Free Lesson Plans
Earthquake text - Grade 8 - Explanation (to download)
Duck and Hen lesson plan - Foundation Phase (to download)
Lesson Planning Template Grade: 8 Learning Area: SS
Name of text: Earthquakes Genre: Explanation
Preparing for reading:
Background Knowledge:
Revise what class has already learnt about natural disasters.
Define –DISASTER, NATURAL
Discuss local natural disasters – floods, drought.
Discuss global natural disasters – tsunami, volcano, earthquake, fire, etc
Tell learners you are going to look at a specific type of natural disaster – earthquakes, and an EXPLANATION on how they
occur.
Summary of the text:
In this text, you will read an explanation of how an earthquake occurs.
First, there is a definition of what an earthquake is. Then you will read about the crust of the earth and the inside of
the earth. The next section tells you that there are cracks in the crust and what happens when these cracks are pushed together and then break apart. Then you will read about the vibrations that move outwards from where the crust is broken. The vibrations cause the earthquake. Lastly, you will read about what the place where the earthquake starts is called.
Text for learners
An earthquake is the shaking of the earth caused by pieces of the crust of the Earth that suddenly shift. The crust, the thin outer layer, is mostly cold and brittle rock compared to the hot rock deeper inside. This crust is full of large and small cracks called faults. When two pieces that are next to each other get pushed in different directions, they will stick together for a long time (many years), but eventually the forces pushing on them will force them to break apart and move. This sudden shift in the rock shakes all of the rock around it. These vibrations, called seismic waves, travel outward in all directions and are called an earthquake. The underground location where the rock first broke apart or shifted is called the focus of the earthquake.
Joint Construction
Key words
1. Earthquake-Shaking of the earth – Caused - Pieces of the crust - Suddenly shift
2. Thin outer layer – cold – brittle – rock – compared to – hot rock – inside
3. Full –large – small – cracks – faults
4. Two pieces – next to each other – pushed – different directions –stick together –long time – eventually – forces pushing
– break apart – move
5. Sudden shift – shakes – rock around it –
6. Seismic waves – travel outwards – all directions – earthquake
7. Underground location – rock first broke apart– shifted –focus
Example of Joint Construction
An earthquake is when the earth shakes. The earth has a cold crust on the outside and hot rock inside.
The crust has many cracks in it. Sometimes pieces of the crust are pushed by forces and they break apart.
When they break, the whole crust shakes and waves, called seismic waves, travel outwards.
The place where an earthquake starts is called the focus of the earthquake.
Duck and Hen lesson plan - Foundation Phase (to download)
Lesson Planning Template Grade: 8 Learning Area: SS
Name of text: Earthquakes Genre: Explanation
Preparing for reading:
Background Knowledge:
Revise what class has already learnt about natural disasters.
Define –DISASTER, NATURAL
Discuss local natural disasters – floods, drought.
Discuss global natural disasters – tsunami, volcano, earthquake, fire, etc
Tell learners you are going to look at a specific type of natural disaster – earthquakes, and an EXPLANATION on how they
occur.
Summary of the text:
In this text, you will read an explanation of how an earthquake occurs.
First, there is a definition of what an earthquake is. Then you will read about the crust of the earth and the inside of
the earth. The next section tells you that there are cracks in the crust and what happens when these cracks are pushed together and then break apart. Then you will read about the vibrations that move outwards from where the crust is broken. The vibrations cause the earthquake. Lastly, you will read about what the place where the earthquake starts is called.
Text for learners
An earthquake is the shaking of the earth caused by pieces of the crust of the Earth that suddenly shift. The crust, the thin outer layer, is mostly cold and brittle rock compared to the hot rock deeper inside. This crust is full of large and small cracks called faults. When two pieces that are next to each other get pushed in different directions, they will stick together for a long time (many years), but eventually the forces pushing on them will force them to break apart and move. This sudden shift in the rock shakes all of the rock around it. These vibrations, called seismic waves, travel outward in all directions and are called an earthquake. The underground location where the rock first broke apart or shifted is called the focus of the earthquake.
Joint Construction
Key words
1. Earthquake-Shaking of the earth – Caused - Pieces of the crust - Suddenly shift
2. Thin outer layer – cold – brittle – rock – compared to – hot rock – inside
3. Full –large – small – cracks – faults
4. Two pieces – next to each other – pushed – different directions –stick together –long time – eventually – forces pushing
– break apart – move
5. Sudden shift – shakes – rock around it –
6. Seismic waves – travel outwards – all directions – earthquake
7. Underground location – rock first broke apart– shifted –focus
Example of Joint Construction
An earthquake is when the earth shakes. The earth has a cold crust on the outside and hot rock inside.
The crust has many cracks in it. Sometimes pieces of the crust are pushed by forces and they break apart.
When they break, the whole crust shakes and waves, called seismic waves, travel outwards.
The place where an earthquake starts is called the focus of the earthquake.
Comprehension questions
Literal: (In the text – HERE)
1. What is the place where the earthquake starts called?
2. What is the outside of the earth’s crust like?
Inferential: (Clues in the text – HIDDEN)
1. How does the outside of the earth (crust) differ from the inner core?
2. What pushes the pieces of rock apart?
Interpretive: (Use text as background for drawingconclusions – HEAD/HEART)
1. Why do you think the rocks don’t move all the time?
2. Why do some people live on fault lines?
1. What is the place where the earthquake starts called?
2. What is the outside of the earth’s crust like?
Inferential: (Clues in the text – HIDDEN)
1. How does the outside of the earth (crust) differ from the inner core?
2. What pushes the pieces of rock apart?
Interpretive: (Use text as background for drawingconclusions – HEAD/HEART)
1. Why do you think the rocks don’t move all the time?
2. Why do some people live on fault lines?
Intensive Strategies
Select one or two sentences from the text and do detailed sentence preparation, elaboration and detailed reading
SENTENCE MAKING
Divide the sentence into wordings (put vertical lines between groups) and then write the cues above each section. Don’t try and do too many sections. Learners will cut their sentences up as you give the cues, muddle the word groups up and then sort them again. Learners correct themselves.
what? where? do what? how? do what?
When two pieces / that are next to each other/ get pushed/ in different directions, /they will stick together /for a
time x 2 something will change long time what? do what? what x 2
long time /(many years), /but/ eventually /the forces pushing on them /will force them /to break apart /and move.
SPELLING
Choose words from the sentence to teach spelling. Divide with vertical lines into either: Onset-rhyme, syllables, spelling
patterns
pie/ces
earth/quake
di/rec/tions
to/gether
for/ces
SENTENCE WRITING
Learners rewrite this sentence in a more common-sense way
what? where? do what? how? do what?
When two pieces / that are next to each other/ get pushed/ in different directions, /they will stick together /for a
time x 2 something will change long time what? do what? what x 2
long time /(many years), /but/ eventually /the forces pushing on them /will force them /to break apart /and move.
SPELLING
Choose words from the sentence to teach spelling. Divide with vertical lines into either: Onset-rhyme, syllables, spelling
patterns
pie/ces
earth/quake
di/rec/tions
to/gether
for/ces
SENTENCE WRITING
Learners rewrite this sentence in a more common-sense way
