Name:___________________________________________________Period:___________

HowistheEarthChanging?

IntroductiontoEarthScience3

Large Scale Geologic Processes on Earth

EugeneSchoolDistrict4JInvestigatingandQuestioning

ourWorldthroughScienceandTechnology(IQWST)

2

ES3HowistheEarthChanging?ScoreSheet

Date Points L1—WhereistheEarthChanging? Activity1.1WorldwidePatternofVolcanoes /5 Activity1.2WorldwidePatternofEarthquakes /5 Reading1.2VolcanoesandEarthquakes /5 Activity1.3Earthquakes,Volcanoes,andWorldElevation /5 Lesson2—HowDidtheEarthLookinthePast? Activity2.1TheTheoryofContinentalDrift:Parts1A/1Band2 /5 Reading2.1WhatisContinentalDrift? /5 Activity2.2TheExplorationoftheOceanFloor /5 Lesson3—WhatistheCompositionoftheEarth’sSystem? Activity3.1InvestigatingConnectionbetweenElevationandEnergy /5 Lesson4—WhatMakesthePlatesMove? Activity4.1ConvectioninLiquids /5 Activity4.2SillyPuttyRocks /5 Reading4.2FormationofMetamorphicRocks /5 Lesson5—HowDoPlatesInteractWithEachOther? Activity5.1WhatHappensWhenPlatesMove? /5 Reading5.1RingofFire /5 Activity5.2TwoTypesofRocksComprisePlates /5 Lesson6—WhatCausesVolcanoes? Activity6.1VolcanoFormation /5 Activity6.2HotspotFormation /5 Reading6.2IsaHotspotLurkingBeneaththeUS /5 Lesson7HowArePlatesMoving? Activity7.1DeterminingPlateMovement /5 Lesson8—HowDoesNewPlateMaterialForm? Activity8.1HowDoestheEarthCycleRockMaterial? /5 Reading8.1RecyclingforEarth/CyclingWithinEarth /5 Lesson9—WhatDoWeKnowAboutPlateTectonics? Activity9.1ListofImportantIdeas&Annotatingx-SectionofEarth /5 Reading9.1HowWellDoScientistsUnderstandPlateTectonics? /5 Activity9.2FillingOuttheSummaryChart /5 Reading9.2HowDoesPlateTectonicsAffectMe? /5 Activity9.3BuildingPhysicalModels /5 Lesson10—WhatisHappeningattheCaseStudySites? Activity10.1ExplorationofCaseStudySites /5 Reading10.1HowAreCaseStudiesUseful? /5 Activity10.2ScientificExplanationofOneSite Activity10.3ProjectPresentations

3

RubricsforGradingScienceNotebookEntries

ReadingsRubric5 Clearlyandthoroughlyaddressesallpartsofthequestions(Explains,avoidpronouns)

Evidenceofprocessingwhilereading(asassigned)4 Clearlyaddressesallpartsofthequestions(Explains,avoidpronouns)

Evidenceofprocessingwhilereading(asassigned)3.5 Ontopic,butmaynotanswerallpartsofthequestions;

Evidenceofprocessingwhilereading(asassigned)2 DoesnotanswerthequestionsORNoevidenceofprocessingwhenreading.

ActivitiesRubric+Writing5

Clearlyandthoroughlyaddressesallpartsofquestions,datatables,graphs,diagrams(Explains,avoidpronouns,providesevidence,labels);Accurate;Usesscienceprinciplesandtermstoprovidedetails.

4 Clearlyaddressesallpartsofquestions,datatables,graphs,diagrams(Explains,avoidpronouns,providesevidence,labels);Accurate;Usesscienceprinciples/terms.

3.5 Ontopic,maynotanswerallpartsofquestions,prompts,datatables,graphs,diagrams;GenerallyAccurate

2 Offtopicand/orincomplete;Inaccurateinformation

ClaimsEvidenceRubric5 Correctresponseandusesspecificandsufficientdataasevidence4 Correctresponsebututilizesonlypartofthedataasevidence3.5 Correctgeneralresponsebutwithoutspecificdataasevidence2 Incorrectresponseand/orincorrectdataprovidedasevidence

Data Analysis 5 Responseanalyzesbeyondinformationprovided;e.g.statestherelationshipaslinear,

usesmathtoquantifyarelationship(2timesasmuch),findstheslopeofaline4 Usesspecificdatatomakeacomparison.3.5 Usesspecificdatatosupportresponse2 Refersinageneralwaytodataorgraph“linegoesup”1 Evidenceprovidedbutitisnotaccurate

4

Lesson Question Whatdidwedo?

5

EvidenceGained Whatdidwelearn?

6

Vocabulary Definitions/Images

7

ScientificPrinciples

8

ScientificPrinciplescontinued

9

ES3 CONTENTS

Lesson 1 Where Is the Earth Changing? 11

Lesson 2 How Did the Earth Look in the Past? 22

Lesson 3 What Is the Composition of the Earth’s Surface? 37

Lesson 4 What Makes the Plates Move? 41

Lesson 5 How Do Plates Interact with Each Other? 49

Lesson 6 What Causes Volcanoes? 57

Lesson 7 How Are Plates Moving? 64

Lesson 8 How Does New Plate Material Form? 66

Lesson 9 What Do We Know about Plate Tectonics? 72

Lesson 10 What Is Happening at the Case Study Sites? 85

10

ObservationsofMapandGlobe

Map Globe

Compareandcontrasttheinformationconveyedbythemapandaglobe.

11

Lesson1—WhereistheEarthChanging?

12

Observations—IstheEarthChanging?

13

Activity1.1–WorldwidePatternsofVolcanoes

WhatWillWeDo?

Wewillidentifypatternsinthelocationofvolcanoesaroundtheworld.Procedure

1. YourteacherwillgiveyouaworldmapshowingdataaboutthelocationofvolcanoesonEarth.

2. First,lookforpatternsinwherevolcanoesarefound.

3. Then,lookforplacesinwhichnovolcanoesarefound.

4. Talkwithyourgroupaboutthepatternsyouseeandaboutdata(volcanolocations)thatdo

notseemtofitthepatterns.MakingSense

1. WhatpatternsdoyounoticeinareaswherevolcanoesarelocatedonEarth?

2. Whatideasdoyouhaveaboutwhytheremightbepatternsinthevolcanodata(where

volcanoeshaveerupted)?

14

Activity1.2–WorldwidePatternofEarthquakesWhatWillWeDo?Wewillidentifypatternsinthelocationofearthquakesaroundtheworld.PredictWheredoyouthinkearthquakesusuallyoccur?Procedure

1. Your teacher will give you a world map showing data about where earthquakes have occurred on Earth.

2. As you did with the volcanoes data, look for patterns in relation to where earthquakes

are found and not found.

3. Talk with your group about the patterns you observe and about data (earthquake locations) that do not seem to fit the patterns.

4. Answer Making Sense questions 1–3.

5. After you have examined volcano and earthquake data separately, compare the two

maps.

6. Talk with your group about the patterns you see in areas where volcanoes and earthquakes occur. Also discuss any data that do not seem to fit the patterns.

7. Answer questions 4–7.

15

MakingSense

1. How does your prediction compare with what you found when you looked at the earthquake data map?

2. What patterns do you notice in areas where earthquakes have occurred around the world?

3. Why do you think earthquakes appear in the places they do?

4. How do patterns in earthquake and volcano data compare?

5. What ideas do you have about why there are patterns in earthquake and volcano data?

6. What ideas do you have about why some earthquake and volcano data do not fit the patterns you observed?

7. The Driving Question for this unit is How Is the Earth Changing?

a. How do you think volcanoes and earthquakes relate to the earth changing?

b. What questions do you have about how the earth is changing?

16

Reading1.2–VolcanoesandEarthquakes

GettingReadyEven if you do not experience volcanoes or earthquakes where you live, you probably know something about them. When volcanoes erupt or earthquakes occur, you see reports in the news. This photograph shows the destruction that can happen. Homes, cars, and everything else people own can be destroyed, but you are learning that these events do not just change the buildings and roads people have built; they change the surface of the earth itself. The Driving Question for this unit is How Is the Earth Changing? It refers to the kinds of changes that affect the earth underneath everything you see in the photo. Under the pile of rubble and under the sidewalk, the earth changes when volcanoes erupt or earthquakes occur. To study these and other changes, you will talk not only about how the earth changes in ways you can see but also how the earth changes deep under oceans and deep under the land you see. This reading will help you think about predicting changes in the earth that will happen in the future. HowDoScientistsKnowWheretheEarthWillChange?Scientists have ideas about where earthquakes and volcanoes will occur—and will change the earth—based on data. In class, your data showed the past location of these events on maps. Different colored dots and triangles showed where volcanoes had erupted and earthquakes had occurred on the earth over several years. A map that shows volcanic activity shows where volcanoes have erupted. A map that shows seismic activity shows where earthquakes have occurred. For now, you do not need to study words like seismic, seismograph, or seismology. However, it is useful to know that when you hear or see the prefix seism-, you know that the word is related to earthquakes.

