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Geology and the Battle of Gettysburg

Lesson Plan

Geology and the Battle of Gettysburg

Grade Levels

8th Grade

Course, Subject

Related Academic Standards
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  • Big Ideas
    A technological world requires that humans develop capabilities to solve technological challenges and improve products for the way we live.
    Each area of technology has a set of characteristics that separates it from others; however, many areas overlap in order to meet human needs and wants.
    Energy is neither created nor destroyed. Energy can be transformed from one form to another, but transformation between forms often results in the loss of useable energy through the production of heat.
    Solid, liquid and gaseous earth materials all circulate in large scale systems at a variety of time scales, giving rise to landscapes, the rock cycle, ocean currents, weather, and climate.
    Technological design is a creative process that anyone can do which may result in new inventions and innovations.
    Technology is created, used and modified by humans.
    The cell is the basic unit of structure and function for all living things.
  • Concepts
    A technological design & problem solving process changes ideas into a final product or system.
    All living things are made up of smaller units called cells.
    All multicellular organisms have systems that interact with one another to perform specific functions and enable the organism to function as a whole.
    Batteries store chemical energy and transform it into electrical energy.
    Bio-related technologies are the processes of using biological mater to make or modify products.
    Bio-related technologies are the processes of using biological organisms to make or modify products.
    Cells carry out the many functions needed to sustain life.
    Cells grow and divide thereby producing more cells.
    Cells take in nutrients that they use to provide energy to carry out their life functions.
    Communication is the process of composing, sending, and receiving messages through technology.
    Communication is the process of composing, sending, and receiving messages using technological devices.
    Construction is the process of turning materials into useful structures.
    Construction is the process of turning raw materials into useful structures.
    Decisions about the use of products and systems can result in expected and unexpected consequences.
    Different body tissues and organs are made up of different kinds of cells.
    Disease affects the structures and/or functions of an organism.
    Earth materials (rocks and soils) can be classified by their composition and texture and those features can be interpreted to infer the history of the material.
    Energy and power technologies are the processes of converting energy sources into useful power.
    Energy and power technologies use processes to convert energy into power.
    Energy appears in different forms and can be transformed within a system.
    Energy can be transformed within a system or transferred from one system to another (or from a system to its environment) in different ways. Thermal energy is transferred from warmer objects to cooler objects. Mechanical energy can be transferred when two objects push or pull on one another. Electromagnetic energy can be transferred when an electrical source such as a battery or generator is connected in a complete circuit to an electrical device. Chemical energy is transferred when particles are rearranged in a chemical reaction.
    Energy from the sun warms air and water, which creates moving currents within them. This movement causes changes on the earth’s surface.
    Every organism has a set of genetic instructions that determines its inherited traits.
    Everything on or near the earth is pulled toward Earth’s center by a gravitational force. Celestial revolutions are caused by gravitational attraction.
    Heat energy is usually a by-product of an energy transformation.
    Heat flow from the earth and motion within the earth lead the outer shell of the earth to move around in large rigid pieces (plates) and leads to the creation and destruction of ocean basins, motion of continents relative to one another, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and development of mountain belts.
    Heat moves in predictable ways, normally flowing from warmer objects to cooler ones, until the objects reach the same temperature.
    Human activities change land cover and land use patterns, add or remove nutrients from ecosystems and modify some of the fundamental cycles of the earth system, including the carbon cycle. These changes can have unexpected and far-reaching effects due to the complex interconnections among earth systems.
    In a technological world, inventions and innovations must be carefully assessed by individuals and society as a whole.
    Innovation is the process of improving an existing product, process, or system.
    Innovation is the process of modifying an existing product, process, or system to improve it.
    Interaction of circulating air masses gives rise to a wide variety of weather phenomena including fronts, mid-latitude cyclones (and anti-cyclones), and severe weather (tropical storms, tornados, severe thunderstorms, etc.).
    Invention is a process of creating new products, processes, or systems.
    Invention is a process of turning ideas and imagination into new products, processes, or systems.
    Inventions and innovations must be carefully assessed by individuals and society.
    Large scale wind patterns drive surface currents in the oceans and affects weather.
    Manufacturing is the process of turning materials into useful products.
    Manufacturing is the process of turning raw materials into useful products.
    Plants transform light energy into chemical energy, which then can be used by other living things.
    Safety is a preeminent concern for all technological development and use.
    Safety is one of the most important concerns for all technological development and use.
    Science and technology are interconnected.
    Some changes in Earth’s surface are abrupt, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, meteor impacts, and landslides. Others are gradual, such as the lifting up of mountains or their wearing away by erosion.
    Some organisms are made up of only one cell.
    Specialized cells perform specialized functions in multicellular organisms.
    Technological design & problem solving follows many steps.
    Technological design & problem solving includes clearly communicated solutions.
    Technological design & problem solving includes frequent checking.
    Technological design & problem solving requires hands-on applications.
    The abilities required in a technological world include diagnosing, troubleshooting, analyzing and maintaining systems.
    The abilities required in a technological world include understanding, fixing, and maintaining systems.
    The atmosphere circulates in large scale patterns which steer weather systems due to heat from the sun.
    The circulation of the ocean and atmosphere carries heat energy and has a strong influence on climate around the world.
    The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere plays an important role in determining climatic patterns.
    The Earth is mostly rock, with a metallic core, a thin layer of water covering about ¾ of the surface and surrounded by a thin blanket of air.
    The Earth’s revolution around the Sun causes the seasons and the year. Because of the Earth’s tilted axis, sunlight falls more intensely on different parts of the earth during different parts of the year, producing the seasons and seasonal patterns in weather.
    The Earth’s rotation around its tilted axis causes day and night.
    The gene is the basic unit of inheritance.
    The goal of technology is to meet human needs and wants.
    The Moon’s revolution around the earth once in about 28 days changes what part of the moon is lighted by the sun and how much of that part we can see from the earth, giving rise to lunar phases.
    The rhythms of the Earth are caused by 3 celestial motions: The Earth’s rotation, revolution around the sun, and the Moons’ revolution around the Earth.
    The sun is the main source of energy for biological systems on the surface of the earth.
    There are defining structures of cells for both plants and animals.
    There are structural and functional similarities and differences that characterize diverse living things.
    There is a relationship between structure and function at all biological levels of organization.
    Thousands of layers of sedimentary rock confirm the long history of the changing surface of the earth and the changing life forms whose remains are found in successive layers.
    Transportation is the process of safely and efficiently moving people and products.
    Understanding technological systems help us plan and control technological developments.
    While science is the study of the natural world, technology is the study of the human designed world.
  • Competencies
    Clearly communicate technological solutions.
    Describe how science and technology work together.
    Describe the flow of energy from the sun, throughout the earth system, living and non-living, from the cellular scale to the global scale, and describe the transformations of that energy as it moves through the system.
    Design and develop the ability to create and send messages using technological devices.
    Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to build structures.
    Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to convert energy into power.
    Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to create bio-related products and systems using technology.
    Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to create vehicles that transport people and products.
    Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to manufacture products.
    Develop the abilities to use and maintain technological products and systems.
    Explain how technology has and can change the world.
    Make ideas into technological products and/or systems.
    Safely use tools, machines, and other devices.

