the structure of earth - amazon s3 · 2013-01-17 · ©2010 benchmark education company, llc the...

* Essential Questions for each chapter drive the unit of study. These questions encourage students to think critically about the big ideas, or essential understandings, and to formulate further questions for inquiry. Students who have read the text with comprehension should be able to demonstrate their understanding through discussion and through the “Putting It All Together” activities at the end of each chapter.

** If you are using this text with ExC-ELL students, please refer to the ExC-ELL Vocabulary Strategies Card.

B e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y

Overarching Understanding*We use different methods to learn more about

Earth’s interior.

Science Objectives• Identify the layers inside Earth

• Describe different scientific methods used to learn

about Earth’s inner structure

Hands-On Science Inquiry• Solid Waves, page 14

• Make an Earth Model, page 36

Metacognitive Strategies• Ask questions

• Determine text importance

Comprehension Strategy• Identify main ideas and supporting details

Content Vocabulary• Glossary, page 46

Vocabulary Strategy** • Use direct definitions to define unfamiliar

vocabulary

• Use a glossary/dictionary to confirm definitions

Word Study• Multiple-meaning words

• Word origins

Language Forms and Functions • Comparatives

Writing Connection• How to Write a Hypothesis, page 44

Graphic Features Focus • Diagrams

Related Resources • The Structure of Earth Interactive

Whiteboard Edition

• Comprehension Strategy Assessments

• Comprehension Question Card

• Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart

• ExC-ELL Vocabulary Strategies Card**

The Structure of Earth

Teacher’s GuidePRIME SCIENCE

Level X/60

Level R/40

• Generate ideas and conduct research. Generate a list of places where a hypothesis may be found, such as: science textbooks, lab reports, scientific journals that publish scientific studies, information books and articles, and Internet sites describing research in medicine, geology, weather, ecological issues, and so on.

• Allow time for students to use classroom or library resources to find examples of different hypotheses.

• After students have found examples. Review the models together and discuss the consistent characteristics of hypotheses, specifically those using an “if . . . then” structure.

• Create an anchor chart similar to the one below explaining the steps involved in forming a hypothesis as part of the larger scientific method.

• Say: For example, a volcanologist is a scientist who studies volcanoes. A volcanologist might notice that a volcano is more active during certain days of the month. She might also observe that the volcano tends to be more active on days when the moon happens to be full. Further research of other volcanoes and the moon’s cycle and gravitational pull might reveal that the moon’s gravitational pull on Earth is greatest when the moon is in perigee (closest to Earth). She might also see that many other volcanoes tend to be more active on days when the moon is in perigee. So, the question would be: “How does the moon’s gravitational pull affect volcanic activity?” The hypothesis would try to answer this question. So, based on the research, the hypothesis might be: “If the moon’s gravitational pull has an increasing effect on volcanic activity, then the volcano is more likely to be active on days closest to perigee, when the moon’s gravitational pull is greatest.”

• Say: A way to test this hypothesis would be to do an experiment over the course of a few months, or an even longer period of time, that measured volcanic activity and compared it to the lunar cycle. The scientist would collect data in a table over this period. At the end of the experiment, she could see if the results supported or refuted her hypothesis.

The sTrucTure of earTh2

Make Connections/Build Background Build Science Concepts and Vocabulary• Pose a question. Use the “Prime Questions” on the

inside front cover of The Structure of Earth to stimulate students’ thinking. Say: You live on Earth’s crust. But what are the layers that lie beneath Earth’s crust? How would you describe these layers? How can you learn more about what goes on inside our planet?

• Open discussion. Initiate a discussion about the layers of Earth. Ask whether they think these layers are solid or liquid. Ask if they think the layers are hotter or colder than Earth’s surface.

• Turn and talk. Have students turn to a neighbor and discuss what they know about the structure of Earth. What do they know about the Earth’s core and what do they want to know?

• Begin a KWL anchor chart to support students’ reading of the book. Ask volunteers to report on what they know (K) and what they want to know (W). Record responses in the appropriate chart columns. Post the chart for students to add what they learned (L) after reading.

Preview the Book• Invite students to flip through the book and view photos,

or project the whiteboard version of the text and preview the pages together.

• Have students turn to the Table of Contents and read the chapter heads and Essential Questions for each chapter.

• Invite students to read the book description and the “About the Author” blurb on the back cover of the book. Ask: How do these features help you figure out what you’ll learn about in this book?

• Think/pair/write/share. Ask students to work with a neighbor again to formulate any additional questions after previewing the book. What questions should be added to the class anchor chart? Record students’ responses.

Read Aloud the Book Introduction • Ask: Has anyone ever heard of the Kola Superdeep

Borehole project? Why do you think scientists would want to dig a hole many miles down into Earth?

• Read aloud the text on pages 4–5 or display the page on your whiteboard. Ask students to locate the Kola Superdeep Borehole site on the map on page 5.

• Ask students why they think the project took so long. Tell students that they will learn as they read the book about some of scientists’ challenges in studying Earth’s core.

Write a Hypothesis Introduce and Plan• Ask students to turn to pages 44–45. Read about the

writing feature together.• Say: Forming a hypothesis is a very important part of

the scientific process. As scientists, we make observations and those observations often lead us to ask questions. A hypothesis is a prediction that should be stated as an answer to the question. A hypothesis gives a logical explanation, or reason, for why something is the way it is, or why something happens.