Earthquake Destruction in Pakistan

17

Earth science often uses maps and visualizations of data that can be placed on maps. Data— put on top of a map—can help you make predictions about phenomena. If you were trying to predict where volcanoes or earthquakes would occur, the maps you looked at in class would be helpful. In fact, maps are an important kind of model that scientists use to represent phenomena and to predict phenomena. Look at the maps you used in class. If you did not want to live where volcanoes or earthquakes could occur, where would you choose to live?

PredictingWhereandWhenEventsWillHappenScientists use maps like the ones you used in class to help them think about where earthquakes might occur. Meteorologists watch for changes in weather conditions to help them be more precise and to help them make predictions about what the weather will be like in the near future. The same is true with earthquakes. Scientists do not know exactly when an earthquake will occur. They use data to help them predict, but they cannot be very precise. For example, scientists know that earthquakes are more likely to occur in certain areas, and they are more likely to happen in places if it has been a long time since an earthquake occurred. They are less likely to occur in areas where an earthquake has happened more recently, and earthquakes are not very likely to happen in certain areas. You have already begun to think about locations of earthquakes and volcanoes by looking at patterns in class. How well do you think scientists can predict where a volcano will erupt? How well do you think scientists can predict when a volcano will erupt? Explain.

18

Do you think it is ever possible for an earthquake to occur or for a volcano to erupt in a place that is unexpected? Explain.

In this reading, you will learn some of the methods scientists use to help them make predictions. You do not need to know the names of these methods, but you should focus on the kind of information scientists use to make predictions.

Volcano Alert

Adapted from Karen Lurie

ScienCentral Archive, July 11, 2003

Volcanoes may seem exotic, but there are plenty of them in the United States. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 67 active or potentially active volcanoes are in the U.S. The best known is Mount St. Helens, which erupted in 1980. It sent a rolling column of hot ash and gas more than fifteen miles into the air. “[The blast] essentially killed every living thing within an area of 230 square miles,” saysC. Dan Miller, chief of the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program at the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory. “It destroyed hundreds of acres of an old growth forest. It was an incredibly spectacular event.”It changed the face of volcano forecasting. “Since the 1980 eruptions we have refined our hazard assessment techniques,” Miller says. “We much better understandhazardous volcanic events, like directed blasts and debris avalanches and how to lessen their damaging effects.” A volcano erupts when hot gas and magma—molten rock that flows into a volcano through the Earth’s crust—rise to the surface. If the volcano’s top is sealed, the gas and magma have nowhere to go. Pressure builds, and the volcano blows. Every volcano is different, so eruptions are hard to predict, but some volcanoes do give off telltale warnings,

19

and today there is technology to help detect them. “We have developed some very exciting new monitoring tools that allow us to do a much better job of forecasting the onset of explosive eruptive activity,” says Miller.

When a volcano is just about to erupt, there may be hundreds, possibly thousands, of small earthquakes, and they are detected by seismic activity. Samples of gases gathered on site reveal changes in volcanoes—for example, sulfur dioxide emissions increase during an eruption. Satellites and radar can detect even minute changes in the volcano’s shape, and a technique called interferometry can highlight shifts in elevation of the volcano over time. Researchers are also working on a technique called seismic tomography, which provides them with essentially an x-ray of the inside of a volcano. More than 20 years after Mount St. Helens erupted, scientists still cannot predict eruptions precisely, but they are better equipped to help determine when it is time to evacuate an area in a way that is safer for the scientists, too. “Our strategy now is to take out a bunch of monitor equipment, install these stations all over the volcano, and then go back to a safe place and watch these data come in, in real time,” says Miller.

“When one looks at these kinds of natural phenomena, [such as] volcanic eruption, you always think of the impact on human lives,” said Bernard Chouet, a seismologist at the USGS. “The ultimate quest is to understand enough about the activity in that volcano to be in a position to make a prediction, predict the occurrence of an eruption.”

What data do scientists use to determine when a volcano might erupt?

20

Activity1.3–Earthquakes,Volcanoes,andWorldElevationWhatWillWeDo?We will compare patterns in elevation with patterns of earthquakes andvolcanoes.PredictWhat do you think the earth looks like in areas with larger numbers of earthquakesand volcanoes? (Hint: Think about where you think the earth is higher and lower inrelationtowhereearthquakesandvolcanoesoccur.)

Procedure

1. Yourteacherwillgiveyouaworldmapshowingtheelevation(height)ofdifferentareasofEarth.Ingeneral,darkerareasarelowerelevation,andlighterareasarehigherelevation.

2. First,lookatthemapforpatternsinelevation.

a. Wheredoyouseeparticularlyhighorlowareasintheoceans?

b. Wheredoyouseeparticularlyhighorlowareasonthecontinents?

3. Talkwithyourgroupaboutyourobservations.

4. Next,comparetheelevationmapwiththevolcanoesandearthquakesmaps.Lookcarefullyatareaswithalotofvolcanicandearthquakeactivity.Whatistheelevationlikeinthoseareas?

5. Talkwithyourgroupaboutthepatternsthatyouobserve,aswellasexamplesthatdonotseemtofitthepatterns.

21

MakingSense

1. Whatpatternsdoyounoticeinelevationinareaswithhighvolcanicandearthquakeactivity?

2. Whatideasdoyouhaveaboutwhytherearethesepatterns?

3. Whydoyouthinktherearesuchlargeareaswithrelativelyfewvolcanoesandearthquakes?

Procedure

1. Yourteacherwillgiveyouonemoreworldmap.

2. Lookatallfourmapstogether.Conclusions

1. Whatcanyouconcludebasedonthepatternsyouobserveacrossallfourmaps?

2. Whathaveyouheardaboutplatetectonics?

3. WhatnewquestionsdoyouhaveabouttheDrivingQuestionbasedonthedatayouhavelookedatonthefourmaps?

22

Lesson2—HowDidtheEarthLookinthePast?Activity2.1(Part1A)–TheTheoryofContinentalDrift

Exploring Wegener’s Evidence WhatWillWeDo?WewillexamineevidencethatscientistsusetounderstandwhathashappenedonEarthinthepast.Describethemapoftheearthpostedinyourclassroom.(Pretendyouaredescribingittoapersonwhocannotseeit.)TheDrivingQuestionforthisunitisHowIstheEarthChanging?Howwouldyouanswerthisquestionnow?

Procedure

1. YourteacherwillgiveyouaninformationsheetaboutoneofWegener’sphenomena.

2. Eachgroupwillbeassignedonephenomenontoexaminecarefully.Yourgroupneedstobecomeexpertsaboutyourtypeofgeologicalphenomenon.

3. Whatphenomenonisyourgroupexamining?

4. Eachmemberofyourgroupshouldreadtheinformationsheetbeforediscussing.

23

MakingSense

Part1—PracticeAllTogetherAsClass

1. Whatdoesyourphenomenonshow?

2. Listthreemainideasfromyourinformationsheet.

3. Howmightscientistsusethisphenomenonasevidencetounderstandtheearth?

4. Whatdidscientistsconcludeaboutwhattheearthwaslikelongago?

5. Isthisinformationbyitselfenoughtounderstandtheearth’spast?Explain.

Part1—YourPhenomenon

1. Whatdoesyourphenomenonshow?

2. Listthreemainideasfromyourinformationsheet.

3. Howmightscientistsusethisphenomenonasevidencetounderstandtheearth?

4. Whatdidscientistsconcludeaboutwhattheearthwaslikelongago?

5. Isthisinformationbyitselfenoughtounderstandtheearth’spast?Explain.

6. WhatnewquestionsdoyouhaveabouttheDrivingQuestion:HowIstheEarthChanging?

24

Reading2.1–WhatIsContinentalDrift?GettingReadyIn class, you examined some of the phenomena that Alfred Wegener used as evidence to develop the theory of continental drift. Continental drift is the theory that the continents are moving around on the Earth’s surface, both in the past and currently. Before you started this unit, maybe you also thought that the continents have always been where they are now. What are some things that make the theory of continental drift difficult to accept?