Rationale

Vocabulary

  • Sill: An igneous body formed when magma forces itself between (intrudes) rock layers and solidifies.
  • Magma: Molten rock beneath the surface of the Earth.
  • Intrude: Magma forces itself through pre-existing rocks.
  • Diabase: A type of igneous rock.
  • Weathering: The breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces by Earth’s processes.

Objectives

In this lesson, students construct the geologic history of the Gettysburg battlefield, connecting battlefield terrain with battle tactics.

Students will:

  • connect human history (Battle of Gettysburg) to geologic history (formation of the battlefield terrain).
  • analyze battle tactics in terms of defensive positions created by Earth’s processes.
  • explain Gettysburg battlefield terrain in terms of differential weathering (different weathering rates of rock units).
  • construct and illustrate a brief geologic history of the Gettysburg battlefield area.

Lesson Essential Question(s)

  • What causes the great variation at Earth’s surface?

Duration

90 minutes/1–2 class periods

Materials

Suggested Instructional Strategies

W:       Students connect Gettysburg battle tactics with the terrain of the battlefield, constructing and illustrating a brief geologic history of the battlefield area.

 

H:        Students listen to a narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg and hypothesize relationships between battlefield terrain and battle tactics.

 

E:        Students analyze a sketch map of the Gettysburg battlefield, connecting defense positions held during the Battle of Gettysburg and battlefield terrain and rock properties.

 

R:        Students work as a class to construct a verbal geologic history of the Gettysburg battlefield.

 

E:        Students work in groups to synthesize a brief illustrated geologic history of the Gettysburg battlefield.

 

T:        Use the following strategies and activities to meet the individual needs of your students during the lesson and throughout the year. Post warm-up questions on the board that focus on the content objective for the day. Students should speak and write in complete sentences during class in order to develop scientific academic language and clarify their reasoning. Give ample wait time for processing, provide sentence starters, give verbal and visual cues, accept verbal responses, and reduce written responses.

