7.E1U1.6: Construct a model to explain how the distribution of fossils and…
Construct a model to explain how the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures provides evidence of the past plate motions.
The Arizona Science Standards (2018) outcome 7.E1U1.6 (Earth and Space Sciences) for Grade 7 says: “Construct a model to explain how the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures provides evidence of the past plate motions.” This Fieldbook unit teaches it hands-on, with everyday materials and a printable teacher guide and student sheet for every lesson. Official wording: Arizona Science Standards (2018).
Restless Earth: Fossils, Soils, Volcanoes and Plates Grades 4–7 · partly supports this outcome
Press model fossils and read a cliff of layers, shake a jar of soil and watch it sort itself by grain size, plot real volcanoes and earthquakes on a world map to find the edges of Earth's plates, then move model plates and test a building on a shake table. Four hands-on lessons that build on Rocks and Erosion.
- Where do volcanoes and earthquakes happen? 50–60 min
Teams plot twenty-two real volcanoes and earthquakes from a data table onto a world map using latitude and longitude. They join the dots, find the lines and rings they make, and use the pattern to say which of three cities is most likely to feel earthquakes.
- What do moving plates do, and can a building survive? 80–90 min (easy to split over two periods)
Teams move two foam plates on a tray of syrup to pull them apart and push them together, then slide sandpaper blocks to feel an earthquake build and release. They design and test straw towers on a shake table, compare two designs, and explain how engineers reduce earthquake damage.
Compared with NGSS: MS-ESS2-3 (partial).
Every unit matched to Arizona's curriculum · All places and curricula
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