Is the World Map Changing?

Hannah Root
80 minutes

Goal:​ Students will understand evidence that shows that continents have moved a great deal in the
history of our planet.

Objectives
● Students will use landmass shape along with geological and paleontological evidence to piece
continents together in a historical formation
● Students will observe historical landmass formations over earth’s history (and that the
​ oving)
continents are ​still m

Materials (per group of 2)

● Paper maps, cut and laminated
● Hint cards

Grouping: ​We will be doing work in pairs.

Procedure
1. Set context (10 min): Fresh water reptile fossil on South America and Africa - write an
explanation for how they got on both continents. Debate your answer with turn and talk partner.
If the same, discuss ​how​.
2. Map puzzling activity (45 min): Students get into pairs, spread around the classroom, and piece
together the fake world map based on the different sets of evidence. Hint cards are associated
with each map. Can you come up with an explanation for how the map changed over time?
(project map on board so students see how it looks today)
a. Take photos of students’ map puzzles, come back together, and have students compare
their different “solutions” and debate the different methods.
3. Change over time video​ (10): How does the evidence we worked with apply to our own, REAL
continents?
4. Exit ticket (10): The video predicts that our continents will form another pangea in another 250
million years. What kinds of fossil, geological, and other evidence do you think will be found in
Brattleboro (or what used to be Brattleboro) at that point?