10

Science
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Plate Tectonics ( A )

Department of Education • Republic of the

Philippines
Science – Grade 10
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 1-Plate tectonics
First Edition, 2019

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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary:
Undersecretary:
Assistant Secretary:

Development Team of the Module

Authors:
Lesson 1 & 2 - Hellen M. Dizon
Lesson 3 - Lilibeth B. Montemayor
Lesson 4 - Patty M. Canyong
Lesson 5 & 6 - Dulce S. Ortega
Lesson 6 - Nilo Salazar
Lesson 7 - Marygin T. Joson
Lesson 8 - Helen Rose A. Ferrancullo / Shirlie G. Custodio
Editor: Rebecca M. Roxas, EPS
Reviewers: Arlene Gatpo, PSDS
Illustrator:
Layout Artist:
Management Team: Malcolm S. Garma, Regional Director; Genia V. Santos,
CLMD Chief; Dennis M. Mendoza, Regional EPS in Charge of LRMS and
Regional ADM Coordinator; Maria Magdalena M. Lim, CESO V, Schools Division
Superintendent; Aida H. Rondilla , CID Chief; Lucky S. Carpio, Division EPS in
Ch f LRMS d Di i i ADM C di t
Printed in the Philippines by ________________________

Department of Education – Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR) (Sample)

Office Address: ____________________________________________

Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

____________________________________________
Telefax: ____________________________________________ E-mail
Address: ____________________________________________

Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

10
 Science
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Plate Tectonics ( A )

Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
1. Prepare the pictures that will be used in each activity.
2. Prepare the visual aids to be used in each activity.
3. Download activities needed for the face to face interaction.
4. Post the already available sites (videos) used in activities
 a. Pre-laboratory videos for “The Litosphere”.
b. Face to Face discussion.
5. Prepare the table that will be used in the establishing purpose of the lesson
and generalization. (Information in the table below should be blank)

For the learner:

The master-based module is design to deliver the lesson using alternative delivery
mode. The learners are assigned to use digital tools to further understand the lesson
better. At your own pace, the learners are expected to produce and practice the task
being asked in each activity of the lesson. Most of the lessons are do it yourself
lessons that will test your ability to understand the lesson base on your own
understanding. The teacher will just intervene if certain concepts were not
understood.

What I Need to Know

Although we think of the land on Earth as being fixed and steady, it
turns out that it is in constant motion. This movement is way too slow for us
to notice, however, because it only moves three to five centimeters per year;
which means that it takes millions of years for the land to move a significant
value.
Plate tectonics explains the features and movement of Earth’s surface
in the present and the past. This is the theory that the Earth’s outer crust
(lithosphere) is divided into several plates that glide over the plastic – like
and less ridged upper mantle (asthenosphere).
This module is divided into lessons, namely:
• What I Know
• Module 1 – Plate Tectonics
o Lesson 1 – Earth’s Lithosphere (Its layers and composition)
o Lesson 2 – The Earth’s crust
o Lesson 3 – Lithospheric plates
• Post Test
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. Characterize the Earth’s lithosphere
2. Differentiate oceanic and continental crust
3. Infer that the Earth’s lithosphere is divided into plates
4. Identify the different lithospheric plates.
Essential Competency: Describe and relate the distribution of active
volcanoes, earthquake epicenters, and major mountain belts to Plate
Tectonics Theory.
(S10ES – la-j-36.1).
1. Describe the Earth’s lithosphere.
2. Differentiate oceanic and continental crust.
3. Infer that the Earth’s lithosphere is divided into plates.
4. Identify the major lithospheric plates.
5. Determine the scientific basis for dividing the lithospheric plates.

What I Know
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.
1. What are the layers of the Earth that make up the lithosphere?
A. The crust and the lower mantle
B. The crust and the upper mantle
C. The continental crust and oceanic crust
 D. The lower and upper mantle
2. Geologist estimate that the mantle flows at rates of several _________
A. Centimeters C. meters
B. Kilometers D. miles
3. Which of these statements is TRUE?
A. The thickness of the lithosphere is constant.
B. Continental lithosphere is thinner than seafloor lithosphere. C.
Mantle rocks contain more iron and less silica than continental
crust rocks do.
D. Seafloor crust is less dense than continental crust
4. What physical property of rocks is used to define the lithosphere?
A. Brittle
B. They will flow
C. Minerals
D. Chemical composition
5. The lithosphere __________.
A. is below the mantle
B. is not a part of the earth's crust
C. does not contain rocks
D. is composed of the crust and the mantle

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Lesson
1 The Earth’s Lithosphere
The lithosphere is where we live. Many geologic events happen in this
part that affects our lives. In this lesson, you will learn more about this
important part of our planet.
 What’s In
Layers of the Earth
You already know that the Earth is composed of different layers. These layers
differ in composition.