 

O:        In this lesson, students connect Gettysburg battle tactics with the terrain of the battlefield, constructing and illustrating a brief geologic history of the battlefield area. Students initially activate prior knowledge of the Battle of Gettysburg and hypothesize relationships between battlefield terrain and battle tactics. Students then analyze a sketch map of the Gettysburg battlefield, connecting defense positions held during the Battle of Gettysburg and battlefield terrain and rock properties. Students work as a class to construct a verbal geologic history of the Gettysburg battlefield and then work in groups to synthesize a brief illustrated geologic history of the Gettysburg battlefield. Groups submit their geologic histories for teacher review.

Instructional Procedures

Start the lesson with a narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg (see S-8-4-1_Battle of Gettysburg Overview in the Resources folder). Allow students to ask questions and, if necessary, hold a short discussion on the impact the battle had on the Civil War.

 

“Today we’re going to investigate how geology influenced the Battle of Gettysburg. What do we know about the Battle of Gettysburg?” Facilitate a short class discussion. “So, the Battle of Gettysburg was…” Integrate student comments with a short history of the battle and a look at the map (see S-8-4-1_Battle of Gettysburg and S-8-4_Map of the Battle of Gettysburg in the Resources folder).

 

“The Battle of Gettysburg can be viewed from a geological perspective as well. The Union army was defending its position along ridges and hills in the battlefield area. The Confederate army was trying to drive the Union army out. How do you think the Earth’s surface influenced the battle?” Facilitate a brief class discussion.

 

Project the Gettysburg battlefield sketch map. “This is a sketch map of the Gettysburg battlefield. Let’s look at the map legend to see what it tells us about the map.” Facilitate a short class discussion noting the Union position, the fishhook pattern of the Union position, the Confederate attacks, and the scale of the map. “Notice the hills and ridges in the area. Do you see the relationship between the Union position and the hills and ridges?” Yes, the position follows the terrain. “Why do you think the Union troops chose this position to defend?” Higher areas give a strategic advantage—easier to defend. Greater loss of troops attacking the higher areas. “How do you think these ridges and hills got here?” Facilitate a short class discussion of student ideas.

 

“The Union Fishhook follows the shape of an outcrop—a part of a rock unit at the surface of the Earth—of an igneous rock that formed during the separation of Pangaea millions of years ago. This rock unit is called the Gettysburg sill.” Show students a diagram of a sill (see S-8-4-1_Igneous Sill Diagram in the Resources folder). “When magma intrudes (forces its way in) between other rock layers and solidifies, the igneous rock layer formed is called a sill. The rock layers shown in red in this diagram illustrate examples of igneous sills. The Gettysburg sill formed when magma intruded—forced its way in between—layers of sedimentary rocks. The magma crystallized into an igneous rock called diabase, which looks similar to a dark granite.”


“Remember that some rocks are more resistant to weathering than other rocks. What does it mean to be more resistant to weathering?” The rock does not break down into smaller pieces as rapidly as other rocks in the same area. “How would this difference in resistance to weathering affect the terrain over geologic time?” Facilitate a class discussion of student ideas. “So, what I’m hearing is that …” In this case the diabase (igneous rock) is more resistant to weathering than the surrounding sedimentary rock layers. So the sedimentary rock layers weather back into sediments more quickly and are transported away (eroded) leaving the igneous rock behind as hills and ridges.


Group students. “Your job is to write a group narration of the geologic history of the Gettysburg battlefield, beginning just after the formation of the Gettysburg sill and ending with the Battle of Gettysburg. You need to include labeled diagrams to illustrate your history.”


Extension:

  • For students needing further practice, they can create a 3-dimensional map of the battle field, highlighting union and confederate positions and significant geological features that influenced the battle.
  • Students hypothesize and describe alternate battle tactics and outcomes if there had been no Gettysburg sill emplaced in the battlefield area. Students can create an alternative timeline of the battle reflecting the different geology.

Formative Assessment

During the lesson observe students for active participation in group discussions and activities. Monitor and provide feedback for the following in order to foster student understanding of the significance of the geologic terrain in the outcome of the battle:

  • Students are connecting the defensive positions on the battle field with significant geological features.
  • Students are working appropriately in groups.
  • Geologic histories and the group discussions surrounding the creation of them are relevant to the lecture.
  • Strategies for the narrative and presentation are appropriately structured and tasks are fairly distributed among the group members.

Related Materials & Resources

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Date Published

February 04, 2011
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