Purpose:
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To demonstrate to the students how folded mountains and block mountains are created and how they differ.
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Materials:
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Sand
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Old doormat
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Two pieces of straight edged wood
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Background:
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Folded mountains are smooth. As the earth pushes and pulls apart, it “skin” gets a little too big for the shrinking earth, so the earth’s crust folds, producing mountain ranges. Block mountains are jagged(until weathering and erosion take over). As the earth moves, cracks sometimes appear in the crust. The cracks are called faults. Pressures that would cause a fold produce a different result where there are faults. Instead of folding, the two sides of the crack move separately. When one side pushes towards the other, one side goes up more than the other and a jagged mountain range is formed.
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Procedure:
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Folded Mountains
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1. Place an old doormat on a table or ground over some sand.
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2. Cover the doormat with more sand.
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3. Have two students push the opposite ends of the doormat toward each other. This will simulate the creation of a folded mountain.
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Block Mountains
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1. Place two pieces of wood facing each others edges on top of sand.
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2. Cover the wood with more sand.
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3. Wiggle both boards causing the boards to separate a little and simulating the creation of a fault.
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4. Tilt one board up slightly
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5. Push boards towards each other. As you do this sand should be pushed under the tilted board causing it to rise and simulate the creating of a block mountain.
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Results:
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As the students follow the steps in the creations of the different mountains, they should become aware of the differences. The differences they should notice should be in how each mountain was formed. They should also notice the difference in shape. The folded mountain should be a smooth shape and the block mountain should have a more jagged shape. Have them notice the concept of the creation of a fault with the block mountains.
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Questions:
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1. What did you notice in the shape of the folded mountain?
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2. What did you notice in the shape of the block mountain?
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3. What is the difference in these shapes?
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4. What was created when you wiggled the boards when making the block mountain?
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5. Explain the difference in how these two types of mountains are formed in nature?
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Evaluation:
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The activity grants the students a visual representation of how these mountains are formed and the differences between them. The students should be able to explain the concepts behind these two mountains and their shape. They should be able to do this orally or in written form. They should also be able to understand the significance in the creation of a fault with the block mountains.
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