©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-61672-214-2

Introduce the Book

1. Make Observations• What have you noticed?2. Ask Questions/Pose a Problem• What question do you want to answer?

What problem do you want to solve?3. Conduct Research• What information will help you

to develop a hypothesis?4. Hypothesis• What is your proposed answer or solution?• If __________ is related to __________, then __________.

5. Plan and Conduct Experiment• How can you test your hypothesis?6. Record Data• How will you collect and record results?7. Conclusion• Do you accept or reject your hypothesis?

3The sTrucTure of earTh©2010 Benchmark education company, LLc

Before Reading

Discuss the Essential Question: How do scientists learn about the structure of Earth?• Ask students to turn to page 6. Read the Essential

Question together. • Open discussion. Initiate a discussion about the work

scientists do to learn what Earth is like beneath the crust. Introduce students to the challenges scientists face through a simple analogy. Say: It’s your birthday and you notice a huge, beautifully wrapped box with your name on it. You rush toward the gift, eager to rip it open to discover what’s inside. Then you hear a chorus of people saying, “Stop!” You turn to look at your friends. “You have to guess what’s inside without looking under the wrapping paper,” they say. “You can’t open the box until you’ve figured it out.” How frustrating! How will you solve this puzzle? This is similar to what scientists face trying to understand what’s beneath Earth’s surface without being able to look inside easily.

• Ask: Why is it so hard to study Earth’s inner parts? Are there clues that could help scientists make logical guesses? Ask students to think about the different features visible on Earth’s surface. Then discuss how much they know about what is deep beneath the surface.

• Generate predictions. Ask students to predict the answers to these questions: Why is little information known about Earth’s interior? How might scientists study a place where no one has ever been?

Discuss the Essential Vocabulary: Use Synonyms and Direct Definitions to Determine Word Meanings• Point out the Essential Vocabulary on page 7.• Ask: What do you already know about each of these

words? Take a moment to jot down what you know in your science journal. Have students draw a graphic organizer like the one below in their journals to evaluate their knowledge of the Essential Vocabulary words.

• Invite students to share and discuss their graphic organizers with a partner or the whole group.

• Model using synonyms and direct definitions. Say: When I read, I sometimes find a word I don’t know. Often, the author will use a synonym (a word that has the same meaning) to help me understand. Look at

page 10. If I don’t understand the word crust, I can use the synonym that the author provides. She tells me that this kind of crust means “surface.” Another way to determine the meaning of a word using information from the text is to look for a direct definition. On page 8, the word gravity is followed by a direct definition. The author says that gravity is the force of attraction between objects due to their mass. Good readers use information in the text like synonyms and direct definitions to help them when they read.

• Think/pair/share. Have students work in pairs. Assign an essential word to each group. Have them find a direct definition or synonym provided in the chapter and define the words in their vocabulary notebooks without looking at the glossary.

• Allow students to share. Reinforce the importance of using synonyms and direct definitions to read more independently.

Share English/Spanish Cognates for Essential Vocabulary If you have ELs whose first language is Spanish, share the cognates below to support academic vocabulary. Be aware, however, that students may not understand the meaning of all of these science words in their first language, either.composition/la composición (page 9), crust/la corteza terrestre (page 10), density/la densidad (page 8), gravity/la gravedad (page 8), mantle/el manto (page 16), meteorite/el meteorito (page 9), primary/primario (page 12), secondary/secundario (page 12), seismographs/los sismógrafos (page 13)

Preview Text and Graphic Features: Diagrams • Ask students to turn to page 16. Point out the diagram at

the bottom of the page. • Ask: What do you think this feature is? (Allow responses.) • If necessary, say: This is a diagram. You will see this type

of feature used in many books.• Ask: Why do you think this graphic feature is included

here? How can it help you as a reader? (Allow responses.) • Help students understand that some concepts are too

difficult to explain using text alone. Authors often use diagrams to help their readers understand complex ideas visually.

• Say: As you read this book, you will see diagrams used to explain some concepts about the structure of Earth. Use them to help you understand.

Activate Metacognitive Strategies: Determine Text Importance• Tell students that good readers use many strategies.• Say: Nonfiction text often includes many facts and ideas,

but not all are equally important. Good readers determine what is most important. As you read, your job is to identify the key information that can help you understand about the structure of Earth. Let me show you how.

• Model. Read aloud page 6. Say: As I read this page, I noticed clues that show what information is most important. First, the title of the chapter and the opening question tell me that the chapter will be about how scientists study Earth’s interior. I need to focus on information that is specifically about that. I also noticed a word in the second paragraph that is printed in boldface type. That signals a glossary word. Those words usually relate to important concepts in the text. As you read this chapter, think about how the text connects to what you know and what you want to know about Earth’s interior. Reading thoughtfully helps you understand and remember key information.

Chapter 1: Studying Earth’s Interior

Make It Comprehensible for ELsUse the following strategies to help ELs understand concepts and acquire academic language.• As you introduce concepts and vocabulary, use images

from the book or from the image bank on the interactive whiteboard edition to illustrate concepts and terms.

• Pair ELs with fluent English speakers during small-group or partner discussions and activities.