• Mantle: The Middle layer, more dense than the crust, compose of the
upper mantle, the lithosphere, and the lower mantle.

• Core: The inside layer, the most dense, compose of the outer core and
the inner core.

What’s New
Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics is the theory that the Earth’s outer crust (lithosphere)
is divided into several plates that glide over the plastic-like and less ridged
asthenosphere (upper mantle).
What is a Lithosphere
 The name 'lithosphere' comes from the Greek words lithos, meaning
'rocky,' and sphaeros, meaning 'sphere.'

Geologists use the term as the name for the layer of the Earth
extending from the surface to a depth of around 80 to 120 miles, depending
on location, in which rocks are relatively brittle and rigid. This is the
definition we will explore here.

Properties of the Lithosphere

Aside from the fact that that we are living on it, the lithosphere
exhibits many geologic processes that affect our lives. We can consider the
occurrence and global location of volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain
ranges as well as the shape and present location of the seven continents
through the movement of large pieces of the lithosphere.

The lithosphere is made up of rocks from two of the Earth's major

layers. It contains all of the outer, thin shell of the planet, called the crust,
and the uppermost part of the next-lower layer, the mantle.

The rocks that make up the lithosphere respond to forces to which

they are subjected to. At the relatively low temperatures found near the
Earth's surface, rocks tend to break under stress. Farther down, as
temperature and
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pressure increase, the more likely it is that rocks will be able to
accommodate stress by changing shape, compressing, stretching, and
bending, rather than breaking.

Lithosphere
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/lithosphere/
The Earth's crust is just a thin layer surrounding our world. Although
it is the only part of the Earth any of us see, it makes up just one percent of
the planet's total volume.

What’s More
Objective: Describe the Earth’s Lithosphere
• The students will enhance their skills on communication and critical
thinking.
Activity 1.1 Label Me
Label the given diagram. Answer the questions that follow. Guide

Questions:

1. _____
___________________
2. _____
___________________
_____
3.
___________________
_____
___________________
4. _____
___________________
_____
5. 2. Which part of
the lithosphere is
the
6.
thickest?
1. Why is the ___________________
lithosphere __
important? The thinnest?
___________________ ___________________
_____ ___
___________________

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Activity 1.2 : ANAGRAMS
• The students will enhance their skills on communication and critical
thinking.
 Can you unscramble the letters to find the key words and phrases
associated with the lithosphere? Numbers in brackets refer to the number of
words and letters in the answer.
1. E T H E R P O L I S H (11) ____________________________ 2.
E P A L T S C T T E C O I N (5,9) _____________________ 3. O
G G E T S L O I (9) ______________________________ 4. S T R C
U (5) _________________________________________ 5. O R C E
(4) __________________________________________ 6. T EM A L N
(6) _______________________________________ 7. W O L M E E T
A T U E S P R (3, 11)
_____________ _______________________________
8. A R T E H U S F R A C E (5,7) __________ __________ 9. T
N A S E E R H S P O H E (13) _____________________ 10. S E
A L Y R (5) _____________________

What I Have Learned

• The lithosphere is the solid and rigid outer layer of the Earth. It is the
 Earth's outermost layer, composed of rocks in the crust and upper
mantle that behave as brittle solids.

• The asthenosphere is the layer on which the lithosphere rest; where

rocks deform by flowing due to heat and pressure.

What I Can Do
This page will give your students practice with the lithosphere (also
called the geosphere) and its layers. It features questions about the
definition, features, and examples of the lithosphere. It involves critical
thinking skills and will challenge your students. The questions are
arranged from easiest to hardest.
• Lithosphere: Odd one out
Analyze each part of the rectangle. One of the parts will be different
from the others. Shade the part of the rectangle that does not match.
Using a complete sentence, explain how that part is different from the
others. Answers should show your understanding of the lithosphere.