HowDidtheTheoryofContinentalDriftStart?The following reading is adapted from the United States Geological Survey article, “Historical Perspective.”

In 1596, a mapmaker named Abraham Ortelius suggested that the continents have not always been where they are now. He suggested that the Americas were “torn away from Europe and Africa . . . by Earthquakes and floods.” In 1912, his ideas about the continents moving began to be seriously considered as a scientific theory called continental drift. People paid a lot of attention to these ideas when a German meteorologist named Alfred Wegener introduced them in two articles that he wrote and other scientists read. Wegener wrote that around 200 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangaea began to split apart. Alexander Du Toit, a geology professor, proposed that Pangaea first broke into two large continental landmasses.

The continental landmasses continued to break apart into the smaller continents that exist today. Wegener based his ideas on what appeared to him to be the fit of the South American and African continents, as Ortelius also described. Wegener was also intrigued by the discovery of unusual geologic structures and of plant and animal fossils on the coastlines of South America and Africa, which are now widely separated by the Atlantic Ocean.

He reasoned that it was physically impossible for most of these organisms to have swum or have been carried across such vast water. To him, the presence of identical fossil species along the coastal parts of Africa and South America was the most convincing evidence that the two continents were once joined.

25

changes on some continents. For example, the discovery of fossils of tropical plants in Antarctica led to the conclusion that the frozen land of Antarctica must once have been closer to the equator, where the climate would allow lush, swampy vegetation to grow. Other mismatches of geology and climate included distinctive fossil ferns (green plants) discovered in areas that are now polar regions. Also, glacial deposits were discovered in what are now arid (dry) parts of South Africa.

The theory of continental drift ignited a new way of viewing the earth, but at the time that Wegener introduced the theory, most scientists firmly believed that the continents and oceans were permanent features on the earth’s surface. Many, many scientists did not like his ideas, even though his theory seemed to agree with the scientific evidence available at the time. One big weakness in the theory of continental drift was that it could not answer the most basic and important question raised by people who criticized Wegener: What kind of forces could be strong enough to move such large masses of solid rock over such great distances? Wegener suggested that the continents simply plowed through the ocean floor. Harold Jeffreys, a geophysicist, argued correctly that it was physically impossible for a large mass of solid rock to plow through the ocean floor without breaking apart.

Wegener devoted the rest of his life to pursuing additional evidence to defend his theory. He froze to death in 1930 during an expedition crossing the Greenland ice cap, but the controversy continued. After he died, new evidence from ocean floor exploration and other studies interested scientists in the theory once again. The ideas Wegener wrote about led to scientists developing the theory of plate tectonics.

As you read, see how your ideas compare with those of people who first heard the theory. Why was the scientific community dissatisfied with the theory of continental drift?

26

Activity2.1(Part1B)–TheTheoryofContinentalDriftPhenomenonPresentationsWhatWillWeDo?Wewillshareinformationwiththerestoftheclassaboutourphenomenon,soeveryonecanbegintounderstandhowscientistshavepiecedtogetherEarth’sdistantpast.Procedure

1. Yourgroupistheexpertonyourphenomena.Mostoftheothergroupshaveprobablynotreadtheinformationthatyourgroupstudied.Withtheclass,preparetosharethreeideasaboutwhatyouread.

a. Explainthephenomenontosomeonewhoisnotreadingthearticleyouare

reading.

b. Whatarethethreemostimportantthingstothinkaboutbasedonwhatyouread?

c. Howdoesthisphenomenonhelpyouunderstandwhattheearthwaslikeinthepastandhowithaschangedovertime?

2. Youshouldalreadyhaveanswerstothesequestionsonyouractivitysheet.Planhow

yourgroupwillmakeitspresentation.Figureouthowyouwilluseyourmaptohelpillustrateyourphenomenon.

3. Withyourgroup,preparetosharethreeideas.

27

Group

Explainthephenomenon

Howdoesithelpmeunderstandtheearthinthedistantpast?

AnimalFossils

PlantFossils

GlacialEvidence

FitofContinents

RockSequences

ClimateChangesinAntarctica

28

MakingSense

1. Whenyouconsiderallsixtypesofphenomena,whichpieceofinformationseemsmostconvincingtosupportthetheoryofcontinentaldrift?

2. Whatquestionsdoyouhaveaboutthetheoryofcontinentaldrift?

29

Activity2.1(Part2)–TheTheoryofContinentalDrift

Building Pangaea WhatWillWeDo?WewillusescientificevidencetoconsiderwhatEarthmighthavelookedlikeinthepastandconstructamodelofPangaea.Procedure

1. Youhavetwoworldmapswiththecontinentsshownindifferentcolors.WritePresentonthetopofoneofthemaps.ThismaprepresentswhatEarthlooksliketoday.Donotdoanythingelsetothismap.

2. Usescissorstocuttheothermapapartaccordingtotheroughshapesof

thecontinents.

3. Fitthecontinentstogether(likeapuzzle)basedontheirshapesandonotherevidencethatWegenerusedtodevelophistheory.

4. Whenyouarefinished,glueortapethecontinentsinplaceonasheetofpaper

labeledPast.Thisrepresentsyourpredictionabouthowtheworldmayhavelooked250millionyearsago.

5. Onceyourmapiscomplete,answerthefollowingquestions.

30

MakingSense

1. Lookatallthewaysthepastandthepresentmapsaredifferent.Whatcausedthesechanges?Listasmanypossibilitiesasyoucan.

2. Isthetheoryofcontinentaldriftareasonableexplanationthatcontinentsmoveoverthesurfaceoftheearth?Why?

3. SuggestanotherwaythatyouthinkcontinentscouldhavechangedpositionoverEarth’shistory.

31

Present

32

Questions:1. Describeatleast3piecesofevidencetosupportthemoves.

2. Whatmoveswerefairlystraightforwardandwhy?

3. Whatdecisionsweremorechallengingandwhy?

33

34

Activity2.2–TheExplorationoftheOceanFloorWhatWillWeDo?WewillanalyzeadditionaldatainvolvingtheoceanflooranddeterminehowthisevidencefitintoWegener’stheoryofcontinentaldrift.Procedure

1. Yourteacherwillshowimagesthatmatchthepicturesinthetable.

2. Asyouvieweachslide,describeyourobservationsintheNotescolumn.MakingSense

1. Afterlookingatthisnewdata,whatdidscientistsconcludeabouthowcontinentsappearedtobemovingonthesurfaceoftheearth?

2. Explainoceanfloorspreadingandhowthisprocessisrelatedtothemid-oceanridge.

35

Evidence Notes

Mountain Range in the Ocean

Trenches on the Ocean Floor

Age of the Ocean Floor

36

37

Lesson3--WhatIstheCompositionoftheEarth’sSurface?Activity3.1–ThetheoryofplatetectonicsWhatWillWeDo?WewillcreatemodelstorepresentEarth’splates.BackgroundInformation

1. Whatdoyouknoworwhathaveyouheardaboutplatetectonics?

2. Whatdatatakenfromtheoceanfloorleadtothetheoryofplatetectonics?

3. HowcanWegener’sphenomenaanddatahelpyouanswertheDrivingQuestion:HowIstheEarthChanging?

4. Whatdoweknowsofaraboutplatesthatwouldbeimportanttoincludeinconstructingamodeltoexplainwhattheyare?

38

ProcedureYouwillbebuildingseveralmodelsofEarth’splates.Youwillalsotalkabouttheadvantagesandlimitationsofeachmodel.

1. Yourteacherwillgiveyoucardswithinstructionsforcreatingyourmodeloftheearth’splates.

2. Followyourteacher’sdirectionsforobtainingthematerialsyouwillneed.

3. Constructyourmodel.Whenyoucompleteyourfirstmodel,yourteachermaygiveyou

acardwithanothersetofinstructions.Inthespacebelowsketchyourmodelandlabelimportantfeatures.

39

Lesson3:StrengthsandLimitationsofEarth’sPlatesModels

StrengthsofModel LimitationsofModel

Paperonclay

Crackeronclay

Pencilonclay

Lentilsonclay

Crackerandpaperonclay

Hardboiledegg

40

MakingSense

1. WhataretheimportantfeaturesofamodelofEarth’splates?(Note:Wearenotfocusingoncontinentsherebutratherplates.)

After all groups have shared their models, answer the following questions:

2. Which model do you think was the best model of Earth’s plates? Why is this a good model?

3. What are the two advantages of this model?

4. What are the two limitations of this model?

41

Lesson4—Whatmakestheplatesmove?