• Model the use of academic sentence frames to support ELs’ vocabulary and language development. (See Suggested Academic Sentence Frames for each chapter.)

Words I Know Words I Think I Know

Words I Don’t Know

Set a Purpose for Reading• Say: As you read this chapter, you will be using a strategy

called Cornell notes.• Distribute Cornell Notes Guide (BLM 2). Say: Writing

Cornell notes is a form of note-taking. As you read the book, use the upper-right part of the form to jot down important information. After you read, use the upper-left box to write the main ideas or concepts that the information in the right supports. The bottom of the form provides space for you to summarize the chapter.

• Instruct students to read page 6 and record their notes in the upper-right box. Explain that they may use whatever concise note-taking method helps them capture the information easily and accurately (single words, phrases, abbreviations, symbols, drawings, etc.).

• Circulate to monitor and provide help as needed. Remind students that they are taking notes as they read the chapter so they can identify and summarize the most important ideas when they have finished.

Read the ChapterChoose the option below that meets the needs of your students. Prompt students to use the metacognitive strategy of determining text importance to help them identify the main ideas in the chapter. • Read with a teacher. Meet with small groups of

students to focus on content-comprehension strategies as you read the text together. Students can read silently, or you can do a shared read-aloud of the text. Use the Cornell Notes Guide to focus on key concepts.

• Read with a partner. Have students read the chapter with a partner and complete the top boxes of the Cornell Notes Guide together to identify and focus on key concepts.

• Read independently. Assign students the chapter to read on their own before the next class period. Students should complete at least the upper-right box for notes taken during reading.

After ReadingChoose from the activities below to extend students’ science and content-literacy skills.

Discuss Key ConceptsInvite students to share their Cornell Notes Guide (BLM 2). What main ideas and key concepts did they list in the upper-left box? Do the notes they recorded in the upper-right column provide the details needed to understand these main ideas/concepts? Provide time for students to share and discuss their chapter summaries with the class.

Model Comprehension Strategies: Identify Main Ideas and Supporting Details• Explain. As you read, you are trying to understand the

most important (main) ideas. Sometimes the author states the main idea. At other times, however, you have to use the details he or she provides to infer the main idea. Let me show you how.

• Model identifying a stated main idea. Read aloud page 10. Say: The first sentence on this page says that volcanoes provide evidence that interior layers of Earth are very different from the surface. The rest of the information on the page provides details that support that main idea. The main idea for this page is clearly stated in the first sentence.

• Model identifying an unstated main idea. Read aloud page 8. Say: These paragraphs all tell how people have tried to understand Earth’s interior for thousands of years. They explain ancient myths, early scientific theories, and what modern scientists now believe. I can infer from these details that Earth’s interior has been a mystery to many people for a very long time.

• Say: As you read, focus on the main ideas and details. Some of the main ideas will be specifically stated. Others can be implied from the details in the text.

Vocabulary/Word Study: Multiple-Meaning Words• Explain. Help students understand that science uses

many words that have more than one meaning. Some are familiar words that have a different meaning in science.

• Think/pair/share. Pair students and have them find essential vocabulary words in the chapter. Tell them to choose one or two of the words and discuss whether the words have more than one meaning. Then have students share their discussions with the larger group.

• Begin an anchor chart like the one below to discuss words in Chapter 1 that have multiple meanings. Ask students to locate each word in their books and find its scientific meaning.

• Display the chart to support students’ reading.

Language Forms and Functions: Comparatives with -er• Tell students to listen as you read the following sentence

from page 12 in Chapter 1 that compares S waves with P waves. On Level and Bridges: S waves are slower than P waves.

• Explain: The word slower is a comparative. It’s a type of adjective that compares two things. Comparatives are formed by adding -er to an adjective or adverb. Ask: What two things are being compared in the sentence? (Allow responses.)

• Practice: Can you think of other sentences with comparatives? For example, I could say, “His hair is longer than hers.” Which word is a comparative? What two things are being compared? (Allow responses.)

• As students generate sentences, record them on chart paper. Circle the comparatives. Reinforce that comparatives are used to compare two things.

4 The sTrucTure of earTh ©2010 Benchmark education company, LLc

Suggested Academic Sentence Frame• Based on my notes, I know that Earth’s interior

______________________.

Chapter 1 (continued)

Words Used in Science with Multiple Meanings

Word Familiar Meaning Meaning in Science

composition a work of literature, music, or art

the elements that something is made of

crust the outer part of bread the outermost part of Earth

mantle a shelf above a fireplace a region of the Earth’s interior between the crust and the core


Hands-On Science Inquiry Ask students to work in groups of four to conduct the procedure on pages 14–15 (“Solid Waves”).

Differentiated Collaborative Learning Invite partners or small groups to complete one of the “Putting It All Together” activities on page 19 to demonstrate their understanding of the essential information. Note that the activity choices accommodate learners with a range of learning styles.

Share the Cartoonist’s Notebook • Have students read the Cartoonist’s Notebook spread on

pages 20–21 independently, with partners, or as a whole group. (You may wish to project the spread on your whiteboard.)

• Open discussion. Ask students to think about and discuss the following questions.

•InwhatwayscaninnerlayersofEarthcometothesurface? What recent or major events do you know of that are examples?

