Tectonic Plates and Moving Mammals - 6th Grade, Science and English/Language Arts: Age of Mammals Hall
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Tectonic Plates and Moving Mammals
6th Grade, Science and English/Language Arts: Age of Mammals Hall
Make the most of your Museum field trip by integrating it into your classroom curriculum. These lesson plans provide a sequence of pre‐visit, visit, and post‐visit activities. Built
around grade‐appropriate essential questions, these lesson plans use a Museum field trip to activate student prior knowledge, engage minds, and expand thinking.
Essential Question: How do mammals interact with their environment?
Inspirational Work: “Global Processes” (Digital film on plate tectonics and animal migration)
Hall: Age of Mammals
Content Standards:
Science Standards:
Plate Tectonics and Earth’s Structure: 1. Plate tectonics accounts for important features of Earth’s surface and major geologic events. As
a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know evidence of plate tectonics is derived from the fit of the continents; the location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and mid‐
ocean ridges; and the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones.
English/Language Arts Standards:
2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics):
2.2 Write expository compositions (e.g., description, explanation, comparison and contrast, problem and solution): a. State the thesis or
purpose. b. Explain the situation. c. Follow an organizational pattern appropriate to the type of composition. d. Offer persuasive
evidence to validate arguments and conclusions as needed.
Materials for your fieldtrip:
‐ Graphic organizer 6.2
‐ Clipboards
‐ Pencils
www.nhm.orgPre‐Visit
• Print out vocabulary list (Document 6.1)
• Show students “Global Processes”(download video file)
• Use vocabulary to discuss image(s) from “Global Processes”
Ask students the following questions and have them share their responses with the class:
“How has the land changed?” (Size, shape, placement, relationship to equator)
“Based on these changes, how were mammals affected?” (Migration, relationship to environment, food sources)
“How were weather patterns affected? Did this lead to changes in climate?” (Long term climate change such as ice ages)
• As a group: brainstorm the potential global effects of plate tectonics and record group responses to be revisited after the field trip:
Climate change leads to new habitats
New habitats lead to mammal adaptations
Mammal adaptations lead to changes in species and possible extinction
Museum Visit:
Note: print out graphic organizer (document 6.2) for each student prior to visit
Whole group: (10 minutes)
• Students watch “Global Processes” as a refresher on plate tectonics
• Teacher explains the activity and divides students into pairs
• Students explore the hall in pairs to record effects of plate tectonics on graphic organizer
Areas of focus: Challenges for Mammals
Adapting to Grasslands
• Students share findings in groups of 4 and create summary statements
Optional whole group: (5 ‐15 minutes)
• Look at Charles Knight paintings of ancient ecosystems on Rotunda 2nd floor for additional inspiration (adjacent to Age of Mammals hall)
Post‐Visit:
• Whole group revisits initial brainstorm, adds findings, and revises based on field trip experience
• Students will choose three effects of plate tectonics and create a multi‐paragraph essay exploring their findings. Each student may use their summary statements
to create a topic sentence for their expository paper (if applicable)
www.nhm.orgDocument 6.1
Key Vocabulary List: Age of Mammals Hall
The following are terms that students should be familiar with prior to the Visit to the Age of Mammals Hall. Please note that the definitions are presented
as they relate to the content of the Hall.
Migration Animals travelling long distances in search of a new habitat. The cause for the migration may be local climate, local availability of
food, or the season of the year. (Example: birds fly south for the winter.)
Plate tectonics The movement of the earth’s crust and uppermost mantle. These plates move in relation to one another at one of three types of
plate boundaries: convergent boundaries, divergent boundaries, and transform boundaries.
Earthquakes and volcanoes are results of plate movement.