Activity4.1—ConvectionsinLiquids

WhatWillWeDo?Wewillsimulatethereasonthatplatesmoveontheearth’ssurface.Predictions

1. TheDrivingQuestionforthisunitisHowIstheEarthChanging?Howwouldyouanswerthisquestionatthispoint?

2. WhydoyouthinkEarth’splatesmoveonthesurface?RedandBlueWaterDemonstration(Demo#1)

ProcedureYourteacherwillconductademonstration.Observeclosely,andanswerthequestionsthatfollow.

MakingSense1. Recordyourobservationsofthefirstredandbluewaterfromthedemonstration.

Inthefollowingspace,drawadiagramofthesetupforthisdemonstration.Youmaydrawonthediagramandalsousewordstodescribeyourobservations.

2. Explainwhathappenedwiththehotandcoldwater.

3. Whatdidthetanklooklikeafter10minutes?

42

ConvectionwithaDropofFoodColoringDemonstration(DemoorLab#2)ProcedureYour teacher will conduct a second demonstration. Observe closely, and answer the questions that follow.

MakingSense

1. Recordyourobservationsaboutthewateranddropsoffoodcoloringdemonstration.

2. Whydoyouthinkthishappened?

3. Relatethisactivitytothefirstdemonstrationwiththeredandbluewater.

4. Recordyourobservationsaboutthecardboardinthewater.

5. Whydoyouthinkthishappened?

6. Whatdoyouthinkthecardboardandwaterrepresentinthisdemonstration?

43

Activity4.2-SillyPutty®RocksWhatWillWeDo?WewilluseSillyPutty®tosimulatetheformationofmetamorphicrocksinordertodrawconclusionsaboutthenatureofrockinEarth’smantle.PriorKnowledgeaboutMetamorphicRocksRecordeverythingyouknowaboutmetamorphicrocks.

Procedure

1. Youwillbegiventwodifferentmetamorphicrocks.Drawasketchofeachrocksample.(Ignoretheshapeandtextureoftherockandfocusonthebandingpatterns.)Next,writeahypothesisabouthowyouthinkeachonemayhaveformed.

RockSample# SketchofSample HypothesisabouthowformedSample#1(Flat)

Sample#2(Globby)

44

2. ObtainSillyPutty®,andplayaroundwiththismaterial.Doyouthinkitismorelikeasolidoraliquid?Why?

3. StretchtheSillyPutty®slowly.Describeitsbehavior.

4. Now,stretchtheSillyPutty®quickly.Describewhathappens.

5. Next,youwilldesignanexperiment.Thegoalofyourexperimentistodeterminethefollowing:HowdoestemperatureaffectthebehaviorofSillyPutty®?

6. Workingroupsoftwoorthree.EachpairwillhaveaballofSillyPutty®.

7. Determinehowyouwilldesignyourexperiment(besureyoucontrolforvariablesasyouhavelearnedpreviously),andrecordyourideasinthefollowingtable.Conditionsmaybehotandcold,forexample.

Conditions Hot LessHot

Howwillyouachievethesetwoconditions?(Howwillyoumakea“hot”environment?a“lesshot”environment?)

What variables will youneed to control? (Line?Size of putty? Shape ofputty?)

Predictions—What doyouexpectwillhappentoyourSillyPutty’s® form?

45

8. Carryoutyourdesignedexperiment.Thismaytakemorethanoneclassperiodorday.

9. Constructadatatabletorecordyourfindings(data/diagrams/measurementsyoucollect)inthefollowingspace.

MakingSense

1. HowdoyouthinkSillyPutty®mightbeusedasamodelformetamorphicrocks?

2. Whatdoesthissimulationsuggestaboutwhathappenstometamorphicrockasitisformed?

3. Whatdoesthisactivityhelpyoutounderstandabouttheearth’smantleandconvection?

4. Makeaclaimandprovideevidenceforthefollowingquestion:Howdoestemperatureaffectthebehavioroftheputty?

46

Reading4.2–FormationofMetamorphicRocks

GettingReadyPreviously, you learned about different types of rocks, including metamorphic rocks. What do you already know about how rocks are formed?

As you put together what you have learned in the past, what you did in class today, and this reading, you will know a lot about metamorphic rocks and changes in the earth.

MetamorphicRocksMetamorphic rocks are formed from other previously formed rocks. In other words, a metamorphic rock is a rock that has been changed. The most common ways that rocks are changed is through pressure and heat. In class, you designed an experiment to determine how temperature affects the behavior of Silly Putty®. In this activity, the Silly Putty® was supposed to represent rock material that makes up the mantle of the earth (immediately beneath the surface). This is very similar to how rocks deform in the earth. Real rocks need much higher temperatures to deform than your Silly Putty® rock required. At places where Earth’s plates meet, and deep places within the Earth’s rock layers, the conditions are very hot. Where do you think the heat comes from?

47

Metamorphic rocks can be identified because they have been compressed, squished, folded, and deformed. It is easy to see that this metamorphic rock, called gneiss, has been intensely folded. It had to have been under very high temperatures to allow it to fold like this without breaking. Even though rocks can get very hot, they do not always melt. If a rock melts, it becomes magma. That rock can then crystallize, harden, and become an igneous rock, which you learned about previously. HowAreMetamorphicRocksRelatedtoPlateTectonics?How does all of this relate to plate tectonics and the demonstrations of convection from class? In class, you did an activity with hot water and cardboard. The cardboard pieces were similar to Earth’s plates. You saw that they moved horizontally on the water when the water was heated. On the earth, the plates ride on the surface of the earth on top of very hot rock material of the mantle. This rock material is solid, but nonetheless it can flow very slowly. The rock beneath the earth’s plates is solid, but it is very hot. This makes the rock a bit like Silly Putty®. This hot rock is able to move and deform (like your Silly Putty®), but it happens very slowly over many, many years. The result is that the slabs of rock at the surface (plates) ride on this slowly moving layer of hot, solid rock material. Explain why plates move around on Earth’s surface. (Use the diagram to help you.)

SummaryTablePlateInteractions(startfillingoutinLesson5)

Plate

DirectionandType

ScientificNameofResult

ResultingFeatures(EQ,Volcano,Trench)

WhereintheWorld?

!"

!"

!"

"!

"!

Key:

49

Lesson5—Howdoplatesinteractwitheachother?Activity5.1–Whathappenswhenplatesmove?WhatWillWeDo?WewilldeterminehowthepatternsofearthquakesandvolcanoesonEartharerelatedtoEarth’splates.PriorKnowledge

1. Whatdoyoualreadyknowaboutearthquakes?

2. Whatdoyoualreadyknowaboutvolcanoes?

The following map shows the earthquakes (yellow dots) and volcanoes (red dots) plotted on Earth. Use this map to answer the questions that follow. Use a color version of this map as directed by your teacher if possible.

50

3. Whatkindofpatterndoyouobserveonthismap?

4. Howmightgeologiceventsandfeatures(suchasearthquakesandvolcanoes)berelatedtoplatetectonics?Useanyknowledgeyouhavegained.

Procedure

1. Obtainasheetofgrahamcrackersand(1)cubeofgelatin.

2. Breakyoursheetofgrahamcrackersinhalf.

3. Placeyourcubeofgelatinontopofoneofyoursquaresofgrahamcrackers.

4. Placethetwosquaresofgrahamcrackersnexttoeachother.Thegrahamcrackersshouldbetouching.

5. Slowlyandgently,slidethecrackerspastoneanotherwhilekeepingthegraham

crackerstouching.

a. Recordyourobservationsaboutthegrahamcrackers.

b. Recordyourobservationsaboutthegelatin.MakingSense

1. Whateventdidyoujustsimulate?Whydoyouthinkthis?

2. Whatdothegrahamcrackersandgelatinrepresent?

51

3. Whatarethesimilaritiesofthissimulationtotherealworld?Whatarethedifferences?VolcanoSimulation

Youwillwatchashortvideoclipseveraltimes.Watchcloselyandlistsomeofyourobservationsasyouwatch.MakingSense

1. Whathappenswhentwoplatesmovetowardeachother?Whydoyouthinkthishappens?

2. Whathappenswhentwoplatesmoveawayfromeachother?

3. Whydoyouthinkthishappens?

4. Whathappenswhentwoplatesmovealongsideeachother?Whydoyouthinkthishappens?(Hint:Thinkaboutthegrahamcrackerandgelatinactivity.)

52

Reading5.1–RingofFire

GettingReadyAtthebeginningof thisunit,you lookedatamapofvolcanicactivityonEarth.Oneofthepatternsyounoticedisthatvolcanoesareoftenfoundinaline.Whydoyouthinkvolcanoesarefoundinaline?