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volcanoes Iron
1.
Rigid
Rocks of
the upper
mantle
Tectonic
Assessment
Plates Continents earthquakes

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.
1. The lithosphere __________.
 A. is below the mantle
B. is not a part of the earth's crust
C. does not contain rocks
D. is composed of the crust and the mantle
2. Geologist estimate that the mantle flows at rates of several _________
A. Centimeters C. meters
B. Kilometers D. miles
3. What physical property of rocks is used to define the lithosphere?
A. Brittle
B. They will flow
C. Minerals
D. Chemical composition
4. Which of these statements is TRUE?
A. The thickness of the lithosphere is constant.
B. Continental lithosphere is thinner than seafloor lithosphere.

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C. Mantle rocks contain more iron and less silica than continental
crust rocks do.
D. Seafloor crust is less dense than continental crust
5. Layers of the Earth that make up the lithosphere.
A. The crust and the lower mantle
B. The crust and the upper mantle
C. The continental crust and oceanic crust
D. The lower and upper mantle

Additional Activities
• Let us now explore a fun, easy model for the layers of the Earth.
 You need a hard-boiled egg. You will cut the egg in half using a butter
knife (using the serration of the knife to avoid breaking the shell too much).
Once cut in half:
 • Draw the cross-section of the egg. Label each layer (don't forget the
shell) with the layers of the Earth.
• Answer the following questions:

o How is a hard-boiled egg a good model for the Earth's interior? o

In what ways does this model differ from the Earth's interior? o If
you were to create a better model for the Earth's interior, what
would you create? Be specific as to the materials you would use
and how the activity would be performed.

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What I Know
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.
1. Plate tectonics is the movement of the Earth’s rigid plates, also known
as the __________.
A. Continental crust C. mantle
B. Lithosphere D. oceanic crust
2. The crust that make up the continents-the land
A. Atmosphere C. oceanic crust
B. Continental crust D. tectonic plates
3. Which crust can be found underneath the oceans?
A. Biosphere C. continental crust
B. Oceanic crust D. tectonic plates
4. The Earth’s layers are a lot like an egg, in the egg the ______ of the egg
 is much like the crust of the Earth.
A. Egg-white C. egg-yolk
B. Egg-shell D. cant tell
5. How would you compare the oceanic and continental crust?
A. Oceanic crust is heavy and dense, while continental crust is
light.
B. All the answers are correct.
C. Oceanic crust is basaltic, while continental crust is
granitic. D. Oceanic crust is younger than continental crust.

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Lesson
2 The Earth’s Crust

The Earth's crust is just a thin layer surrounding our world. Although
it is the only part of the Earth any of us see, it makes up just one percent of
the planet's total volume.

What’s In
You are now familiar with the Earth’s lithosphere. Let’s have a deeper
understanding of the subdivisions of the lithosphere.
The Earth’s Crust
 • Denser: materials tend to sink while less dense materials tend to
float.
• Lithosphere: is the top layer of the Earth.
• Rocks: are made up of natural substances called minerals.

What’s New

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What Is the Earth's Crust
The Earth is not just a solid ball of rock. That rock is made up of layers
characterized by different elements and different types of rock that are either
solid or fluid. It also possesses different temperatures and thicknesses. The
outermost layer of the Earth is the crust. It's thin compared to the other
layers, a little bit like the peel of an orange. Unlike a fruit peel, though, the
crust is broken up into several pieces, called tectonic plates. These plates
move relative to each other so that the surface of the Earth's crust is always
changing, although very slowly.

The Two Types of Crust

There are two types of crust. Oceanic crust is the crust that is under
the world's oceans, and continental crust is that under the continents and
other large land masses, like Greenland and Madagascar. Oceanic crust is
denser and heavier than continental crust. It is made mostly of basaltic rock.
Basalt is a volcanic rock and it forms the oceanic crust as the mantle, the
molten rock under the crust, wells up and hardens. This happens at mid
ocean ridges where the crust is being pulled apart due to the motion of
tectonic plates. Oceanic crust is about four miles thick.

Oceanic crust may be heavier and denser, but continental crust is a

thicker and older part of the Earth's crust. The depth of continental crust
varies more than oceanic crust and can be anywhere between six and 47
miles thick. The rocks that make up continental crust are less dense and
heavy than basaltic ocean crust. Granite is a mineral that's a major
component of continental crust. The crust of the continents is also much
older than ocean crust. Unlike the ocean floor, continental crust is not
constantly reforming. You can find rocks as old as four billion years in
continental crust.

Because oceanic crust is denser than continental crust, it is always

sinking relative to the continents. New ocean crust forms at mid-ocean
ridges,

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but old ocean crust gets recycled in regions called subduction zones. These
are tectonic plate boundaries at which two plates are moving toward each
other, rather than pulling apart. When ocean crust meets continental crust
at a subduction zone, the heavier oceanic crust sinks under the continent
and becomes part of the molten mantle again.

