Dana Point Geologic Field Trip

Caroline Hardeman

Simi Elementary

AMGEN Earth Science Institute 2004

Introduction

Students will be visiting Dana Point and the Marine Institute (www.ocean-institute.org) as part of our visit to science camp. As part of our visit to the tide pools at the marine institute, students will also observe the rocks at the shore and record, in sketches the geology of the immediate area.

As part of their current science curriculum, students will be reviewing the basic geological rock types. They will also get a general understanding of plate tectonics and earthquakes. They will utilize this understanding in completing their geologic worksheet for the rock formations at the shore.

Grade 6 Standards

Plate Tectonics and Earth’s Structure

6.1.a. Students know evidence of plate tectonics is derived from the fit of the continents; the location of earthquakes, volcanoes, and midocean ridges; and the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones.

6.1.b. Students know Earth is composed of several layers: a cold, brittle lithosphere; a hot, convecting mantle; and a dense, metallic core.

6.1.c. Students know lithospheric plates the size of continents and oceans move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the mantle.

6.1.e. Students know major geologic events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from plate motions.

6.1.f. Students know how to explain major features of California geology (including mountains, faults, volcanoes) in terms of plate tectonics.

Investigation and Experimentation

6.7.b. Students select and use appropriate tools and technology to perform tests, collect data, and display data.

6.7.e. Students recognize whether evidence is consistent with a proposed explanation.

6.7.f. Students read a topographic map and a geologic map for evidence provided on the maps and construct and interpret a simple scale map.

6.7.g. Students interpret events by sequence and time from natural phenomena.

6.7.h. Students identify changes in natural phenomena over time without manipulating the phenomena.

General Lesson Plan Outline:

Our trip to Dana Point takes place at the end of the school year. By that time, students will have covered the following units in their Holt science texts:

Unit 2 Earth’s Resources
Chapter 3 Minerals of the Earth’s Crust
Chapter 4 Rocks: Mineral Mixtures
Chapter 5 Energy Resources
Chapter 6 The Rock and Fossil Record

Unit 3 The Restless Earth
Chapter 7 Plate Tectonics
Chapter 8 Earthquakes
Chapter 9 Volcanoes

Unit 4 Reshaping the Land
Chapter 10 Weathering and Soil Formation
Chapter 11 The Flow of Fresh Water
Chapter 12 Agents of Erosion and Deposition

Unit 5 Oceanography
Chapter 13 Exploring the Oceans
Chapter 14 The Movement of Ocean Water

The background knowledge attained during these months of study with the Science teacher, as well as with extension activities in the general classroom, will prepare students for our journey down to the ocean.

Students will practice their knowledge of rocks and the rock cycle on the following sites, which offer review activities as well.

http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow1/oct98/expert/index.html

The Rock Hounds website is great for review and quick quizzes during student free time:

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/1080/

There is a word search available at the following site:

http://www.quia.com/ws/86.html

Rock types, rock cycle

Blank diagrams:

http://www.rocksandminerals.com/rockcycle.htm

www.enchantedlearning.com

Actual lesson (Prior to our trip)

- Types of rocks at Dana Point, especially the San Onofre breccia: We will study the geologic map of Dana Point, which will be printed out for students from the following site:

ftp://ftp.consrv.ca.gov/pub/dmg/rgmp/Prelim_geo_pdf/dana_point.pdf

- Explanation of the way the shoreline formation was created, and continues to be shaped today.

Field trip:

- At the shore, students will need to sketch a section of the cliff

- We will also photograph sections of the cliffs behind the tide pools.

- They will need to label the rocks within their section based on the images we have seen in class

After the trip

- Students will share their sketches and we will compare them to the images we saw prior to our trip

- We will discuss the geologic significance of these cliffs and the marine ecosystem that exists there.

**Each year, as another group of 6^th grade students visit the shore, we will see if the sketches have changed from the previous year. We will discuss the changes that have occurred and the possible causes, such as erosion, weathering and human destruction.