WhatIstheRingofFire?What shape does the earthquake and volcano pattern look like to you? Youmight say itlookslikeanupside-downletterU.Maybeitlookslikeahorseshoetoyou.Scientistssayitisring-shaped.ScientistscallthispatterntheRingofFire.TheRingofFireisthelinereachingfromAustralia,alongthecoastofAsiaanddownthewesterncoastoftheAmericas,wherethere aremany volcanoes and earthquakes. There aremanymore earthquakes here thanin other areas not along the Ring of Fire. As you may have guessed, this Ring is a plateboundary.Itiswheremanypiecesoftheearth’scrustmeetandrubagainsteachother.Thebluelinesrepresentoceanictrenches.ThethickredareaidentifiesthegeneralshapeoftheRingofFire,centeredonthemajorPacificplate.

Youcanseethatthepatternofvolcanoesandearthquakesmatchestheplateboundarylinethat circles thePacificOcean. It is called theRingof Firebecausewhenvolcanoeserupt itlooksliketheyareonfire.

The Ring of Fire is just one example of this phenomenon of earthquakes and volcanoesoccurringinsimilarlocationsonEarth.Mostplateboundariesaroundtheworldhavesimilarpatterns of geologic phenomena because these features and events occur at most plateboundaries.

HowDidScientistsFigureOutWheretheFaultLinesAre?Scientistscanusetwomethodstofigureoutwherefault linesare located.Afaultcanbeaplateboundary,suchastheonefoundbetweentwoplatesthatrubalongsideoneanother,resultinginearthquakes.Onemethodistosimplylookatthepatternofearthquakes(justasyoudidinclass).Thiswillshowwherethefaultsarelocatedbecausefaultsandearthquakesoftencoincideandare found in the sameplaces.A secondmethod to find fault lines is towalkaroundoutsidewithamap,compass,andothergeologicaltools.Geologistsknowhowtospotafaultandareabletofindthemwiththeireyesastheywalkthrougharegion.Findingafault requires that the geologist know what signs to look for. These scientists have beentrainedtobeabletoidentifyfaults,andonceoneisfound,itcanbeplottedonamap,justlikeyouplotdataonamap.

53

MakingSense

1. Whyisthereanearthquakeandvolcanopattern?

2. KnowingthatvolcanoesarefoundaroundtheRingofFire,whatdoesthistellyouabouthowplatesaremovingatthoselocations?

3. WhatotherfeatureswouldyouexpecttofindneartheRingofFire,givenwhatyouhavelearnedinActivity2.2(thinkbacktothevideoclipsyouwatchedinclass)?

54

Activity5.2–TwotypesofrockscompriseplatesWhatWillWeDo?Wewillinvestigatewhathappensatdifferentplateboundariesandwhy.Observations

1. Whatdidyouobservewhenyourteachermovedthetowelplatestowardeachother?Sketch.

2. Comparethissimulationtotheformationofmountains.

3. Whenplatesmovetowardeachother,whydoyouthinkoneplatesometimesslidesunderneaththeother,whilesometimestheydonotmoveinthisway?Refertodensityinyourexplanation.Inadditiontoawrittenexplanation,sketchandlabelthewhiteboardandtowel.

DensityCalculations

Measurement Towel WhiteBoard(orotheritem)Mass(g)

Volume(cm3)findbylxwxh

Density(g/cm3)Mass/Volume

55

ProcedureThefollowingimagesaretwocrosssectionsshowingwhathappenswhentwoplatesmovetowardeachother.Dependingonthetypeofplates(oceanfloorrockorcontinentalrock),differentfeaturesareformed.Usingthewordbankcolumn,labeleachdiagram.

CrossSectionsofConvergentPlateBoundaries WordBank

PlateBoundary:_________________________

ocean

volcano

ocean floor plate

continental plate

magma

very hot rock

dense rock

less dense rock

(draw arrows showing direction of movement)

PlateBoundary:_________________________

continental collision

continent mountain range

crumpling

very hot rock

less dense rock

(draw arrows showing direction of movement)

56

MakingSense

1. Explainwhyoceanfloorplatessubductbeneathcontinentalplates.

2. At this point, how would you answer the Driving Question: How Is the Earth Changing?

57

Lesson6—WhatCausesVolcanoes?Activity6.1—VolcanoFormationWhatWillWeDo?WewillsimulateavolcaniceruptiontodeterminehowEarthischanging.BrainstormingUsetheVennDiagramtodeterminewhichcharacteristicsaresharedbetweenvolcanoesandmountains.

SafetyYou will be working with hot material and flames. Do not touch the setup. Wear safety goggles at all times because glass can shatter when it is heated.

58

Procedure

1. Onememberofyourgroupshouldgetabeakerwithwax,sand,andwateralreadysetup.Youwillalsoneedaringstandandaflamesourceprovidedbyyourteacher.

2. Setupyourmaterialsasyourteacherdemonstrated.Placethebeakeronthering

stand,withtheheatsourcebelowthebeaker.

3. Drawasimplediagramonthenextpage,labelingthepartsofyoursetupandrecordyourbeforeobservationsbelow.

4. Askyourteachertocheckyoursetup.Onceyoursetupisapproved,yourteacherwill

lightyourflamesourceforyou.

5. Atthispoint,youwillbeobservingyourbeakerforupto10minutes.Donottouchanypartofthesetup.Itwillburnyou!Youmustwearsafetygoggles.

6. Recordyour“during”observationsinthetablebelowanddrawyourafterdiagramon

thenextpage.

7. Oncethematerialsinyourbeakerhavestoppedmoving,yourteacherwillremoveyourheatsource.

Yourmaterialsarestillhot.Donottouchthesetup.

8. Answerthefollow-upquestions.Besuretolabelyourdrawing.Observations

Wax Sand Water

Before

During

After

59

1. Describe what happens in the beaker as it is heated.

2. Draw a diagram that shows what your beaker looked like at the beginning and the end end of the activity. Label your diagram so that another student could understand what it is showing.

DiagramofBeakerBEFOREActivity

DiagramofBeakerAFTERActivity

1. Whatdoesthewaxrepresentinyourmodel?

2. Whatkindoffeature(s)didyoucreateinthismodel?

3. Explainhowthehotwaxmovedinthebeaker.

60

MakingSense

1. Why did the wax move this way? (Hint: Think about what happens to materials as they heat up.)

2. How is this model different from an actual volcano?

3. How does this activity help you answer the Driving Question: How Is the Earth Changing?

61

Activity6.2–HotspotFormation

WhatWillWeDo?Wewillsimulatetheformationofahotspotvolcano.

Inpreviouslessons,youlearnedthatvolcanoesformatplateboundaries,butthechainofHawaiianvolcanoesareinthemiddleofthePacificplate.Howdoyouthinkthehotspotyourteacherdescribedmighthavebeeninvolvedintheirformation?

Procedure

1. Workinginpairs,haveonepartnerholdapencilpointuponthedesk.Theothershouldholdthepaperflatacoupleofinchesoverthepoint.

2. Movethepaperslowlysideways.Asitmoves,bringthepencilpointupuntilitpokesthroughthepaper,andthenbringitdownagain.Repeatthisprocessseveraltimesasthepapercontinuestomove.

MakingSense

1. Inwhatwaysdidthisactivityshowimportantideasabouthowhotspotsformislandchains?Fillinstrengthsinthetablebelow.

2. Whatimportantideasdidthisactivitynotshowaswell?Fillinlimitationsinthetablebelow.

Strengths Limitations

3. Howwouldyoudesignasimulationthatwouldshowtheseideasmoreeffectively?

4. LookatamapthatshowsHawaii,andnotethepatternofvolcanoesthatmakeuptheseislands.Describetheirpattern.

62

Reading6.2–IsaHotspotLurkingbeneaththeContinentalUnitedStates?

GettingReadyToday,youlearnedabouthotspots.TherearenotmanylocationsonEarthwherehotspotshavebeenfound.Usingwhatyouhavelearnedthisfar,doyouthinkitislikelythatamajorvolcaniceruptionwilloccuronthemainlandoftheUnitedStates?Explainyourideas.

YellowstoneNationalParkYellowstone National Park, the first national park in the United States, is located in thenorthwestcornerofWyoming.Itishometoafascinatingarrayofgeologicwonders:geysersthatshootsteamandwaterhighintotheair,brightlycoloredpoolsofwater,andpondsofmud that bubble continuously. Each of these aspects of Yellowstone points to somethingbeneaththesurface,somethinghot,somethingthatcannotbeseen,butweknowitistherebecauseofwhatitcausesonEarth—theYellowstoneHotspot.Inclasstoday,yousimulatedatypeofvolcaniceruptioninabeakerusingredwax,sand,andwater.Whatledtotheeruptioninyourbeaker?

