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Current Unit: Earth's Features

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Go to the website:
Click on Did you know? Read and
discuss w a partner.
http://www.visionlearning.com/en/li
brary/Earth-Science/6/The-Originsof-Plate-Tectonic-Theory/65

It is only by combing the information furnished

by all the earth sciences that we can hope to
determine "truth" here.
Alfred L. Wegener, 1880 - 1930

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

The Theory of
Plate Tectonics

History of Investigating
Why are there earthquakes & volcanoes?

Essential Details

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

Supporting Evidence
Essential Details

What type of SIM device will we use today?

How will it help you as a learner?
We will use the FRAME to help us understand the history and evidence
for the Theory of Plate Tectonics.

So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

Focus on Key Topic:

Theory of Plate Tectonics
Explore in depth @
http://www.visionlearning.com/en/li
brary/Earth-Science/6/The-Originsof-Plate-Tectonic-Theory/65 l

The Problem
The Himalayas are often referred to as the
"roof of the world" because they have the
highest peaks on earth, including Mt. Everest
at 8,848 meters above sea level.
The rock that caps Mt. Everest is limestone,
which forms at the bottom of warm, shallow
seas and is composed entirely of fossilized
marine creatures, everything from plankton
to clams and fish.
For years, geologists struggled to explain
how the hardened remains of tiny sea
organisms could exist at the top of a
mountain range.

Theory of Plate Tectonics

The Earths Crust is made of solid, rigid rock. The
crust is broken into a dozen or more sections
of varying sizes called plates.
Forces in the softer rock below the crust move
the plates in different directions on the
surface of the Earth. The moving plates cause
massive geological changes, including
earthquakes, mountain building, and volcanic
activity.

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

The Theory of
Plate Tectonics

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

the history and evidence that supports the earths lithosphere is made of tectonic plates that are moving on top of the
anthenosphere. This movement causes massive geological changes to Earths Crust, including earthquakes, mountain
building, and volcanic activity.

Essential Details

Essential Details

So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

Reveal Main Ideas

TEKS 8.9A: The student will be able to
describe the historical development of evidence
that supports plate tectonic theory.

Essential Question: What evidence supports

the theory of continental drift?

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

The Theory of
Plate Tectonics

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

the history and evidence that supports the earths lithosphere is made of tectonic plates that are moving on top of the
anthenosphere. This movement causes massive geological changes to Earths Crust, including earthquakes, mountain
building, and volcanic activity.

History of Investigating
Why are there earthquakes & volcanoes?

Essential Details

Supporting Evidence
Essential Details

So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

ANALYZE DETAILS: EXPLORE

ACTIVITY

C: partner work
H: note the location of fossils & rock formations
A: match the continents to recreate Pangea
M: Stay at table, get device when done
P: complete,then check out this website
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/asset/lsps07_int_
biogeography/?utm_source=teachersdomain_redirec
t/asset/lsps07_int_biogeography/utm_medium=teac
hersdomain/asset/lsps07_int_biogeography/utm_ca
mpaign=td_redirects

Topic: Continental Drift

Essential Question: What evidence supports the theory of
continental drift?
Alfred Wegener
In the early 1900s Alfred Wegener
proposed the theory of continental drift

Continental Drift
All of the continents were once connected
together to form the super continent,
Pangaea

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

The Theory of
Plate Tectonics

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

the history and evidence that supports the earths lithosphere is made of tectonic plates that are moving on top of the
anthenosphere. This movement causes massive geological changes to Earths Crust, including earthquakes, mountain
building, and volcanic activity.

History of Investigating
Why are there earthquakes & volcanoes?

Essential Details

Supporting Evidence
Essential Details

In the early 1900s Alfred Wegener proposed the theory

of continental drift -

So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

Topic: Continental Drift

Essential Question: What evidence supports the theory of
continental drift?
Continental Drift
All of the continents have drifted to where
they are now
Earths lithosphere (crust) is divided into
tectonic plates

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

The Theory of
Plate Tectonics

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

the history and evidence that supports the earths lithosphere is made of tectonic plates that are moving on top of the
anthenosphere. This movement causes massive geological changes to Earths Crust, including earthquakes, mountain
building, and volcanic activity.

History of Investigating
Why are there earthquakes & volcanoes?

Essential Details

Supporting Evidence
Essential Details

In the early 1900s Alfred Wegener proposed the theory

of continental drift - All of the continents have drifted to
where they are now; Earths lithosphere (crust) is
divided into tectonic plates.

