Earthquakes: Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future

SCIED 411 Lesson Plan Evaluation Form

Component	Description	Max Points	Points
Source Information	The authors of the lesson are clearly indicated, as well as the source of the lesson plan. Sample citations for published lessons: Betsy Hedberg, freelance curriculum writer and teacher. http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/earthquakes/	5	4
Grade level and topic	Is the grade level and general topic of the lesson clearly indicated and appropriate?	5	4
Standards and inquiry	Is at least one relevant State or National science or environmental education standard clearly identified, and is it substantively addressed in the lesson?	5	5
Instructional objectives	Is it clear from the statement of the lesson objectives what a student should be able to do as a result of completing the lesson?	10	10
Materials, equipment, and set-up	Are the materials and equipment needed for this lesson described clearly enough that another teacher could set it up and carry it out?	10	7
Body of the Lesson If evaluating a unit or an entire curriculum, look for the following elements in at least a couple of lessons.
Engagement	Will students’ attention be gained early in the lesson? Will their initial conceptions be solicited?	10	7
Exploration	Can you perceive a clear guiding question/purpose for the lesson? Will the students collect data or retrieve interesting data from elsewhere? Are the instructions for doing this clear?	15	10
Explanation	Will the students be able to make sense of their exploration? Are they asked to report what they learn?	15	15
Elaboration	Are there suggestions for extending the lesson (e.g., for advanced students)?	10	10
Evaluation	Is there a mechanism for evaluating students’ understandings? Does that mechanism match the lesson’s objectives?	15	13
DISCRETIONARY	Any additional points you wish to assign for especially good treatment in any section of the lesson plan (maximum of 10) (good use of group work and class discussion)	10	7

This lesson, entitled “Earthquakes: Learn from the Past, Predict for the Future” is a particularly good way for students to utilize multiple skills. The class must work together to research historical seismic activity as well as report their findings in a forum setting. This allows students to learn from one another, as well as take on the role of a member of society. By the end of the lesson, students will have gained a multitude of information about earthquakes. They should know where and why seismic events occur, how earthquakes can be prepared for, and the role politics play in prevention science.

The described activities are perfect for allowing students to understand research finding #1 from Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: Understanding science is more than knowing facts. Through this lesson, students will realize that social learning is a large part of science. Without the sharing of data between multiple groups, scientists only gain a small part of the picture.

The one potential problem that may arise for a teacher implementing this lesson is the extreme dependence on technology. Not every high school has the resources to provide a computer for every student. One way to alleviate this problem would be to go to the school library, or even provide the students with facts about recent earthquakes.