Theeruptionoccurredbecauseofheatingfrombelow.Youcouldseethatyourbeakerwasbeingheatedbecauseitwasnothidden.However,intheearthitisanentirelydifferentstory.Thecoreoftheearth(thecenter)isveryhot.Itissohotthatsomeareasofthecorearecomposedofliquidmetal.Youhavelearnedthatthermalenergycanbetransferredfromonematerialtoanother.Thishappenscontinuouslyintheearthasenergyistransferredfromthecoretotheotherlayersdeepwithintheearth.Eventually,thatheatistransferredallthewayouttowardthemoreshallowpartsoftheearththatareclosertothesurfacewherehumansliveandbreathe.Sometimes,thermalenergy isnottransferredequally inallplaces.Scientistsdonotreallyunderstandwhythishappensyet,butwhenthisoccurs,hotspotsform.Theseareplacesintheearth’smantlethataremuchhotterthantheirsurroundings.Thesehotspotstendtostayinoneplace.Inotherwords,theyremainfixedatonelocationintheinterioroftheearth.YouknowthatnoteverythingonEarthisfixed.Youhavebeenstudyinghowplatescanslidearoundonthesurfaceoftheearthasrigidslabsofrock.Thishappensveryslowly,asplateshavebeenfoundtomoveonlyafewincheseachyear.Thepresenceofahotspotcanbe

63

determinedbycollectingevidence.Volcanoes,ofteninalinearpatternorinrows,providevisibleevidenceofhotspots.Thesevolcanoesdiffer inage fromold toyoung,asaplatemovesover the stationaryhotspot. This leads tovolcaniceruptionsand the formationofmountains.YouobservedthefamousHawaiianIslandsontheDrivingQuestionBoardinclassandnoticedthechainofislands.Thebiggestislandiscurrentlyvolcanicallyactive,whichisevidencethatthehotspotislocateddirectlybelowthisisland.What ishappeningon themainlandU.S.?Scientistshave found interestingevidence thatpoints to the presence of a hotspot under the Yellowstone area.When volcanoes erupt,theyspewout largequantitiesofmoltenrockandash,whichsettleonthesurfaceof theearthandcanevencover the land.Evidencesuggests that thishotspothasbeenaroundforapproximately17millionyearsandisresponsibleforburyingmanystates(Washington,Oregon,California,Nevada,andIdaho)withhugevolumesoflava.As the North American plate has moved throughout Earth’s history, evidence has beenaccumulatinginthenorthwest.Acalderaisavolcanicfeaturethatisformedwhenavolcanocollapses,leavingacraterordepressionintheearth’ssurface.Astringofcalderashasbeenfound ina line,pointing straight toYellowstoneNationalPark. Theagesof the lava rockfoundateachcalderatellsgeologistswhenthosecalderasformed.Thefarthestcalderaistheoldest,andtheyoungestistheoneclosesttothepark.ThereissomuchactivityunderthisareaoftheUnitedStates,thattheentireregionisraisedslightly,formingaplateau.Whatdoesthisevidencemean?Thegeologicfeaturesrelatedtoheat(geysers,hydrothermalpools,andvolcanicrock)suggestthatthehotspotresponsibleforallofthisiscurrentlysittingunderneathYellowstoneNationalPark,eventhoughthereisnoapparentevidenceofvolcaniceruptionsatthesurface,justgeothermalphenomena—fornow.AstheNorthAmericanplatehasslowlyglidedoverthishotspot,ithasleftevidencealongitspath.Eventually,thishotspotwilleruptagain, andwhen itdoes, itwill beaccompaniedbymuch rumblingandunrestwithintheearthintheformofearthquakesandvolcanoes.Largevolumesoflavawillpouroutoftheearth,andgasesandashwillbereleasedintotheatmosphere.ThisislikelythegreatestgeologicthreattotheentireUnitedStates,yetwecannotevenseewhatiscausingit.Thehotspotremainshiddenbeneaththeplate.HowwouldavolcaniceruptiononthemainlandoftheU.S.affectyourdailylife?

64

Lesson7—Howareplatesmoving?Activity7.1—DeterminingplatemovementWhatWillWeDo?Wewillusefeaturesaroundtheearthtodiscussandinferthedirectionofplatemovement.

PlaceintheWorld

Platesanddirectionofmovement.Usearrowsordirectionstoshowa

claimaboutmovement.

Evidence—whatfeatures?(EQ,volcanoes,trenches,islands)

Provideevidenceforyourclaim.

65

66

Lesson8—Howdoesnewplatematerialform?

Activity8.1—Howdoestheearthrecyclerockmaterial?

WhatWillWeDo?WewillwriteascientificexplanationabouthowEarth’smaterialisrecycled.

ConservationofMatter—Foreachplateboundarytypebelowanalyzewhetherplatematerialisbeing“destructed”thoughmeltingor“constructed”throughplateformation.

A.CollideSubduction B.CollideCrumple

C.MoveApartDivergent D.SlideAlongTransform

67

ScientificExplanationExplaintheoriginofplatematerial(includingtheoceanfloorandcontinents).Besuretosupportyourclaimwithevidencefromthisunit,yourpriorknowledge,andreasoning.

68

Reading8.1–RecyclingforEarthandCyclingwithinEarthWhatdoestheprincipleofconservationofmattersay?HowisthisrelatedtoEarth’splates?

WhyDoPeopleRecycle?RecyclingisimportantandhasbecomeincreasinglypopularintheUnitedStates.Humansproducelargeamountsoftrash,mostofwhichendsupinlandfills.Thisisaproblem,notonlyforthehealthofpeople,butalsoforthehealthoftheearthandtheenvironment.Whenyouwereyoung,youmayhavelearnedaboutrecyclinginschoolorbecauseyourfamilyrecyclesathome.Recycling is thepracticeof reusingmaterial for anotherpurpose.Manypeoplerecyclenewspaper,mail,andotherpaper,plasticcontainers,cardboard,bottles,andcans.Byrecycling,humansreducetheamountofmaterialthatendsupburiedinlandfills.Forexample,ifyouweretodrinkacanofsodaandthrowthecanaway,itwouldendupgoingtoatrashcenter,beingcompressedintoasmallervolume,andtheneventuallybeingburiedintheearth.Instead,afterdrinkingthecanofsoda,imagineifyouweretoputthealuminumcaninarecyclingbin.Thecanwouldthengotoarecyclingcenterwhereitmightbemelteddown,andthemetalwouldbeusedagaintoformanothersodacan.Byrecyclingasinglecan,youhave(1)keptthecanoutofthelandfill,and(2)allowedthecantoberecycledtoformanewproductthatcanthenbeusedandthenrecycledagain.PeoplerecyclewhentheyrecognizethattheEarthhaslimitednaturalresources.Itemsthatarethrownawaycanneverbeusedagain,butrecyclingallowsnaturalresourcestobeusedoverandover.ItisimportanttonotethatwhenmaterialistakenfromtheEarthandused(asinthecaseofthealuminumsodacan),ifplacedintoalandfill,itcanstillbearesourceonEarth.However,initscurrentform,itisnotveryuseful.Thematerialsbecomelessaccessibleinlandfills.If,instead,materialsarerecycled,theyaremoreeasilyaccessibleandlessexpensivetoobtain.Thisisanalogoustotherockcycle—ifonestepinthecycleischanged(forexample,theeartheventuallycoolsdownandlessrockisbeingmelted),thiswillhaveaneffectontherestofthecycle(lessvolcanismwouldoccur,meaningnewrockmaterialwouldnotbeformed).HowDoestheEarthCycle?CyclinghasbeenoccurringforaslongasEarth’splateshavebeensubducting.Platesfloatontopofanalmostentirelysolidlayerofrock.Insomeplaces,theplatesmovetowardeachother. This is called convergence and can occur at a subduction boundary. Other times,magmafromthemantlerisesuptoforceaspacetoformintheplate.Thiscanresultintheplatebreakingapart,withthesidesmovingawayfromeachother.Thisisknownasoceanfloorspreading,whichyoulearnedaboutinLesson1.Youknowthatmagmacomesfromtheearth’sinterior.Magmaalsoeruptsfromvolcanoes.Doestheearthhaveanunlimitedsupplyofmagma?

