Lesson Plan in Earth and Life Science

(Earth Science Lesson 11: Endogenic Processes)

Date: ________________

I. OBJECTIVES
(General)
1. Describe where the Earth’s internal heat comes from (S11/12ESIb- 14) and
2. Describe how magma is formed (magmatism) (S11/12ES-Ic-15)
(Specific)
1. Know the sources and significance of the Earth's internal heat
2. Understand and explain the requirements for magma generation
II. SUBJECT MATTER
A. Topics: Endogenic Processes
B. Reference: Earth and Life Science TG pp. 90-96
C. Materials: TG, Audio-Video Facilities, video clips, printed images
III. PROCEDURE
A. INTRODUCTION (3 min)
1. Communicate learning objectives
a. I can identify the sources of the Earth’s internal heat and describe the different
processes responsible for the transfer of heat.
b. I can explain the different conditions required in the generation of magma.
2. Review
a. The different layers of the Earth
b. The rock cycle and the definition of magma
B. MOTIVATION (3 min)
1. Show the students a piece of igneous rock. Ask the students the following:
a. How is an igneous rock formed?
b. If magma is defined as molten rock material, do you need to melt rocks to form
magma?
c. Is temperature increase solely responsible for the melting of rocks?
d. Where and how is magma formed?
C. INSTRUCTION DELIVERY (24 min)
HEAT IN THE INTERIOR OF THE EARTH
1. Two categories of the internal heat sources of the Earth:
a. Primordial heat: heat from accretion and bombardment of the Earth during the early
stages of formation. If you hit a hammer on hard surface several times, the metal in
the hammer will heat up (kinetic energy is transformed into heat energy).
b. Radioactive heat (the heat generated by long-term radioactive decay): its main
sources are the four long-lived isotopes (large half-life), namely K40, Th232, U235 and
U238 that made a continuing heat source over geologic time.
2. The estimated internal temperature of the Earth
a. The mantle and asthenosphere are considerably hotter than the lithosphere, and the
core is much hotter than the mantle.
b. Core-mantle boundary: 3,700°C
c. Inner-core – outer-core boundary: 6,300°C±800°C
d. Earth’s center: 6,400°C±600°C
Note:
• Emphasize that temperature increases with depth, yet the mantle and inner core remain solid!
• Review the concepts of conduction, convection and radiation.
 3. Redistribution of the Earth’s heat:
a. Simultaneous conduction, convection and radiation
b. Convection occurs at the mantle, but not between the core and mantle, or even
between the asthenosphere and lithosphere (except at sea-floor spreading zones). The
only heat transfer mechanism in these transition zones is through conduction.

4. The concept of convection can be explained by comparing it to coffee preparation

Note:
• Ask the students for the boiling temperature of water. Most of the students will answer 100°C. The
complete answer should be 100°C at 1 atm. Pressure is an important variable.
• Convection cell – the unit of a convective circulation
a. Mechanisms that occur when boiling water:
i. There is a heat source at the bottom of the water.
 ii. The heat rises to the top from the bottom, causing the surface water to become
hot. It radiates its heat into the air and then cools.
iii. The cooler water sinks into the space vacated by the ascending warmer water.
This cooler water starts to warm up, while the water that rises starts to cool.
iv. The process continues, forming a top-to-bottom circulation of water.
b. Observations after pouring in the coffee (while the water is still hot):
i. The top portion has a relatively lighter color, compared to the lower zone. This
represents the top of a convection cell.
ii. Condensing water vapor marks the top of rising columns of warm water. The
dark line separating them marks the location of sinking cooler water.
MAGMA FORMATION
1. The special conditions required for the formation of magma (Marshak, et al, Essentials
of Geology, 2013, pp 99-100):
a. Crust and mantle are almost entirely solid, indicating that magma only forms in
special places where pre-existing solid rocks undergo melting.
b. Melting due to decrease in pressure (decompression melting): The decrease in
pressure affecting a hot mantle rock at a constant temperature permits melting
forming magma. This process of hot mantle rock rising to shallower depths in the
Earth occurs in mantle plumes, beneath rifts and beneath mid-ocean ridges.
c. Melting as a result of the addition of volatiles (flux melting): When volatiles mix
with hot, dry rock, the volatile decreases the rock’s melting point and they help
break the chemical bonds in the rock to allow melting.
d. Melting resulting from heat transfer from rising magma (heat transfer melting): A
rising magma from the mantle brings heat with it that can melt the surrounding
rocks at the shallower depths.
D. PRACTICE (15 min)
1. ACTIVITY: Chocolate Mantle Convection
a. Divide the class into groups of five people each for an activity adapted from the video
“Hot
b. Objective: To illustrate how heat works in the mantle.
c. Instructions:
i. Put water in the pan. Sprinkle it with chocolate powder until the top is thickly
covered with dry powder.
ii. Slowly put it on the pan holder. Light the candle and place it under the center of
the pan.
iii. Let it boil for few minutes. Observe what happens.
2. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
a. How is heat transferred in the activity? Give evidence for your answer.
Answer: Convection is shown by the presence of mounds and cracks in between the
mounds.
Radiation is illustrated by the emitted gas directly above the heat source.
Conduction is evidenced by the submerging chocolate powder along the
rims of the pan.
b. Describe what happens to the powder when the water starts to boil. Explain why this
occurs.
Answer: The chocolate powder starts to rise, forming a conical shape then cracks
and emits gas.
Slowly, the chocolate powder around it starts to subside and get wet. The heat source is
directly beneath this zone so the hotter water is rising in that area. But since the
chocolate powder traps the water, the hot water starts to move laterally under the
 chocolate powder, forming the conical shape, before it manages to create a crater
where the water is released as gas.
3. How does this activity relate to the formation of magma?
Answer: The water represents the asthenosphere, the chocolate powder represents the
lithosphere and the candles represent heat sources. Magma is formed directly
above the heat sources due to relatively higher temperature. Through
convection, heat is transferred to other places. And since there are several heat
sources, several convection cells develop. Where the colder portions of two
convection cells meet, cracks form because the materials are being pulled
downwards by the subsiding colder water. These zones represent subduction
zones.
E. ENRICHMENT
Assignment: A report to be submitted on the next day:
Draw a schematic of a cross section of the earth, showing the different layers of the earth.
Include and label (when necessary) the following parts of the illustration:
1. Different tectonic settings where magma is generated
2. The type of melting that is usually associated with the settings identified in # 1
3. Heat transfer mechanisms and the direction of heat transfer (through arrows) Further
research — Below the drawing, note the different zones where magma is formed, and
cite one known location of each.