Pleistocene Era The period of time from 2.5 million to 12,000 years Before Present (BP). During the Pleistocene Era, there were multiple ice ages
and temperatures reached both record highs and lows)
Land bridge An isthmus or wider land connection between continents, which allows land animals and plants to cross over and colonize new
lands. Land bridges can be created when sea levels fall, exposing shallow, previously submerged sections of continental shelf; or
when new land is created by convergent plate tectonics; or occasionally when the sea floor rises after an ice age. (Example: the
Bering land bridge, which intermittently connected Asia with North America as sea levels rose and fell during the ice ages of the
Pleistocene.)
Isthmus A narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with water on either side.
Adaptation Adaptation is the evolutionary process whereby a population becomes better suited to its habitat. This process takes place over
many generations and can be related to forces such as climate change or habitat loss. For example, the adaptation of horses'
teeth to the grinding of grass, or their ability to run fast and escape predators.
Climate change The warming or cooling of Earth’s climate. Human impact on the earth is currently causing more extreme and rapid changes in
temperature.
www.nhm.orgDocument 6.2
Effects of Plate Tectonics
Complete the graphic organizer below with multiple effects of plate tectonics on the land masses, mammals, and climate as seen in the two sections of the hall –
Challenges for Mammals and Adapting to Grasslands. Be sure to read the text and pay attention to the visuals, timelines, and figures of the two areas named below. At the
bottom, summarize what you discovered in 3‐5 summary statements.
Challenges for Mammals Adapting to Grasslands
Summary Statements
www.nhm.org6th Grade Expository Essay Rubric: Effects of Plate Tectonics
4 3 2 1
Ideas The essay is informative with a clear The focus of the essay needs to be The topic is not clearly explained, and The topic is undefined.
focus and at least 3 specific details clearer and more supportive details and examples are not clearly
and extremely supportive examples details and examples are needed. supportive of the topic.
for each detail.
Organization The introductory paragraph includes The introductory paragraph The introductory paragraph includes an The introductory paragraph does not include
a thesis statement that clearly states includes a thesis statement that unclear thesis statement. Each body a thesis statement. Each paragraph may begin
the topic. Each body paragraph states the topic. Each body paragraph may begin with a topic with a topic sentence and may include
begins with a clear topic sentence paragraph begins with a topic sentence and may include transitions. transitions. The essay may end with a
and includes transitions. The essay sentence and includes transitions. The essay ends with a conclusion conclusion paragraph.
ends with a uniquely summative The essay ends with a summative paragraph.
conclusion paragraph. conclusion paragraph.
Voice The writer’s voice is clearly The writer’s voice is The writer’s voice is somewhat The writer’s voice is undetectable.
knowledgeable of and passionate for knowledgeable of and may be knowledgeable.
the topic. passionate for the topic.
Word Choice Specific nouns, action verbs, and Some nouns, action verbs, and Too many general nouns and Word choice is unclear or inaccurate.
visual descriptors (adj and adv) make visual descriptors (adj and adv) are descriptors are used. Verbs are passive.
the essay clear, informative, and specific.
enjoyable to read.
Sentence Fluency The writing includes a variety of The writing includes a variety of The writing does not include a variety of The writing does not include a variety of
sentence types. Multiple evidence of sentence types. Evidence of at sentence types. Evidence of only 1 sentence types. There are many fragments
at least 2 out of the 4 sentence types least 2 out of the 4 sentence types sentence type is present in the writing. and run‐on sentences throughout the writing.
is present in the writing. The is present in the writing. Most 1‐3 fragments or run‐on sentences may
sentences flow smoothly and are sentences flow smoothly, but by present. Many short, choppy
enjoyable to read. some may be short and choppy. sentences need to be rewritten.
Conventions The essay includes no more than 4 The essay includes no more than 7 The essay includes no more than 9 The essay includes more than 9 conventional
conventional errors in the following conventional errors in the conventional errors in the following errors in the following categories:
categories: capitalization, following categories: categories: capitalization, punctuation, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and
punctuation, spelling, and usage. capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and usage. usage.
spelling, and usage.
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