Oceanic and Continental Crust

Because the Earth consist of land and water, the lithosphere can be
subdivided into oceanic lithosphere which is found under the ocean; and
continental lithosphere which can be found under the land continents.
Oceanic Crust
• A thin layer of crust that underlies the ocean basins. •
Consists mainly of basalt.
• Younger than continental crust.
• More dense than continental crust.
 16
Continental Crust
• Layer of rock which forms the continents
• Also forms shallow seabed close to shore (continental shelf) •
Floats on top part of the mantle (asthenosphere)
• Older than oceanic crust, mostly granite rock
• Thicker and less dense than oceanic crust
 What’s More
Objective: Differentiate oceanic and continental crust.
• The students will develop their skills on communication and critical
thinking.
Activity 2.1 Crossword Puzzle
Answer the puzzle using the clues.

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Across

3. the whole body of salt water that covers three fourths of the earth's
surface
4. characteristics of oceanic crust in terms of
density 5. rocks that compose the oceanic crust
6. rocks that compose the continental crust
Down
1. great division of land on the globe
2. __________ shelf - shallow sea beds close to the shore

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Activity 2.2 Complete Me
Let us review the properties of continental and oceanic crust. Make a
tabulation on your paper and list the characteristics of each type of crust.
Properties Continental Crust Oceanic crust

Where can be found

Composition

Age

Density

Guide Questions
1. How many sub-layers does the crust have?
____________________________________________________________________
2. Which type of crust is denser?
____________________________________________________________________
3. Oceanic crust always sinks relative to the continents. Why?
____________________________________________________________________

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What I Have Learned

• The crust is the thin, outer layer of the Earth.
 • Oceanic crust underlies the oceans and is made mostly of heavy,
dense basalt.

• Basalt forms from the mantle and is recycled back into the mantle. •

The continental crust is lighter, older, and mostly made of granite. •

Granite is a mineral that's a major component of continental crust.

What I Can Do
This Layers of the Earth informational reading, mini-poster project,
and human model activity is a great way to cover the structure of Earth’s
major layers in a fun and engaging way! #earths layers

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/761319511999085982

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Assessment
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.
1. How would you compare the oceanic and continental crust?
 A. Oceanic crust is heavy and dense, while continental crust is light.
B. All the answers are correct.
C. Oceanic crust is basaltic, while continental crust is
granitic. D. Oceanic crust is younger than continental crust.
2. The Earth’s layers are a lot like an egg, in the egg the ______ of the egg
is much like the crust of the Earth.
A. Egg-white C. egg-yolk
B. Egg-shell D. cant tell
3. Plate tectonics is the movement of the Earth’s rigid plates, also known
as the __________.
A. Continental crust C. mantle
B. Lithosphere D. oceanic crust
4. The crust that make up the continents-the land
A. Atmosphere C. oceanic crust
B. Continental crust D. tectonic plates
5. Which crust can be found underneath the oceans?
A. Biosphere C. continental crust
B. Oceanic crust D. tectonic plate

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Additional Activities
• Learn the types of rock that occur within the oceanic and continental
crusts
• Understand what causes the Earth's crust to constantly change over

time
• Discover the relationship between mid-ocean ridges and subduction

zones.
 22

What I Know
1. What are tectonic plates comprised of?
A. Pieces of volcanic rock.
B. Pieces of the planet's asthenosphere.
C. Pieces of the planet's lithosphere.
D. Pieces of metallic ore.
2. Which of the following major plates is located farthest south?
A. The Eurasian Plate
B. The African Plate
C. The Arctic Plate
 D. The Antarctic Plate
3. Which of the following theories asserts that earth's crust is broken up
into plates?
A. Plate Electronics
B. Continental Drift
C. Tectonic Drift
D. Plate Tectonics
4. What makes the Pacific plate unique compared to other plates?
A. It is the only major plate that is mainly underwater.
B. It borders the African Plate.
C. It is the smallest of the major plates.
D. It is the only major plate that contains both continental crust and
oceanic crust.
5. What is the largest tectonic plate?
A. Eurasian plate C. Scotia plate
B. Pacific plate D. South American plate

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Lesson
3 The Lithospheric Plates

The theory of plate tectonics states that the earth's crust is made up of
large slowly moving pieces of rock called plates. Because of these plates, the
Earth's crust has changed over time and is still changing. Scientists believe
that there was once a supercontinent called Pangea that eventually broke up
into pieces, like a puzzle. These pieces drifted apart very slowly.