•HowcanunderstandingmoreaboutEarth’sinteriorhelp scientists predict natural disasters?

Write a Hypothesis: Defining the Problem• Using the anchor chart, review the first steps involved in

forming a hypothesis. • Say: Often the hardest part of forming a hypothesis is

deciding which scientific question you want to answer, or problem you want to solve.

• Allow students to work individually, in pairs, or in small groups as they choose a topic and conduct their research.

• Generate ideas. Using the first part of the Hypothesis Planning Guide (BLM 1), ask students to generate a list of characteristics of Earth’s surface based on what they have read or from their own observations and prior knowledge. (Related topics could include earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, or other land features and formations, etc.)

• Ask students to share their lists of characteristics and have the class assist in helping students formulate scientific (testable) questions or problems based on this list. (Example question: How does the moon’s gravitational pull affect volcanic activity?)

• Conduct research. Once students have formulated a question, explain that the next important step in forming a logical hypothesis is to research the question or problem. Ask students to write about the type of information or data they will need to find in order to form a valid hypothesis.

• Then allow time for them to use classroom or library resources to conduct research.

Home Connections: Constructed-Response Journal Writing In their science journals, have students answer the text-dependent comprehension questions for the Chapter 1 Comprehension Questions (BLM 4). These questions, at four text-dependent comprehension levels, help prepare students for the questions they will encounter on standardized content-area reading assessments. To model strategies for answering text-dependent comprehension questions, use the information and prompts provided on the Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart. Answers for each question on BLM 4, along with additional questions, can be found on the Comprehension Question Card.

Before Reading

Discuss the Essential Question: What are the characteristics of Earth’s core and lower mantle?• Ask students to turn to page 22. Read the Essential

Question together.• Open discussion. Ask students to think about what they

learned from Chapter 1 about Earth’s interior. Discuss scientists’ theories about what is underneath the outer crust. Ask: If there was some way to actually travel deep into Earth’s lower layers, what do you think it would be like? What would it look like? What smells would you notice? How would it feel? Would the area around you be still or in motion?

• Based on students’ discussion, begin a sensory experience chart listing descriptions that students share. Write each category of sensory experience in a different circle (for example: smells, feelings, sounds, sights, etc.). Connect students’ images of each sensory experience in surrounding circles.

• Save the chart for students to refer to after reading.

Discuss the Essential Vocabulary: Use Descriptions and Synonyms to Determine Word Meanings• Point out the Essential Vocabulary on page 23.• Say: Before reading Chapter 1, we talked about using

descriptions in the text to help you understand the meanings of words you don’t know. How did descriptions help you as you read the last chapter? (Allow responses.) We also learned that authors often provide synonyms to explain new terms. A synonym is a word that means the same or almost the same as another word.

• Have students locate the Essential Vocabulary word mesosphere in bold type on page 28. Read the sentence containing the word together.

• Model using synonyms: I’m not sure what mesosphere means, but I see a synonym for it in the sentence. The term lower mantle is a synonym for mesosphere. Lower mantle and mesosphere can be used interchangeably. They are synonyms for each other.

• Ask students to add mesosphere to their science journals and record its synonym, lower mantle, for their definition.

• Model using description: I might not understand lower mantle too well yet, so I keep reading to see if there is anything more that can help me define mesosphere. There is. The next few paragraphs tell that the lower mantle is solid, calm, has bubbles and plumes, and is poorly understood by scientists.




• Model the use of academic sentence frames to support ELs’ vocabulary and language development. (See Suggested Academic Sentence Frames for each chapter.)

Chapter 2: Earth’s Core and Lower Mantle

• Read independently. Assign students the chapter to read on their own before the next class period. Students should complete at least the upper-right box for notes taken during reading.


Discuss Key ConceptsReturn to the sensory experience chart created with students before reading the chapter. Invite them to evaluate their initial responses in terms of what they learned from Chapter 2. Do they still have the same images of what the interior of Earth is like? What evidence from the chapter confirms or disputes those images? How have those images changed, if at all?

Practice Comprehension Strategies: Identify Main Ideas and Supporting Details• Ask: What is a stated main idea? What is an unstated

main idea? (Allow responses.)

• Guide practice. Ask students to turn to page 22 and reread it with you. Ask: What is the main idea for this section, and what details support it? Work with students to develop a main idea statement for the page and identify the details that support it.

• If necessary, model: As I read this page, I see that it is all about how the amount of pressure from rock causes the interior of Earth to be very different from its exterior. That’s the main idea. It isn’t stated, but I can use the details in the text to infer the main idea.

Vocabulary/Word Study: Word Origins• Explain. Write the word mesosphere on chart paper

on on the whiteboard. Say: Science uses many terms that come from Greek words. Knowing the Greek words can help explain a term’s meaning. (Circle meso.) Say: Meso comes from the Greek word for “middle.” (Circle sphere.) Sphere comes from a Greek word that means “ball.”

• Ask students to use the meanings of the Greek roots in mesosphere to determine its meaning (middle of the sphere). Discuss why the word fits the layer of Earth it names.

Language Forms and Functions: Comparatives with -er• Read the following sentence from Chapter 2, page 22:

On Level: These pressures can measure three million times greater than the atmospheric pressure on Earth’s surface. Bridges: This pressure makes the rock very dense and very hot.

