portfolios due
Think of how they can present to one
another?
Movie to end the term? Journey to the
centre of the Earth is related but probably
a terrible movie?

Lesson 18 (wk 9): Portfolios

Last lesson before due date. Whatever they
need to catch up on.

Lesson 19 (wk 10): DUE DATE. Reflect on their work.

Self-assessment.
Create reflection sheet
Lesson 20 (wk 10): Peer assessment/review
Give students list of websites submitted.
Choose 3 to review. Create sheet.
Lesson 21 (wk 10): Final lesson
Movie/prac/something fun to finish off.