IV. EVALUATION
Summary Questions:
[Easy]
1. What are the two primary sources of the Earth's internal heat?
Answer: Primordial heat and radioactive heat.
2. Cite three tectonic settings where magma is formed.
Answer: mid-oceanic ridges, hot spots and subduction zones
3. What is the role of volatiles in the partial melting of rocks? Answer: Volatiles help break the
chemical bond in rocks, and at the same time, lower the melting temperature of rocks.
[Difficult]
1. What is decompression melting?
Answer: Decompression melting is occurring by reducing the pressure at a constant temperature.
2. How is the Earth's internal heat redistributed?
Answer: Magma transfers the heat from the Earth’s interior to the surface when it rises.
3. Describe how rising magma causes melting.
Answer: Rising magma from the mantle brings heat with it which can melt the surrounding rocks at
the shallower depths.
2.4 (Test) Geologic Processes Inside the Earth
Earth Materials and Processes
1. Where does the internal heat of the earth 6. Which of the following are the primary
come from? contributors to the heat of the core?
A. crust and core I. heat from the decay of radioactive
B. mantle only products
C. crust and mantle II. heat from the molten inner core
D. mantle and core III. heat from the molten outer core
2. It is a semi-liquid mixture of rocks found in IV. heat from the magma in the mantle
the lower portion of the crust and upper part A. I and III
of the mantle. B. I and II
A. lava C. II and III
B. magma D. I and IV
C. minerals 7. How does magma reach the Earth’s surface?
D. soil A. uplifting
3. Who developed the idea about plutonism? B. convection
C. conduction
A. James Hutton
D. earthquake
B. Alfred Wegener
8. How does volcanic eruption affect the
C. Charles Darwin
climate?
D. Aristotle
I. It heats up the atmosphere.
4. It is an opening on the Earth’s crust where
II. No effect on the climate.
magma and gases are being released.
III. It will make make the day into night
A. volcano
faster.
B. mountain
IV. Gases and dust absorb radiation from
C. continent
the sun.
D. lava
A. I and II
5. Which of the following drives most of the
B. II and III
geologic processes on Earth?
C. I and IV
A. Earth's heat budget D. III and IV
B. mantle convection 9. What is the difference between the magma
C. magmatism and the lava?
D. plutonism
 A. The magma is found in the crust and the D. The magma has a lower temperature as
mantle while the lava is found on the compared to the lava.
Earth's surface. 10. What kind of rocks are formed during
B. The magma and the lava are the same in volcanic eruption?
composition and location. A. igneous rocks
C. The magma is brought from the B. metamorphic rocks
underground to the Earth's surface C. sedimentary rocks
through uplifting while lava is already A. volcanic ash
found on the Earth's surface.
B.
Key: 1.D 2.B 3.A 4.A 5.A 6.A 7.A 8.C 9.A 10.A

V. REFLECTION (HOMEWORK FOR NEXT MEETING)

1. Which of the topics interest you the most? Why?
2. Which of the topics interest you the least? Why?
3. Did the activities help you understand the topic (Y/N)? Explain your answer.
4. Did you see the significance/ connection of the topic in your life?

Prepared by: _____________________________

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Checked by: __________________________

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Date: