Frontiers Book 3: Geology, Astronomy, and Environment (Differentiated Curriculum for Grade 6)

What is a frontier? What are the frontiers of the future? What frontiers are being explored today? These and other questions are presented in this series on frontiers that helps make this concept come alive to all students.

In Frontiers Book 3: Geology, Astronomy, and Environment, students will explore many different types of frontiers found within the broad concepts of geology, astronomy, and the environment.

Students will investigate questions such as, What is the rock cycle? What is plate tectonics theory? and Who was Alfred Wegener? Once students begin to understand the forces at work on our own world, they examine research taking place to land the first man on Mars. By studying the Flashline Mars Research Station and the effects of near zero-gravity on mammals, students will have a better understanding of just how daunting of a task it will be to someday land on the red planet. This book also looks at what is being done to conserve the natural resources on our planet.

Other books in the Frontiers series include Frontiers Book 1: Pioneers, Genetics, and Energy and Frontiers Book 2: Geography, Explorers, and Literature. Each book contains detailed lesson plans, reproducible activity sheets, and assessment tools.

This curriculum unit makes use of the following great children's literature books:

• The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks by Joanna Cole; and
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.