So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

Topic: Continental Drift

Essential Question: What evidence supports the theory of
continental drift?
Evidence
Africa and South Americas coastlines fit
together like a puzzle

Topic: Continental Drift

Essential Question: What evidence supports the theory of
continental drift?
Evidence
Fossils and types of rocks on the eastern
coast of S. America matched those on the
west coast of Africa

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

The Theory of
Plate Tectonics

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

the history and evidence that supports the earths lithosphere is made of tectonic plates that are moving on top of the
anthenosphere. This movement causes massive geological changes to Earths Crust, including earthquakes, mountain
building, and volcanic activity.

History of Investigating
Why are there earthquakes & volcanoes?

Essential Details
In the early 1900s Alfred Wegener proposed the theory
of continental drift - All of the continents have drifted to
where they are now; Earths lithosphere (crust) is
divided into tectonic plates.

Supporting Evidence
Essential Details

The coasts of S. America & Africa

match like puzzle pieces w matching
fossils & rock features.

So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

A closer look

But nobody believed him

They laughed!
What makes the continents move?
They said, We dont see them move!

Google Earth: What does the

ocean floor look like?
Before ships equipped with sonar started
mapping the ocean floor in the 1920s,
the crust below the seas was thought to be flat
and boring.
World War I: Ships used sonar to scan for
submarines, by the end of the war we had a
map of the ocean floor.

What do you think they found? I predict

There was Hess and the idea of

sea floor spreading & subduction.

Topic: Continental Drift

Essential Question: What evidence supports the theory of
continental drift?
Harry Hess
proposed that at mid-ocean ridges, magma flows
up from the mantle and forms new crust on both
sides of the ridge

This new crust makes the ocean floor wider and

pushes the continents surrounding it further
away from each other

1960's

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

The Theory of
Plate Tectonics

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

the history and evidence that supports the earths lithosphere is made of tectonic plates that are moving on top of the
anthenosphere. This movement causes massive geological changes to Earths Crust, including earthquakes, mountain
building, and volcanic activity.

History of Investigating
Why are there earthquakes & volcanoes?

Essential Details
In the early 1900s Alfred Wegener proposed the theory
of continental drift - All of the continents have drifted to
where they are now; Earths lithosphere (crust) is
divided into tectonic plates.

Supporting Evidence
Essential Details

The coasts of S. America & Africa

match like puzzle pieces w matching
fossils & rock features.

Harry Hess proposed the idea of

sea floor spreading

So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

More Evidence from WWI

The sonar maps showed that the ocean floor had
incredible deep valleys, mountain chains higher than
the North American Rockies, and huge plains.
A long ridge was found to run down the middle of
the Atlantic Ocean, rising 1 to 2 km above the
surrounding ocean floor that paralleled the
continental coasts on both sides.
Similar mid-ocean ridges were mapped in the
eastern Pacific Ocean and the western Indian Ocean.
Volcanic activity occurred along these ridges.
Clearly, the ridges had something to do
with continental drift, but what?

Topic: Continental Drift

Essential Question: What evidence supports the theory of
continental drift?
Evidence 1920-1960
Scientists were able to use new
technology to find ocean features such as
trenches, seamount chains (mountains on
the sea floor), and mid-ocean ridges

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

The Theory of
Plate Tectonics

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

the history and evidence that supports the earths lithosphere is made of tectonic plates that are moving on top of the
anthenosphere. This movement causes massive geological changes to Earths Crust, including earthquakes, mountain
building, and volcanic activity.

History of Investigating
Why are there earthquakes & volcanoes?

Essential Details
In the early 1900s Alfred Wegener proposed the theory
of continental drift - All of the continents have drifted to
where they are now; Earths lithosphere (crust) is
divided into tectonic plates.

Harry Hess proposed the idea of

sea floor spreading & subduction

Supporting Evidence
Essential Details

The coasts of S. America & Africa

match like puzzle pieces w matching
fossils & rock features.

Mid-Atlantic ridge is a mountain range

That runs parallel to the coasts

So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

2 volunteers, please

HOW DOES THIS EVIDENCE

SUPPORT THE CONCEPT OF SEA
FLOOR SPREADING?

World War II: More evidence!

The same year that Hess proposed
his theory, the U.S. Navy published a
report (1963) that summarized findings
concerning seafloor magnetism.
Evidence found during World War II,
ships dragging devices to measure
magnetism found bands of alternating
strong and weak magnetism in the rocks
of the seafloor (originally these
magnetometers had been designed to
locate submarines).
These bands, irregular in width, not only
paralleled the mid-ocean ridges, but
were patterned symmetrically about the
crest of these ridges.