What’s New
The Lithospheric Plates/ Tectonic Plates
How this drifting apart of major land masses occurred was a mystery
for many years and highly debated among scientists. But when the theory of
plate tectonics was introduced, much of the debating quieted down. Plate
tectonics is the theory that Earth's crust is broken up into plates.

It is as if the planet's surface is cracked, much like the cracks that

would form on the outside of a hardboiled egg if you were to drop it. These
large cracks in the earth's surface form plate-like sections of Earth's crust
referred to as tectonic plates.

These plates are actually pieces of the planet's lithosphere, which is

the outermost shell of the earth made up of the earth's crust and upper part
of the mantle, and for this reason, tectonic plates are sometimes called
'lithospheric plates.' These plates float on top of the hotter and more fluid
asthenosphere, which is the layer below the lithosphere. There are major
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tectonic plates that very slowly move around on the surface of our planet
along with a number of minor plates. Let's take a look at the plates of the
lithosphere.
25

What’s More
Objectives: Infer that the Earth’s lithosphere is divided into
plates. • To improve creativity skill of students.
Activity 3.1 Major and Minor Plates
A. Color each given plate.
 26
B.
Guide Questions
1. What are tectonic plates? __________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. Six of the seven tectonic plates are named for the continent they
contain, the largest plate is exceptional. Name the largest plate and
give the reason why it is exceptional?
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
3. Earth scientist use the terms tectonic plates. They do use the term
plate tectonics. What is the difference?
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

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 What I Have Learned
• The lithosphere is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates.

• Six of the seven major tectonic plates are named after the continents they
contain. The one exception is the Pacific plate, which lies beneath the
Pacific Ocean.

• The Pacific plate is the only major tectonic plate that is mainly
underwater, it is also the largest.

What I Can Do
• Explain the concept of tectonic plates and present the
information in a creative format. The project must include and
show that its creator has an understanding of the following
terms tectonic plate, lithosphere, asthenosphere, crust, mantle,
outer core, inner core.

• Create a piece of art (model, sculpture, painting, drawing) on

tectonic plates and include a one paragraph explanation of your
art that covers the necessary/ important concepts.

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 Assessment
1. What is the largest tectonic plate?
A. Eurasian plate C. Scotia plate
B. Pacific plate D. South American plate
2. Which of the following theories asserts that earth's crust is broken up
into plates?
A. Plate Electronics
B. Continental Drift
C. Tectonic Drift
D. Plate Tectonics
3. What makes the Pacific plate unique compared to other plates?
A. It is the only major plate that is mainly underwater.
B. It borders the African Plate.
C. It is the smallest of the major plates.
D. It is the only major plate that contains both continental crust and
oceanic crust.
4. What are tectonic plates comprised of?
A. Pieces of volcanic rock.
B. Pieces of the planet's asthenosphere.
C. Pieces of the planet's lithosphere.
D. Pieces of metallic ore.
5. Which of the following major plates is located farthest south?
A. The Eurasian Plate
B. The African Plate
C. The Arctic Plate
D. The Antarctic Plate

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Additional Activities
Geographical distribution of COVID-19 cases -
worldwide May 10, 2020

1. Which tectonic plate has the greatest number of COVID – 19

cases

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References
https://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-major-tectonic
plates-of-the-lithosphere.html?
https://www.livescience.com/37706-what-is-plate-tectonics.html
https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/Plate-Tectonics/Chap2-What-is-a-Plate
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/geographical-distribution-2019-ncov-case
s
https://study.com/academy/lesson/lithosphere-lesson-plan.htm
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/lithosphere/
https://www.universetoday.com/73597/what-is-lithosphere/
https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-earths-crust-facts-layers
temperature-composition.html
https://www.thoughtco.com/all-about-the-earths-crust-1441114
https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2016/01/16/layers-of-the-earth
lies-beneath-earths-crust/#265289a6441

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Answer Key
Lesson 1
WHAT I KNOW ASSESSMENT 1. A 1. D 2. A 2. A 3. B 3. B 4. B
4. B 5. D 5. A Lesson 2
WHAT I KNOW ASSESSMENT 1. B 1. B 2. B 2. B 3. B 3. B 4.
B 4. B 5. B 5. B Lesson 3
WHAT I KNOW ASSESSMENT 1. C 1. B 2. D 2. D 3. D 3. A 4.
A 4. C 5. B 5.D

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