Convection Currents Lesson and Activity

Upgrade your 6th-grade earth science activities and worksheets with a convection currents resource they will LOVE! Add more oomph to your plate tectonics review with these print-and-go convection currents activities.

Loaded with relatable examples of convection currents, Google slides, a one-pager comic project, engaging content, a low-prep STEM activity, an earth science word search, and Doodle Notes, this resource has it all!

The science comic format is appealing to struggling readers, English language learners (ESL, ELL), graphic novel lovers, and everyone in between. Say goodbye to mundane earth science worksheets and activities, and start teaching science with a medium they LOVE.

Overview

Compare the mantle convection and magma’s motion to the ” lava ” motion in a lava lamp. Examine convection currents in a lava lamp and compare them to the currents in the mantle. Learn how these powerful forces are shaping the planet and causing events like earthquakes. This comic creates a memorable real-life comparison!

This Convection Currents Science Activity download includes:

Lesson Plan Template

• Overview of how this can be stretched out across an entire week
• Tips, sequencing, timing, etc.

Google Slideshow

• Link provided in the PDF
• Editable & Shareable
• The FULL comic is broken down into individual slides

Content Comic–

• Perfect for projecting on front board
• High quality for printing as a science anchor chart poster
• Easy to print
• Black-line version serves as an engaging science coloring sheet

Guided Notes–

• Fill-in-the-blank!
• Use as a guided reading or guided note-taking tool
• A great addition to 6th-grade interactive science notebooks

Doodle Notes Version–

• Draw what you are learning!
• Many words remain, but images are missing. Students draw them in.
• Your artistic students will love this!

Extension Worksheet

• Build on understanding
• Great addition to a plate tectonics review

Hands-on Convection Currents Science Activity

• Low-prep and wallet-friendly
• Visual instructions improve accessibility
• Easy to follow

Follow-up Questions Worksheet

• Questions align with the hands-on science activity
• Ties the activity back to the content

One Pager Comic Project–

• A completely blank comic template
• Students demonstrate their understanding by creating a comic
• Draw in vertical lines where they see fit

Rubrics for One Pager Comic Project-

• Two rubrics to serve as instructions for students and a grading tool for you.
• Rubrics are adjusted to accommodate different learning levels.

Bonus Earth Science Word Search

Teacher Tips– Tips and instruction ideas for you!

 

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What makes Cool School Comics such an impactful learning tool?

They are FUN! 

• This is the most crucial benefit.
• Students are more willing to participate and more engaged.
• The content STICKS.

Visual learning is EFFECTIVE. 

• About 65% of the population consists of visual learners.
• Visual information is processed faster.
• Students who SEE information are more likely to retain it.

EASY to implement! 

• These lesson plans are complete and ready to go, requiring minimal prep time.
• You only need to make copies, upload supplementals to your virtual classrooms, and set up the hands-on activities.
• Lots of flexibility! You can print these as posters, add them to interactive notebooks, hand them out to students, or share them virtually. There is plenty of room for modifications.

ACTIVE LEARNING

• Every lesson plan has a low-prep, wallet-friendly, hands-on component.
• Instructions are in a visual format
• Follow-up questions or a lab report are always included

Comics make content ACCESSIBLE

• Naturally differentiated, comics accommodate a wide range of learning abilities and styles.
• Great for classrooms with a diverse population of learners
• They can simultaneously rope in both your gifted and struggling students (and everyone in between).
• Reluctant readers gravitate toward comics.
• Comics help English Language Learners (ESL, ELL) and some SPED students find success.

Be the hip teacher seizing the graphic novels craze. Your students will LOVE it!

 

Next Generation Science Standards

HS-ESS2-3 Earth’s Systems

**Doodle Notes is a trademarked term used with permission. Please visit www.Doodlenotes.org for more information.