• Explain: The word greater in this sentence is a comparative adjective. Comparatives are formed by adding -er to an adjective or adverb. They are used to compare two things. In this sentence, greater is used to compare the pressure in Earth’s interior with the pressure on Earth’s surface.

• Practice with a partner. Have students work in pairs to think of other comparative adjectives and use them in sentences.

• Turn and talk. Have students turn to a neighbor and discuss other words with synonyms that they can also describe. They may scan the first two chapters for examples, such as crust/surface or epicenter/origin or arrive at examples through discussion. Bring the class back together and have students share examples.

Preview Text and Graphic Features: Diagrams• Ask students to turn to pages 23–26. Point out the

diagrams. • Ask: What do we call these graphic features, and why do

you think the author included them? (Allow responses.)

Activate Metacognitive Strategies: Determine Text Importance and Ask Questions• Review. Remind students that when they read Chapter 1,

they used the strategy of determining text importance to help them focus on the most important information. Say: How did using the strategy help you as you read the last chapter? (Allow responses.)

• Explain. Tell students that good readers also ask questions when they read. Say: Good readers read actively. They ask themselves questions about what they want to know, what they are learning, and how new information links to what they already know. Asking questions is a very helpful strategy. Let me show you what I mean.

• Model asking questions: When I read the chapter heading and key question on page 22, I started asking myself questions right away. What is the lower mantle? How far down are the core and lower mantle? How are the two different? How big are they? Are they solid or molten? How do they affect the outer crust? I know that core usually means the very center of something. Is the core below the lower mantle? These are all questions I have even before I begin to read.

• Ask: What are some other questions we could ask ourselves? (Allow responses.)

• Say: As you read this chapter, stop when you find that you are confused or unsure of what you’re reading. Reread the section and ask yourself questions to help clarify what the text is saying. Look for words, phrases, and sentences that help you determine what is most important in the text.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to return to their Cornell Notes Guide

(BLM 2) and continue to take notes as they read Chapter 2 to record and summarize key points.

Read the ChapterChoose the option below that meets the needs of your students. Prompt students to use the metacognitive strategies of determining text importance and asking questions to help them identify the main ideas in the chapter. • Read with a teacher. Meet with small groups of


• Read with a partner. Have students read the chapter with a partner and complete the top boxes of the Cornell Notes Guide together to identify and focus on key concepts.


Suggested Academic Sentence Frame• I believe Earth’s interior is _____________.


• Encourage students to share as you write their sentences on chart paper. Circle the comparatives and discuss what two things are being compared.

Suggested Academic Sentence Frame• The __________ is smaller than __________.

Differentiated Collaborative Learning Invite partners or small groups to complete one of the “Putting It All Together” activities on page 29 to demonstrate their understanding of the essential information.

Write a Hypothesis: Form Statement, Edit and Revise• Discuss the use of the hypothesis statement frame. Explain

that there are other ways to frame a hypothesis, but the “if . . . then” structure is a helpful one. Emphasize again that a real hypothesis is “testable.”

• Ask students to look over the research they collected on their question or problem.

• Tell students to use their Hypothesis Planning Guides (BLM 1) to begin drafting a hypothesis.

• Discuss organization. Remind students that a usable hypothesis identifies a valid phenomenon and suggests a logical explanation for the phenomenon.

• Say: Use the sentence frame on your Hypothesis Planning Guide to state your hypothesis: “If _____ is related to _____, then _____.”

• Write the following example statement on chart paper or on the whiteboard: If the moon’s gravitational pull has an increasing effect on volcanic activity, then the volcano is more likely to be active on days when the moon is in perigee (closest to Earth) and the moon’s gravitational pull is greatest.

• Circle and discuss the cause-and-effect relationship. • if moon’s gravitational pull has an increasing effect on

volcanic activity = cause • then the volcano is more likely to be active on days

when the moon is in perigee (closest to Earth) and the moon’s gravitational pull is greatest = effect

• Confer with students as they write and share their hypotheses. Use the Hypothesis Checklist (BLM 3) to draw students’ attention to areas where they should focus and suggest revisions. Focus on how students have organized their information and developed their hypothesis statement. Is each student’s hypothesis organized logically? Is its message clear? Is it stated in a logical form? Does it explain the relationship between the two variables being studied? Is the language direct?

• Pair students for peer conferencing.• Based on your observations of students’ writing, conduct

appropriate mini-lessons to help them improve their work. For example:

• collecting information that is appropriate and adequate to develop a logical hypothesis

• using the “if . . . then” hypothesis statement frame to state their hypothesis

Home Connections: Constructed-Response Journal Writing In their science journals, have students answer the text-dependent Comprehension Questions (BLM 4) for Chapter 2.

Before Reading

Discuss the Essential Question: What are the characteristics of Earth’s upper mantle and crust?• Ask students to turn to page 30. Read the Essential

Question together.• Turn and share. Ask students to turn to a neighbor

and generate a list of questions related to the Essential Question. Remind them that asking questions before they read is a good way to connect what they know to what they want to learn. Create a list of students’ questions to return to after reading.

