Layers of the Grand Canyon
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/07/g912/canyon912.html
A lesson plan for Grades 9–12 Earth/Environmental Science
About this resource
- Appropriate grades
- 9–12
- Subjects
- science (environmental science, geology, physics and physical science), thinking skills (information literacy, research skills, visual literacy), education technology (integrating technology), teaching methods (cooperative learning, discussions, online learning)
- Provider
- National Geographic
Legal
This catalog record is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. This license applies to the content of this page only and does not apply to the referenced website.
In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore the basics of how the Grand Canyon was formed and investigate the canyon's layers and learn about the geologic time periods when they were deposited. This lesson engages students in online research, small group collaboration, and short summative writing assignments.
Students will:
- read about and discuss how the Grand Canyon was formed;
- identify and describe the major rock layers of the canyon and their characteristics;
- describe the important characteristics of the geological era and period when a particular layer of the canyon was deposited; and
- pretend to be scientists studying a specific layer of the canyon and write articles telling the general public about their research.
Xpeditions provides links to necessary web resources, detailed instructions for completing the lesson, and suggestions for assessment and extension activities.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grades 9–12 — Earth/Environmental Science
- Goal 1: The learner will develop abilities necessary to do and understand scientific inquiry in the earth and environmental sciences.
- Objective 1.01: Identify questions and problems in the earth and environmental sciences that can be answered through scientific investigations.
- Objective 1.02: Design and conduct scientific investigations to answer questions related to earth and environmental science.
- Create testable hypotheses
- Identify variables.
- Use a control or comparison group when appropriate.
- Select and use appropriate measurement tools.
- Collect and record data.
- Organize data into charts and graphs.
- Analyze and interpret data.
- Communicate findings.
- Goal 2: The learner will build an understanding of lithospheric materials, tectonic processes, and the human and environmental impacts of natural and human-induced changes in the lithosphere.
- Objective 2.03: Investigate and analyze the processes responsible for the rock cycle:
- Analyze the origin, texture and mineral composition of rocks.
- Trace the path of elements through the rock cycle.
- Relate rock formation to plate tectonics.
- Identify forms of energy that drive the rock cycle.
- Analyze the relationship between the rock cycle and processes in the atmosphere and hydrosphere.
- Objective 2.05: Create and interpret topographic, soil and geologic maps using scale and legends.
- Objective 2.03: Investigate and analyze the processes responsible for the rock cycle:
- Goal 3: The learner will build an understanding of the origin and evolution of the earth system.
- Objective 3.01: Assess evidence to interpret the order and impact of events in the geologic past:
- Relative and absolute dating techniques.
- Statistical models of radioactive decay.
- Fossil evidence of past life.
- Uniformitarianism.
- Stratigraphic principles.
- Divisions of Geologic Time
- Origin of the earth system.
- Origin of life.
- Objective 3.01: Assess evidence to interpret the order and impact of events in the geologic past:
- Goal 4: The learner will build an understanding of the hydrosphere and its interactions and influences on the lithosphere, the atmosphere, and environmental quality.
- Objective 4.01: Evaluate erosion and depositional processes:
- Formation of stream channels with respect to the work being done by the stream (i.e. down-cutting, lateral erosion, and transportation).
- Nature and characteristics of sediments.
- Effects on water quality.
- Effect of human choices on the rate of erosion.
- Objective 4.03: Analyze the mechanisms that produce the various types of shorelines and their resultant landforms:
- Nature of underlying geology.
- Long and short term sea-level history.
- Formation and breaking of waves on adjacent topography.
- Human impact.
- Objective 4.01: Evaluate erosion and depositional processes:
