Plate+Tectonics

Kristin Labby, January 2012

Plate tectonics & Pangea lesson plans for middle school.


 * Plate Tectonics (1 day lesson):**

Worksheet: [|PlateBoundary Simulations.docx] []


 * Pangea (2 day lesson):**

Possible simulations and videos to use:

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The article that inspired it all: []

Lesson:

Part I. Inquiry

[|pangea-continental-drift.gif]

I used images of 1-Pangea (225 million years ago; 2- 200 million years ago; 3-135 million years ago; 4-65 million years ago; 5 - today). I had the kids work in small groups, gave each a guide sheet with all 5 images then separate sheets with bigger versions of each of the 5 periods on it.

They cut them out and tacked them onto oranges with toothpicks (this took much longer than I thought, and even though I had pretty clear instructions in writing on the board, I had to repeat myself like a bazillion times).

Pamela and I were circulating, helping them draw sketches of each period, front and back views of the orange, in their notebooks (the point to notice that 200 million or so years ago, the land was all on one side of the orange ocean on the other; today both sides have a mix of land/ocean as the continents have moved out).

I also had a huge timeline on the board: Earth formed 4.6 billion years ago, Pangaea was approx. 250 million years ago, and this led some to ask what happend before and what happened after this narrow period we're studying.

Part II. Critical Thinking

[|Pangaea day 2 worksheet.docx] [|Pangaea day 2 group handout.docx]

What do you think the earth will look like in 50 million year? 250 million years? (in small groups, work, discuss, sketch, model iwth the orange)

Share with the class.

Note: I'd emphasize using the orange more and the conversion from 2-D to 3-D. Some had a hard time grasping that the continents will mostlikely be one mass, but on the opposite side of the earth as Pangaea. tricky. but they liked doing it, using the oranges.