Discuss the Essential Vocabulary: Use Direct Definitions, Synonyms, and Descriptions to Determine Word Meanings• Point out the Essential Vocabulary on page 31. • Say: We have talked about using three different kinds

of information in the text to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. The first kind of information is the synonym. Who can tell me what a synonym is? (Allow responses.) We also talked about using descriptions and direct definitions to understand new terms. How have these helped you understand terms used in the previous chapters? (Allow responses.)

• Model using description. Read the first paragraph on page 32 aloud as students follow along. Say: The author helps me understand what the asthenosphere is and where it is located by using description. She describes it as part of a peanut butter sandwich—a thick, gooey layer between two solid layers. That description is very helpful.

• Think/pair/share. Have students work in pairs to locate the other three Essential Vocabulary terms for Chapter 3. Tell them to use direct definitions and descriptions from the text to define the words in their science journals. Bring the class back together to share their findings.

Share English/Spanish Cognates for Essential Vocabulary If you have ELs whose first language is Spanish, share the cognates below to support academic vocabulary. Be aware, however, that students may not understand the meaning of all of these science words in their first language, either.continental plate/la placa continental (page 39), lithosphere/la litosfera (page 33)

Preview Text and Graphic Features: Diagrams• Ask students to scan Chapter 3 and point out examples of

diagrams in this chapter (pages 32–34, 38).• Ask: How will you use these diagrams to help you

understand? (Allow responses.)





• Model the use of academic sentences frames to support ELs’ vocabulary and language development. (See Suggested Academic Sentence Frames for each chapter.)

Chapter 3: Earth’s Upper Mantle and Crust

Vocabulary/Word Study: Word Origins • Explain. Write the word asthenosphere on chart paper

or on the whiteboard. Say: Science uses many terms that come from Greek words. Knowing the Greek words can help explain the term’s meaning. (Circle asthen.) Say: As the author tells us on page 32, this part of asthenosphere comes from the Greek word for “weak.” What characteristics of the asthenosphere make the Greek root a good choice? (The rock of the asthenosphere is soft and flows from place to place.)

• Write lithosphere on chart paper or on the whiteboard. Circle lithos. Explain that this is from the Greek word for “stone.” Have students write in their science journals about why the word fits the layer of Earth it names. Then have them share ideas with the class.

Language Forms and Functions: Comparatives with -er• Read the following sentence from Chapter 3, page 32: On Level and Bridges: Cooler rock nearer the surface

sinks back down toward the core.• Explain: Remember that a comparative is a word that

does exactly what its name implies: it compares two things. It is formed by adding -er to an adjective or adverb. This sentence has two comparatives. What are they? (Allow responses.) Yes, cooler is a comparative adjective. Nearer is also a comparative adverb. Ask: What two things are being compared? (rocks nearer the surface to rocks farther from the surface) (Allow responses.)

• Practice: What other sentences could you make that use comparatives? For example, I could say, “His hair is longer than hers.” Which word is a comparative? What two things are being compared? (Allow responses.)

• As students generate sentences, record them on chart paper. Circle the comparatives. Reinforce that comparatives are used to compare two things.

Hands-On Science Inquiry Ask students to work independently or with a partner to conduct the science experiment on pages 36–37 (“Make an Earth Model”).

Differentiated Collaborative Learning Invite partners or small groups to complete one of the “Putting It All Together” activities on page 41 to demonstrate their understanding of the essential information.

Write a Hypothesis: Create Final Draft and Illustrations• Ask students to rewrite or type a final draft of their

hypothesis statement.• Students may also use the addional steps on the worksheet

to plan and design an experiement to test their hypothesis.• Conference with students regarding publishing plans and

deadlines.

Home Connections: Constructed-Response Journal Writing In their science journals, have students answer the text-dependent Comprehension Questions (BLM 4) for Chapter 3.

Review and Discuss Metacognitive Strategies: Ask Questions and Determine Text Importance• Say: As we’ve read this book, we’ve practiced using

two key strategies. One is determining text importance. What does that mean? What clues in the text can help you identify the most important information? (Allow responses.) Engage students in a discussion of how text features such as titles, headings, boldfaced type, and graphic features can help them focus on the most important information in a text.

• Say: We’ve also learned about the strategy of asking questions when we read. Asking questions makes us active readers who understand and remember more of what we read. How did asking questions help you as you read the previous chapters? Encourage students to share specific examples.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to continue using the Cornell Notes Guide

(BLM 2) as they read the last chapter.

Read the ChapterChoose the option below that meets the needs of your students. Prompt students to use the metacognitive strategies of asking questions and determining text importance to help them identify the main ideas in the chapter. •Read with a teacher. Meet with small groups of


•Read with a partner. Have students read the chapter with a partner and complete the top boxes of the Cornell Notes Guide together to identify and focus on key concepts.

•Read independently. Assign students the chapter to read on their own before the next class period. Students should complete at least the upper-right box for notes taken during reading.


Discuss Key Concepts Have students share their Cornell Notes (BLM 2) for Chapter 3. What main ideas and key concepts did they list in the upper-left box about Earth’s upper mantle and crust? Do the notes they recorded in the upper-right box provide the details needed to understand main ideas and concepts?

Review and Discuss Comprehension Strategies: Identify Main Ideas and Supporting Details• Ask: How can you be sure you’ve identified the main

idea within a passage of text? (Allow responses.) Students should understand that a main idea is a broad, important concept that is supported by the details of the passage. If there are no supporting details, it is not the main idea.

• Say: As you read, it is very important to stay focused on the main ideas. They provide the “big pictures” in the text. All information texts are organized around main ideas. You can be certain you have identified a main idea if it is supported by details.


Suggested Academic Sentence Frame• Layers _____ to the surface are _____ than _____.


AssessmentClosed-Book Science Content Assessment • Have students complete the formal Content

Assessment (BLMs 5 and 6). This assessment helps you evaluate students’ understanding of the standards-based concepts developed in this text. There are three test items for each “chunk” of the text as divided in this Teacher’s Guide. For each chapter, there are three types of questions, representing the different kinds of questions students will encounter on standardized content assessments.

Question Types and Explanations• Recall. Students answer questions based on content

concepts learned from the text. Students are not allowed to look in the book for answers.

• Application. Students must transfer their understanding of concepts learned in the book to new, real-life situations.

• Think about it. Students must read and interpret this question carefully. They must consider information provided in the question and information from the book to formulate an answer.

• Complete a concept circle. Students use the graphic organizer to demonstrate their concept knowledge. Then they draw conclusions about the information they have presented. This assessment can be differentiated in the following ways. Gifted students. Ask students to provide all information in the concept circle from memory. On-level students. Provide six possible categories for students to use in the four quadrants of the concept circle. Struggling students. Provide students with the four concepts you would like them to write about in the concept circle.

Summarize and SynthesizeUse the suggestions below to synthesize the information from the text and to evaluate and extend students’ content knowledge, comprehension, and vocabulary knowledge.

Read Aloud and Discuss the ConclusionRead aloud the Conclusion on pages 42–43 and invite students to summarize the key concepts and conclusions they can draw from the text. Encourage students to use the key vocabulary terms they have learned.

Assess Science and Content-Literacy SkillsText-Dependent Comprehension Assessment• Review students’ answers to the text-dependent questions

on BLM 4. If necessary, support their text-dependent comprehension strategies by answering additional questions from the Comprehension Question Card as a group.

Performance-Based Assessment• Invite students to complete the “Prime Investigations”

activity shown on the inside back cover of the book. This activity provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding of Earth’s structure developed in the text.

Vocabulary Challenge• Play Guess My Word. Have students work with partners

or a small group. Provide each clue-giver with a set of cards. The words can be thematically linked or random. The clue-giver must give clues to the word without using the actual word or any derivative. The first pair or group to finish earns a point. Continue the process with another set of cards. This can also be played as a whole-group activity during transition times.

Write a Hypothesis: Publish and Share• Explain: The development of hypotheses is the basic

function of science and the heart of the scientific process. It allows people to act purposefully to study and explain a wide range of phenomena, both simple and complex. It is the basis of investigation and research.

• Use one or more of the ideas below for sharing students’ work.

• Invite students to read their hypotheses and discuss their planned test methods and data-collection processes.

• Allow students to test their hypotheses and publish the results in your classroom or school library.

• Students may add illustrations, tables, graphs, charts, diagrams, or drawings to enhance their findings.


Conclusion

Answer Key: Comprehension Questions

1. seismograph (page 13)

2. (Answers may vary.) Scientists can’t see the layers inside Earth. Scientists believe that the solar system formed about 4.6 million years ago. Geologists gather clues about the structure of Earth by studying volcanic material. The study of earthquakes continues to reveal details of Earth’s inner structure (pages 8–10, 13)

3. The diagram is used to get the reader’s attention and to provide information in a brief visual way.

4. magnetic field

5. (Answers may vary.) Magnetic fields are important to life on Earth. Clues/evidence: some animals can detect the magnetic field and use it to navigate; crust and mantle; the magnetic field also protects life on Earth from dangerous particles from the sun; without a magnetic field, there would be many more auroras but no life on Earth to appreciate them

6. (Answers may vary.) The author uses the example to help the reader understand an unknown concept with a known example.

7. cool (page 33)

8. (Answers may vary.) You can see in the diagram on page 39 that different plates are moving in different directions. Each year, the North American and European plates move about 2 centimeters away from each other.

9. (Answers may vary.) The author’s purpose is to provide descriptive information about the upper mantle and crust.

10

Answer Key: Content Assessment1. Answer should include three of the following:

meteorites, volcanoes, earthquakes, P waves and S waves, seismographs

2. (Answers may vary.) Studying P waves will be more helpful because S waves disappear in liquid. P waves could provide information about the depth of the molten layer and about the solid layers that may surround it.

3. (Answers may vary.) Students should point out that neither can be studied easily because Earth’s insides are extremely hot, dangerous, and hard to reach. Current technology allows us to see, sample, or measure only certain things.

4. magnetic field

5. Earth’s inner core is solid, so it is more like a solid cake layer. Earth’s outer core is not as solid and would be more like a softer icing layer in a cake.

6. Scientists believe that the movement of material in Earth’s outer core creates Earth’s magnetic field. Therefore, a scientist interested in the past changes to this magnetic field would also be interested in the history of the outer core.

7. upper mantle

8. lithosphere

9. Heat and pressure cause layers to be solid or liquid. Intense heat causes some layers to be liquid. Intense pressure causes some layers to be solid.

