ES: Earth's Interior and Plate Tectonics

14 Components
Unit Overview
Earth's Interior & Plate Tectonics Unit Plan From Pangaea to the Present Unit 2 Regents-Based Item Bank
5E Instructional Model Plans
Plate Boundaries & Surface Features 5E Instructional Model Plan What's inside the Earth? 5E Instructional Model Plan What's Driving the Plates? 5E Instructional Model Plan
Highlighted Resources
Unit 2 Professional Development Booklet Unit 2 Formative Assessment Probe Seismic Waves & Earth's Interior Investigation Inferred Properties of Earth's Interior: Three Level Guide to Diagram Interpretation Earthquake Wave Seismogram: Three Level Reading Guide for Diagram Interpretation Locating the Mystery Epicenter of an Earthquake Investigating Plate Boundaries
Laboratory Experiences and Ordering Lab Materials
Ordering Laboratory Supplies through Lab-Aids
ES Unit 2: ES: Earth's Interior and Plate Tectonics
Browse Components
Unit Overview
Earth's Interior & Plate Tectonics Unit Plan From Pangaea to the Present Unit 2 Regents-Based Item Bank
5E Instructional Model Plans
Plate Boundaries & Surface Features 5E Instructional Model Plan What's inside the Earth? 5E Instructional Model Plan What's Driving the Plates? 5E Instructional Model Plan
Highlighted Resources
Unit 2 Professional Development Booklet Unit 2 Formative Assessment Probe Seismic Waves & Earth's Interior Investigation Inferred Properties of Earth's Interior: Three Level Guide to Diagram Interpretation Earthquake Wave Seismogram: Three Level Reading Guide for Diagram Interpretation Locating the Mystery Epicenter of an Earthquake Investigating Plate Boundaries
Laboratory Experiences and Ordering Lab Materials
Ordering Laboratory Supplies through Lab-Aids
Unit Overview:

From Pangaea to the Present

Problem-based task that can be used to drive the teaching and learning in this unit

2-3 days

Has the Earth always been the same? How has it changed since its formation? Has the Earth's capacity to sustain life changed over time? Many people don't know the answer to these questions and/or have very little understanding of the evidence and scientific concepts that might help them answer these questions. Your task for this unit is to collect and analyze evidence that will help you answer these questions yourself, and use your findings to create a pamphlet that you will use to help a family member, friend, or school staff member understand the evidence and scientific concepts that will allow them to better understand how the Earth has changed over time.

Resources:
  • From Pangaea to the Present
    Problem-based task that can be used to drive the teaching and learning in this unit
    Resource:
    From Pangaea to the Present

    Living Environment and Earth Science Archive

    ES Unit 2: ES: Earth's Interior and Plate Tectonics

    Unit Overview: From Pangaea to the Present

    If the continents moved over time, how an why could this have occurred? What can we investigate further that might provide clues about how and why the continents moved?

    Alfred Wegener thought that the jigsaw puzzle appearance of continents,  as well as identical fossils and geographic formations, could be explained by the existence of a supercontinent in the ancient past that split apart over time. His theory, continental drift, was widely rejected and ridiculed because he could not explain how and why the massive continents could have moved. Additionally, Wegener also predicted that volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and mountain building could be explained by the continents moving.

    In this unit, your task is to conduct investigations and collect evidence that will uncover the mystery of how and why the continents could have moved. Be sure to consider Wegener’s prediction that continental movement is associated with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and mountain building. 

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    Performance Task
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    Tags
    performance task, earth interior, plate tectonics, interior structure,
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