OVERVIEW

Activity Overview:

This lesson is going to be a supplemental lesson to our OpenSciEd Plate Tectonics unit that we are implementing this year. In this lesson students will be learning how to use microbit technology to code the different plate motions.

Meta description

• Subject Area: Computer Science, Science, Technology, Engineering
• Grade Level : 6-8
• Computer Science Domains:
  • Computing Systems, Algorithms and Programming
• Computer Science Principles:
  • Fostering an Inclusive Computing Culture, Collaborating Around Computing, Developing and Using Abstractions, Communicating About Computing
• Materials:
  • Website, Micro:bit
• Considerations:
  • Have a basic understanding of the microbit programing.

Lesson Plan

Overview

This lesson is going to be a supplemental lesson to our OpenSciEd Plate Tectonics unit that we are implementing this year. In this lesson students will be learning how to use microbit technology to code the different plate motions.

ASSESSMENT PRE/POST-TEST

• What direction do plates move when they are converging? • What direction do plate move when they are diverging? • What direction do plates move when they are at a transform fault?

OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to create a model of the plate motions using mircobit technology.

CATCH/HOOK

Students will be shown phenomena of what types of features or events occur at different plate boundaries. We will then make predictions about what way the crust might be moving underneath the plates.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

• After the hook, students will conduct a review of the three types of plate boundaries: o Convergent – Where the plates move towards each other. o Divergent – Where the plates move away from each other. o Transform – Where the plates move past each other. • After students have a sufficient review of the plate motions we will open the micro bit website. • In groups of two or three, students will explore the microbit website to figure out a way in which they can create a model that represents the three plate motions on their microbits. They will be tasked to do so with each type of plate boundary. • Once they have successfully modeled each type of plate boundary, they will have a quick write up explaining what they did in order to create their model and they will be explaining how their modeled created on their microbits actually represents the specific plate boundary.

Supplements

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REVIEW

The wrap up will be students sharing out with the class their write ups about their models with a discussion facilitated by the teacher.

STANDARDS