How does this evidence support the concept of sea floor spreading?

THE BANDS OF SEA FLOOR

MAGNETISM IS EVIDENCE THAT
SUPPORTS SEA FLOOR SPREADING
BECAUSE

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

The Theory of
Plate Tectonics

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

the history and evidence that supports the earths lithosphere is made of tectonic plates that are moving on top of the
anthenosphere. This movement causes massive geological changes to Earths Crust, including earthquakes, mountain
building, and volcanic activity.

History of Investigating
Why are there earthquakes & volcanoes?

Essential Details
In the early 1900s Alfred Wegener proposed the theory
of continental drift - All of the continents have drifted to
where they are now; Earths lithosphere (crust) is
divided into tectonic plates.

WWI: sonar used, map of ocean floor

Harry Hess proposed the idea of
sea floor spreading & subduction

WWII The US Navy reports finding bands

of alternating strong and weak magnetism
in the rocks of the seafloor.

Supporting Evidence
Essential Details

The coasts of S. America & Africa

match like puzzle pieces w matching
fossils & rock features.

Mid-Atlantic ridge is a mountain range

That runs parallel to the coasts

They found younger rocks near the

mid- ocean ridge and older crust nea
the coast lines.

So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

Quake feed App

Optional: Download the app and

make an observation about the
location of the recent earthquakes.

I observe the location of

earthquakes are found

And today!
Today, much of the evidence
concerning plate tectonics is acquired with

satellite technology.
Through use of the global

positioning system (GPS) and other

satellite-based data collection techniques,
scientists can directly measure the
movement and speed of plates on the
surface of the earth.
Speeds range from 10 to 100 mm per year,
confirming the long-held belief that plates
move at a slow but constant rate.

It continues

The earth is incredibly dynamic - mountain

chains build and erode away, volcanoes erupt
and go extinct, seas advance and recede and these changes are all a result of the
processes of plate tectonics.

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

The Theory of
Plate Tectonics

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

the history and evidence that supports the earths lithosphere is made of tectonic plates that are moving on top of the
anthenosphere. This movement causes massive geological changes to Earths Crust, including earthquakes, mountain
building, and volcanic activity.

History of Investigating
Why are there earthquakes & volcanoes?

Essential Details
In the early 1900s Alfred Wegener proposed the theory
of continental drift - All of the continents have drifted to
where they are now; Earths lithosphere (crust) is
divided into tectonic plates.

Harry Hess proposed the idea of

sea floor spreading & subduction

The US Navy reports finding bands of

alternating strong and weak magnetism in
the rocks of the seafloor.
Today, we use satellite technology, GPS,

Supporting Evidence
Essential Details

The coasts of S. America & Africa

match like puzzle pieces w matching
fossils & rock features.

Mid-Atlantic ridge is a mountain range

That runs parallel to the coasts

They found younger rocks near the

mid- ocean ridge and older crust nea
the coast lines.

Confirming that plates move at a

to measure the movement and speed of plates; . slow but constant rate
So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

Now lets write a summary

Look at each question and answer each in a
complete sentence.
-What is the Plate Tectonics Theory? The Theory of Plate
Tectonics states.
-Which scientist was the first to propose such a theory? The
scientist who first proposed the idea of continental drift was
-What are 3 pieces of evidence that support the theory that
plates are moving?

The supporting evidence is , , and

Key Topic

The FRAME Routine

Name:____________________________
Date:_____________________________
Class Period:____________________
is about

the history and evidence that supports the earths lithosphere is made of tectonic plates that are moving on top of the
anthenosphere. This movement causes ___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Why are there earthquakes & volcanoes?

Essential Details

Essential Details

So What? (Whats important to understand about this?)

Objective: You will create a timeline of the human understanding of

"How the Earth Works?"

EXTEND LEARNING: TIMELINE PROJECT

What is the history of how humans

began to understand and analyze
how the Earth works?
Behavior Expectations
C- Partner Work
H-frame& table partner
only
A- timeline of history and
evidence of the Theory of
Plate Tectonics
M-stay at your table & ask
to move
P- complete by end of class.

Timeline Requirements
Define the Theory of Plate
Tectonics
Date, date range
4 discoveries w supporting
evidence
Neat & Organized
Name, Date, Class Period