Plate Motion Lesson

Unraveling the Mysteries of Gondwanaland

Exploring the ancient supercontinent and its geological history.

Reconstructing Gondwanaland

• Reread the article to find evidence of past plate motion

• Answer the guiding questions to help answer the investigation question

• Discuss the information found in the article

• Activity 3: Reconstruct Gondwanaland

Printable_Article_A_Continental_Puzzle.pdf

Open Ended

1. How did Wegener use the shapes of the continents as evidence that the continents had moved?

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of rereading the article?

• To find evidence of past plate motion

• To discuss the information found in the article

• To answer the guiding questions

• To reconstruct Gondwanaland

Why Reread?

To discuss the information found in the article. Rereading helps us understand the article better, identify key points, and engage in meaningful discussions. It allows us to analyze the content from different perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of the topic. So, let's dive back in and explore the article together!

Plate Motion:

• Mid-ocean ridges: Found in Gondwanaland
• Plate boundaries: Divergent at these locations
• Plate motion: Revealed by mid-ocean ridges

Reconstructing Gondwanaland

1. Gather materials: map, glue stick, blank paper. 2. Cut away white space on map. 3. Cut plates along boundaries. 4. Cut away ocean floor. 5. Use fossils and landmass shapes to reconstruct Gondwanaland. 6. Glue Gondwanaland to blank paper.

Plate Motion:

• Plate motion helps in completing the Gondwanaland puzzle by understanding how the landmasses were once connected and how they have moved over time.
• Knowledge of plate motion allows us to predict the future positions of South America and Africa.
• The ocean floor was not included in the reconstructions of Gondwanaland because it is constantly changing due to plate tectonics.
• Evidence supports the key concept that it takes a long time for Earth's plates to travel great distances, which relates to past plate motion.

Multiple Choice

Why was the ocean floor not included in the reconstructions of Gondwanaland?

• Because it is constantly changing due to plate tectonics

• Because it is not relevant to the study of plate motion

• Because it is too difficult to map the ocean floor accurately

• Because the ocean floor does not provide any evidence for plate motion

Ocean Floor and Gondwanaland

Trivia: The ocean floor was not included in the reconstructions of Gondwanaland because it is constantly changing due to plate tectonics. Mapping the ocean floor accurately is difficult, and it does not provide evidence for plate motion. The dynamic nature of the ocean floor makes it irrelevant to the study of plate motion.