69

Theearth is actually cycling itsplatematerial andmakingmoremagma.Whenanoceanicplate subducts (slides underneath another plate), rock material melts and rises upward.Accordingtotheprincipleofconservationofmatter,magma,plates,andallmatteronandwithintheearthcannotbecreatednordestroyed.Therefore,whileitseemsthatnewoceanfloorisforming,itisactuallyexistingrockmaterialbeneaththesurfacethatwasmeltedandrecrystallized to form new ocean floor plate material. At subduction zones, existing rockmaterialmovesdeeper into theearth.Rockmaterial from the interiormeltsandmayoneday formpartof theocean floor at adivergentboundary.Due to Earthprocesses suchasconvectionanddifferencesindensity,theearthcyclesitsrockmaterial.Therockmaterialcantakeondifferentformsandbefoundindifferentlocations.HowElseIstheEarthCycling?Wateralsomovesthroughacycle, inwhichtheformofwatercanchangebetweenthreephases:solid, liquid,andgas.Thechangingenvironmentalconditions (temperaturesrisingandfalling)arewhatmovesthewaterthroughthiscycle.Forexample,asnowstormbringslargeamountsofwaterinthesolidphase(snowandice)tothesurfaceoftheearthoutoftheatmosphere.Ifthesnowmeltsaweeklaterduetoanincreaseinairtemperature,thesolidwaterbecomesliquidwater.Ifthatwatercollectsinalakeorsitsonthesurfaceoftheearth inadifferentreservoir,itcanevaporateandbecomeagasorsoakintothegroundtobecomegroundwater.ThesearesomeofthewaysthattheEarthcyclesitsmaterials,includingplates(madeofrock)andwater.Explainyourideasaboutwhyhumansneedtorecycle.

ExplainplatetectonicsasonewaythattheEarthcycles

70

71

Lesson9SummaryChart Convergent

SubductionConvergentCollision

Transform Divergent

Volcanoes

Earthquakes

Trenches

DirectionofMovement

TypeofPlateMaterial(OceanicorContinental)

Mountains

Islands

ThinorThickPlates

DiversityofRocks

NewOceanFloor

72

Lesson9—WhatdoweknowaboutPlateTectonics?

Activity9.1—Creatingalistofimportantideasandannotatingacrosssectionoftheearth.WhatWillWeDo?

Wewillusewhatwehavelearnedtocreateaclearandorganizeddescriptionofthetheoryofplatetectonics.Brainstorming

Ineachofthefollowingclouds,writeoneconcept,oneprinciple,onefeature,oroneideathatyouhavelearnedinthisunit.

73 73

ProcedureUse yourword bank to help you label this cross section of Earthwith asmuch detail aspossible.Lookatthecolorimageifpossible.

Previously,youlearnedaboutconvectioningasesandliquids.Inthisunit,youhavelearnedhowconvectionandthemovementofEarth’splatesareconnected.Howisthisunitrelatedtotherockcycle?

74

Reading9.1–HowWellDoScientistsUnderstandPlateTectonics?

GettingReadyYouhave learned that Earth’s platesmoveon the surface of the earth, as they glide on asoftened layer of hotmantle rock.Many scientists agree that this slowmovement of themantlerockisresponsibleforthemovementofplates.In1968,J.TuzoWilsondeclared,“TheEarth,insteadofappearingasaninertstatue,isaliving,mobilething.”Notonlydotheouterandvisiblepartsoftheearthmove,buttheinterioroftheearthalsomoves.WhatevidencehaveyougatheredinthisunitthattheouterEarthmoves?Whatevidencedoyouhavethattheinteriorportionoftheearthisinmotion?

Whataretheinterrelationshipsbetweenthemovementofdifferentpartsoftheearth(platetectonics)andtherockcycle?

75

Inclass,youusedSillyPutty® torepresenthowsolidrockcandeformovertimeandathighertemperatures.Youalso lookedat rock samples that showedevidenceofpastdeformation.Theappearanceofmetamorphicrockisonepieceofevidencethatsolidrockcanflowwhenithasbeensubjectedtoveryhightemperaturesandlargeamountsofpressureintheinterioroftheearthovermillionsofyears.Althoughitmayseemthatthetheoryofplatetectonicsisafactandthatscientistsknowallthereistoknowaboutthistopic,thisisnotthecase.Scientistsexamineexistingknowledgeand understanding about a theory and then look for alternative explanations. They alsopursueunansweredquestions,ortheyasknewquestions.Onequestionthatscientistshaveandthatyoumayhaveraisedinclassis“Howdoesmantleconvection really work?” Scientists have a good sense of the characteristics of how hotand cold matter behaves in the earth’s interior. Some of this understanding comes fromexperiments,suchasthoseyoudidinLesson2,butscientistsarestillunsureofhowmantleconvectionmightlookintheearth.Sincenoonecanactuallyseeitoccurring,scientistsmustmakehypothesesbasedonevidence.Theyalsousecomputerstohelpestimatewhatmightbehappeninginplacesthatareinaccessible,likedeepinsidetheearth.Scientistsdonotyetagreeonhowexactlymantleconvectionworkswithintheearth’sinterior.Additionalevidenceisneededtodeepenscientists’understandingofthetheoryofplatetectonics.Anotherunansweredquestionis“Whydohotspotsform?”Thisquestionmayhavealsobeenraisedinclass.Youhavestudiedhowahotspotleadstotheformationofachainofvolcanoes,butwhyaretherenothotspotseverywhere?Rather,theyareonlyincertainlocations.Thisisapuzzleforscientists.Somebelievethathotspotsoriginateverydeepinthemantle,attheboundary between themantle and the earth’s core. These super-heated plumes (sectionsofthemantlethataremuchhotterthanthesurroundingarea)arethenthoughttoriseupthrough themantle, leading to the features visible on Earth’s surface. Others believe thathotspots are not as fixed aswe think they are based on gathered evidence, but they canmigrateslowlyovertime.Wemaynever fullyunderstandallof thedetailsassociatedwith theexisting theoryofplatetectonics. This is why scientists continue studying these concepts. Earth science deals withmanyphenomenathataredifficulttoobserve,suchasthosetakingplacewithintheinterioroftheearth.Notallaspectsofthetheoryofplatetectonicscanbetested,andexperimentsarehardtodesign,giventhe largescaleoftheseprocesses.Weknowthatplateshavemovedinthepastandthattheycontinuetomovetoday.Theexactmethodsofmovementandthecauseof thismotionare stillpuzzling to scientists today.Whatunansweredquestionsdoyouhaveaboutplatetectonics?WhydoyouthinkEarthscientistscontinuetostudyplatetectonics?

76

Activity9.2–FillingouttheSummaryChartWhatWillWeDo?Wewillsynthesizeandorganizetheconceptsandprocesseswehavebeenlearningtobetterunderstandplatetectonics.ProcedureCompletethesummarychart.Youwillfindithelpfultousetheword/conceptbank(Activity9.1)andcross section (ActivitySheet9.1) that youhavealreadycreated.Beasdescriptiveanddetailedaspossible.MakingSenseUsethedrawingsofboundarytypesonthenextpagetoanswerthefollowingquestions.Usecolorimagesifpossible.

1. Which cross section(s) represent a convergent boundary? What makes the three cross sections different?

2. Which cross section(s) show the formation of a volcano? Explain at least two ways that volcanoes can form.

77

SummaryChart

Diagram Script

78

Reading9.2–HowDoesPlateTectonicsAffectMe?GettingReadyOverEarth’sverylonghistory(theearthisover4.5billionyearsold!),themovementsofplateshave been responsible formany of the beautiful landscapes that can be seen around theworld.Youhaveprobablygatheredbynowthatnotalloftheoutcomesfromplatemovementarepositive.Whataresomenegativeaspectsofplatetectonics?

NaturalHazardsandLivingonanActiveEarthIn May 2008, China experienced a massive earthquake that measured 8.0 on the scale ofseverity(outof10).Thisearthquake,whichaffectedhugeareasofthecontinent,killedanestimated 69,000 people. In addition, over 350,000 peoplewere injured, and nearly 20,000peoplewentmissing.Duetothedamagecausedtobuildingsandproperty,aroundfivemillionpeoplewerelefthomelessfollowingthedestructiveearthquake.Theentireeventlastedonlythreeminutes,yetduetothepropertiesofrockmaterialonEarth,tremorscontinuedforthreeweeksafterthemainearthquake.YounowknowthatearthquakesarecausedwhenEarth’ssolidplatesrubagainsteachother.Whenenergyisbuiltupandthenreleased,theplatescanmovesuddenly,causingthedeath,damage,anddestructiontoacityinminutes.TheRingof Fire is thegeologicallyactive zonewhere largenumbersofearthquakes shakeandvolcanoeseruptonEarthcontinually.UseyourknowledgeoftheRingofFiretohighlightitonthefollowingmap.

