Unit	Measurable Learner Objectives	GLE Alignment	DOK level	My lessons
u	8^th grade students will distinguish among the layers of the Earth Identify the layers (inner core, outer core, mantle, crust) Include the asthenosphere and the lithosphere Compare and contrast the properties (density, temperature, etc.) of the layers	8.1.B 8^th a	DOK 3	Video project Acct quiz 7
	8^th grade students will explain how the Earth’s surface changes (both abruptly and gradually) over time. · Distinguish between abrupt (floods, mudslides, volcanoes, earthquakes) and gradual changes (uplifting, weathering, and erosion)	5.2.A 6^th c, d 5.2 B 8^th b	DOK 2	Accountability quiz/ venn diagram Accountability quiz 7
	8^th grade students will examine the evidence supporting the theory of plate tectonics · Identify that the lithosphere is divided into plates that are moving · Examine how theories of plate movement have changed over time · Identify evidence supporting the theory of plate tectonics (e.g. paleomagnetism, fit of continents, fossil evidence, glacial evidence, location of geological events, etc.)	5.2.D 8^th b 8.2 B8th a, b	DOK 2	Inv 12 discussion board, video project Accountability quiz 7
	8^th grade students will explain convection currents as the driving force behind plate tectonics. · Explain how convection currents move plates · Diagram the movement within the Earth’s interior that results in plate movement on the surface	5.2.B 8^th a 7.1.D 8tha	DOK 2	Poll 17 Accountability quiz 7
	8^th grade students will be able to describe interactions at plate boundaries and their role in the formation of volcanoes and occurrence of earthquakes. · Identify the types of plate boundaries (convergent, divergent, transform) · Identify the event and the landforms created at different plate boundaries · Predict where volcanoes and earthquakes will occur based upon plate boundaries · Predict the impact on Earth’s surface features as a result of plate movements based upon historical patterns	5.2.B. 8^th c 5.2.B 6^th a	DOK 2	Video project Accountability quiz 7
	8^th grade students will analyze the impact earthquakes and volcanoes have on society · Examine the effects (loss of life, loss of property, economic impact, climate impact, and changes to ecosystems) that these natural disasters have on people, communities, and overall societies	4.1. D 8thb	DOK 3	Video project Accountability quiz 7
	8^th grade students will describe that rocks (sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic) are formed in a variety of different ways and change over time (rock cycle). · Identify rocks as a mixture of minerals (pure substances) · Classify different kinds of rocks based upon specific properties utilizing a rock identification chart. · Use a rock identification chart to infer the origin and process of how rocks change over time	5.2.A 6^th a 5.2.C 8^th a, b, c 5.1. A 8^th a, b, c 1.1 I 8^th b	DOK 2
	8^th grade students will describe the process of fossil formation. · Describe the sequence of events that lead to fossil formation · Identify types of fossils	5.2.D 6^th a	DOK 1
	8^th grade students will describe how fossils provide a snapshot of a specific moment in geological time. · Infer details about the past environment from fossil evidence. · Explain how sedimentary rocks can tell us about the age of the Earth, the climate, and the environment (terrestrial or marine)	5.2.D 8^th b 5.2. D 6^th b	DOK 2
	8^th grade students will describe the methods used to estimate geologic time and the age of the Earth · Identify techniques used to date rocks and rock layers	5.2.D 8^th a	DOK 2