10. Major layers of Earth (examples):

core— The core is the center of Earth. The inner core is solid and the outer core is liquid. The core is made mostly of iron and nickel.

mantle— The mantle is the thickest layer of Earth. It is found between the core and crust. It has different solid and partly melted layers of mostly minerals containing oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and iron.

crust— The crust is the thin, solid, outer shell that floats on top of mantle. It is made of minerals containing oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and iron.

The sTrucTure of earTh ©2010 Benchmark education company, LLc

Name _______________________________________________________ Date _________________________________

BLM 1

Hypothesis Planning Guide

Directions: Use the following chart to organize and form your hypothesis.

The sTrucTure of earTh©2010 Benchmark education company, LLc

1. Make Observations

• What have you noticed?

2. Ask Questions or Pose a Problem

• What question do you want to answer? What problem do you want to solve?

3. Conduct Research

• What information will help you to develop a hypothesis?

4. Hypothesis

• What is your proposed answer or solution?

• If __________ is related to __________, then __________.

6. Record Data

• How will you collect and record results?

7. Conclusion

• Do you accept or reject your hypothesis?

5. Plan and Conduct Experiment

• How can you test your hypothesis?

Cornell Notes Guide

Name _______________________________________________________ Date _________________________________

During-Reading Directions: Use the large box on the right to take notes as you read. You do not have to use complete sentences. Use abbreviations whenever possible. Leave spaces between ideas and topics.

After-Reading Directions: Review your notes after you read. Pull out main ideas and key points. Write them on the left side of the form, across from the notes they match. Use the bottom of the form to write a summary of the chapter based on your review of the during- and after-reading sections.

After-Reading Notes During-Reading Notes

Summary

©2010 Benchmark education company, LLcThe sTrucTure of earTh BLM 2

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________


Hypothesis Checklist

Features of a Hypothesis YES NO

1. My hypothesis is based on observations or an event/ phenomenon that is accepted as true or observable. ❍ ❍

2. I have researched reliable sources to develop a logical explanation for the observations/event/phenomenon. ❍ ❍

3. My explanation is testable; it can be proved or disproved. ❍ ❍

4. I have developed a reliable method for testing my explanation. ❍ ❍

5. I used appropriate voice and specific language to help my reader understand. ❍ ❍

6. My hypothesis is stated in the correct manner (such as the hypothesis statement frame). ❍ ❍

7. My hypothesis statement is clear, logical, and easy for my readers to understand. ❍ ❍

Read and Revise YES NO

I looked for and corrected . . .

• subject-verb agreement ❍ ❍• correct verb tense ❍ ❍• punctuation ❍ ❍• capitalization ❍ ❍• spelling ❍ ❍

Chapter 11. What tool is used to record the passage of earthquake waves through different

locations?

2. Geologists do not know everything about Earth’s inner structure. How can you tell?

3. Why did the author include a labeled diagram on page 16?

Chapter 24. Look at the cause-and-effect chart created from information found on page 26.

What information belongs in the blank?

5. What is the main idea of page 26?

6. Look at page 22. Why does the author compare Earth to a cake with icing?

Chapter 37. The uppermost layer of the mantle is _________ enough to form a solid.

8. While some places are moving farther apart, other places might be moving closer together. How can you tell?

9. What is the author’s purpose for Chapter 3?

Name _______________________________________________________ Date ______________________________

The Structure of Earth: Comprehension Questions

Directions: Reread the text to answer each question. Provide clues and evidence from the text to support your answers. Indicate the page(s) where you found your clues and evidence.

The sTrucTure of earTh ©2010 Benchmark education company, LLc BLM 4

CauseEffect

Effect

help animals navigate

protects life from dangerous particles from the sun

The Structure of Earth: Content Assessment

Name _______________________________________________________ Date _________________________________

Directions: Use what you have learned about the structure of Earth to answer the questions below.


Chapter 11. What are three things that scientists study to provide clues about the inner structure

of Earth?

2. You are a scientist who wants to study the liquid layer of molten rock deep inside Earth. Will studying the speed of S waves or P waves provide more information. Why?

3. Many people believe that studying the inner structure of Earth can be as difficult as studying outer space. What are some reasons this is true?

Chapter 2

4. Earth’s ________________ protects life on the planet from being hit with dangerous particles from the sun.

5. You are writing a paper about the structure of Earth and want to tell how the inner layers are like the layers of a cake. Would you compare Earth’s inner core to a solid cake layer or a soft icing layer? Why? Would you compare the outer core to a cake or icing layer? Why?

6. Rocks in the seafloor show evidence that Earth’s magnetic field has changed many times throughout geological history. Why might a scientist studying the history of magnetism recorded in these seafloor rocks also be interested in the history of Earth’s core?

Chapter 3 7. The soft asthenosphere makes up most of Earth’s _____________.

8. Look at the diagram below. What information belongs in the blank.

9. Inner Earth is composed of different layers, some solid, and some liquid. What two factors cause layers to be solid or liquid?

10. In the concept circle below, write the name of the three major layers of Earth and then write a brief summary of the location and composition of each layer.

The sTrucTure of earTh ©2010 Benchmark education company, LLc BLM 6

Name _______________________________________________________ Date ______________________________

continental crustoceanic crust

uppermost mantle

asthenosphere

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