Activity 1
Objective; to understand the concept of Pangaea by using Wegener’s clues to construct a map of the continents joined together.
Materials; outlines of continents with clues
2 sheets of construction paper(different colors)
carbon paper
paper clips
pencil or pen
sissors
tape or glue
Procedure; Arrange the outline, carbon paper, and construction paper so that the outline is on top, the carbon beneath (ink side down ) and the construction paper is on the bottom. Hold the papers together securely with several paper clips. Trace the continental outlines and the outlines of the clues onto the colored paper. Remove the outline and the carbon paper and cut out the continent shapes. Emphasize the clue areas with pencil or color pencil. Use the clues to assemble the map of Pangaea. Glue or tape the pieces into position on the second piece of construction paper. Label the map.
Discussion; On the outline map (which is on the following page) the clues the students will be using are ancient mountain chains, ancient rock which is the same age and composition, glacial scratches on bedrock which appear to move in the same direction. The geographic fit of the continents along their continental margins will also be very helpful.
Key to Symbols;
ancient mountain ranges
ancient rock of similar form
glacial scratches
Figure available in printed form
Questions
1.
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What are the names of the mountain ranges used as clues?
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2.
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Why do the continents appear to have two borders in some areas?
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3.
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Why don’t the continent’s edges match up perfectly?
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4.
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What were some of the other clues Wegener used?
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Figure available in printed form
Activity 2
Objective; to refamiliarize the student with some important geogra-
phic locations and to locate some new ones.
Materials; world atlas
world outline map
pencil or pen
color pencils
Procedure; Using the world atlas the student should locate the following places and formations. They should be drawn in and labeled on the world outline map. A key should be designed for rivers and mountains and noted on the map.
List of locations and geographic features;
equator Amazon River
North pole Mississippi River
South pole Nile River
North America Mediterranean Sea
South America Caspian Sea
Greenland Black Sea
Europe Baltic Sea
Asia Lake Victoria
Africa Lake Tanganyika
Australia Lake Rudolf
New Zealand Lake Nyasa
Madagascar Red Sea
India Persian Gulf
Norway Indian Ocean
Antarctica Atlantic Ocean
Spain Pacific Ocean
Italy Arctic Ocean
Saudi Arabia Caribbean
Great Britain Gulf of Mexico
Brazil Bering Strait
Argentina Himalaya Mts.
Nova Scotia Urals Mts.
South Africa Caucasus Mts.
China Alps
Atlas Mts.
Caledonian Mts. Appalachian Mts.
Andes Mts.
Rocky Mts.
Figure available in printed form
Activity 3
1.
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Use an atlas to identify and label land areas A-J.
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2.
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Use your text (page 195) to find the Mid-Atlantic ridge. Draw this on your map with a brown line.
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3.
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Color all the squares blue and the circles red. These represent fossil trilobites of two distinct species that lived 500-600 million years ago in shallow seas along the continent edges.
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4.
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Draw a green line running between the blue squares and the red dots. What does this line represent?
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5.
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Remove the Atlantic Ocean by cutting the paper along the coast of North America and the eastern edge of Greenland. Next overlap the halves so that the continents meet. What does this show?
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Activity 4
Objective; to understand how fossil distribution can be used to enhance the study of continental drift.
Materials; continental land mass pieces
sissors
pictures of fossil organisms
colored paper (red, green, blue, purple) cut into squares
glue or tape
sheet of colored paper
Procedure; Cut out the Gondwanaland continent pieces. Arrange them on your colored paper in their proper place for the Triassic period. Leave a space near the top for your fossil key with pictures. Arrange the fossil organism pictures with key colored squares next to each. Glue each piece down when you are sure it is where you want it.
Next, using the data chart below place a colored square for each of the representative fossils on the appropriate continent.
Data chart;
Mesosaurus
a fresh water reptile of the Permian found in Brazil and Africa
Cynognathus
a large land reptile (9 feet long) of the Triassic found in Argentina, southern Africa, India and China
Glossopteris
a seed fern of the Carboniferous period found in South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Antarctica, and Australia
Lystrosaurus
a herbivorous reptile with a very distinctive skull shape, from the Triassic period found in Africa, India, Antarctica, Indochina, western China, and central eastern China