Lesson Plan: Lesson 3

Unit/Topic: The lithosphere- Theory of continental drift Date: 30/ 05/2018

Key Learning Area: Geography Year Level: 11
LESSON STRUCTURE:
Time Introduction (Set): Teaching Approaches
75 min Re-cap activity/ Check homework: Plate tectonics worksheets (literacy Scaffold learning, on board, on
activity) screen (PowerPoint) etc.

Continue PP: Continental drift Individual/ Group

 Students watch the following video on Alfred Wegener’s theory
of continental drift: Class discussion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5q8hzF9VVE
 In workbooks, students take notes/ main ideas discussed Visual/ written stimulus
throughout the video- Focus on students taking notes based off
the evidence discussed in video. Writing scaffold

Students answer the following questions in workbooks (textbook

available for students to refer to)

1. Explain the theory of continental drift

2. What were the essential points in formulating the theory of plate
tectonics?

Group work: (In table groups)

 Read/ analyse/ examine ALL SEVEN sets of evidence that have
been given on the theory of continental drift
 In groups, you are required to rank the pieces of evidence from
most to least persuasive- That is, to decide what evidence best
supports Alfred Wegner’s theory (ranked 1) to the least
supportive evidence (ranked 7).

Individually: Persuasive writing task

Using the evidence provided, notes from book and the notes from the
video, students will:

 Write a letter to the NSW public which supports Wegener’s

claims/ ideas on the theory of continental drift.

Students provided with instructions, scaffold for writing and writing

structure on board.

*If time allows: PP- How continents grow

Students answer the following questions in workbooks:
1. In what direction is the plate Australia moving and how quickly?
2. Explain the differences between diverging and converging plate
boundaries
3. Which mountain range is formed by the collision of the Indian
and Eurasian plates?
4. Describe how horizontal movement of plates cause mountain
building, earthquakes and volcanic activity

Conclusion of lesson (last 5 min)-

 Set homework/ collect writing task.
If time allows/ Extra activities for students:
 Students can begin to fill in Lithosphere Glossary definitions
(worksheet) using the textbook.