79

What do the black lines on the map represent?

Explain why geologic hazards such as earthquakes and volcanoes follow the black lines.

Because plate boundaries are zones of hazardous activities such as earthquakes andvolcanoes,millionsofpeoplehavebeenaffectedbyplate tectonics if theyhappento livenearaplateboundary.FindtheUnitedStatesonthemap.WhichareasoftheUnitedStatesaremostgeologicallyactive (meaning regions that experience earthquake tremors and/or volcanic eruptions),andhowdoyouknowthis?As thePacificPlate (justwestof theUnitedStates)movesnorthwest, the locationwhereit rubsagainst theUnitedStatesexperiencesa largeamountofearthquakeactivity.Whatkindof plate boundary is present along the west coast of the United States, where theplatesmovealongsideeachother?Manypeoplebelieve that a largeearthquake, often referred to as “theBigOne,”will hitCaliforniawithinthenext100years.Duetoalackofunderstandingabouttheearth’splates,somewronglybelievethat“theBigOne”willcauseCaliforniatobreakoffofthecontinentand fall into thePacificOcean.Others fear that the transformboundary running throughCaliforniawillopenupandtheearthwillswallowbuildings,people,andcars.Whyarethesepeoplewrong?

80

Whydoyouthinkscientiststrytopredictwhenearthquakeswilloccur?You have already learned about some unanswered questions about the theory of platetectonics. Another problem that scientists continue to research is prediction. They nowunderstandwhereearthquakesoccurandhowearthquakeshappen,butscientistsstilldonothaveagoodmethodforpredictingwhentheywilloccur.Whydoyouthinkitmightbedifficulttopredictwhenearthquakeswilloccur,givenwhatyouknowabouthowearthquakeshappen?Scientists are nowworking to solve this problem by studying one particular fault (faultsare features used to determine where plate boundaries are located). The San Andreasfault is the name of amajor fault near the plate boundary that runs through California.Scientistsaregatheringdata tobetterunderstandthechanges thathappenontheearth’ssurface,andbeneaththesurface,justbeforeanearthquakehappens.You are aware of some of the ways that changes to Earth’s surface can harm humans.Whatchangestotheearth’ssurfacemightbenefithumans?

81

Activity9.3–BuildingPhysicalModelsWhatWillWeDo?Wewillbuildaphysicalmodelsynthesizingwhatwehavelearnedaboutplateboundaries.Procedure

1. Thelocationyouwillbuildaphysicalmodelofis____________________________

2. First,youwillneedtocarefullyplanhowyouwillbuildyourmodel.

3. FilloutthefollowingModelPlans,detailingthefeaturesofthemodelyouintendtobuildandtheconceptsthatyouwillteachtoothersinclass.Remember,thismodelshouldhelpanotherstudentlearnaboutyourassignedplateboundaryorlocationonEarth.

4. Drawadiagramthatshowshowyouwillbuildyourmodel.

82

ModelPlansThefeaturesofthemodelshouldshowthefollowing:TheconceptsthatyouwanttoteachotherstudentsincludeDrawandlabeladiagramafterplanningyourmodelwithyourgroup.Besuretoincludethematerialsyouwanttouse.

83

ModelDescription

Checklist

(Theseaspectsneedtobeincludedinyourdescription.)

• Advantagesofyourmodel

• Limitationsofyourmodel

• Describewhatthemodelshows

• Describetheunderlyingmechanismforplatemovement

• Key/legend

• ThephysicalmodelMakingSense

1. Whataspectsofyourmodelaresimilartotherealworld?

2. Whataspectsofyourmodelaredifferentfromtherealworld?

3. Howcouldyourmodelbeimproved?

84

ModelIdentificationChallengeAsyouvisitothergroups’modelsdescribehowthemodelshowedplatemovementandidentifyatleastonecluethathelpedyoudecide.PlateMovement DescribeModel CluetoIdentification1. Continental

Converge

2. O-CSubduct

3. O-OSubduct

4. DivergeOceanic

5. DivergeonContinental

6. Transform

7. Hotspots

Mosthelpfulclues Featuresthatweredifficulttoshow

85

Lesson10WhatishappeningattheCaseStudysite?

Activity10.1—ExplorationofCaseStudySites?WhatWillWeDo?WewilluseevidencetosupportthetypeofplateactivityoccurringatvariouslocationsonEarth.Procedure

1. Findapartner,anddividethe10casestudysitesintotwogroupsoffive.Youandyourpartnerwillfilloutthetableforfiveofthesites.Theotherpairinyoursmallgroupwillfillouttheotherfivesites.

2. UseanyavailabledatafromactivitysheetsandtheDrivingQuestionBoardtohelp

youfilloutthetable.

86

Red Sea Horn of Africa Himalayas Japanese Islands

Hawaii

Volcanoes

Earthquakes

Trenches

Direction of Movement

Type Plate Material (Oceanic or Continental)

Mountains

Islands

Thin or Thick Plates

Density of Rocks

Plate Material? construct? destruct?

Plate Boundary?

87

Yellowstone Mediterranean Sea

Andes San Andreas

Fault

Mid Atlantic Ridge

Volcanoes

Earthquakes

Trenches

Direction of Movement

Type Plate Material (Oceanic or Continental)

Mountains

Islands

Thin or Thick Plates

Density of Rocks

Plate Material—construct? destruct?

Plate Boundary?

88

MakingSense

1. Didyouandallofyourclassmatesalwaysagreeonwhattypeofboundarywasfoundateachsite?

Why?

2. Ifscientistsdisagreeonthemeaningofdata,howdoyouthinktheydecidewhoiscorrect?

89

Reading10.1–HowAreCaseStudiesUseful?GettingReadyInclass,youbegantotalkaboutseverallocationsaroundtheworldthatyouarecallingCaseStudySites.Whatmakescasestudiesusefulforstudyingscience?Whataresomeofthelandformsyouareawareof?

90

SomeofthelandformsfromtheIQWSTES1mayberelevanttoyourcasestudysitesinthisunit.Inthisunit,volcanoesandmountainshavebeenveryimportant.Bygatheringevidenceaboutwheretheselandformsarelocatedaroundtheworld,youcanmakeclaimsaboutthewaythatplatesmove inthatregion.Forexample,there isastringof islandsknownastheAleutianIslands.TheseislandsarelocatedinAlaskaandareeasilyvisibleonamap.Refertothefollowingmap,findAlaska,andseeifyoucanlocateandcircletheAleutianIslands.

TheAleutiansarenotoneofyourassignedcasestudysites,buttheycouldbe.Theseislandsform as a result of two platesmoving toward each other. This is known as a convergentboundary. Because one plate (the Pacific Plate) is made up of oceanic rock, it subductsbeneaththecontinentalNorthAmericanPlate.TheNorthAmericanPlateistheoneonwhichAlaskaandtheUnitedStatessit.Useyourunderstandingofplatetectonicstoshowwheretheplateboundary is locatedbetweenthesetwoplatesonthemapgivenpreviously. (Youcanusepastactivitysheetstohelpyou.)Labelwhichplateisoceanicandwhichiscontinental.

YoucanseeadarklinejustbeneaththeAleutianIslands.Noticethatitrunsalongthelengthoftheislandsandisparalleltothechain.Thisisanoceanictrench.TheAleutianIslandsareausefulexampleofwhycasestudysitescanhelpusbetterunderstandtheearth.ThisAlaskansitehasalloftheclearfeaturesofaconvergentsubductionzonebetweenanoceanicandcontinentalplate.Whenobservedtogether,thissetoffeaturescanprovideevidenceaboutthetypeofplateboundary.OneofthecasestudysitesthatyouarestudyinginclassisverysimilartotheAleutianIslands.Whichsitedoyouthinkismostsimilar?Whyisitsimilar?

91

InthemiddleofthePacificOcean,youwillseeanothersmallchainofislands.ThisisHawaii.What are someways that Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands (which you have just learnedabout)aresimilaranddifferent?Filloutthefollowingtable.Youmayneedtousepreviouslycollectedevidenceandmapstohelpyou.

HawaiianIslands(Differences)

HawaiianIslandsandAleutianIslands(Similarities)

AleutianIslands(Differences)

Bothofthesesitesareusefulascasestudysitesbecausetheyhavecertaincharacteristicsthatcanbeseeninother locationsonEarth.Therefore,bystudyingonesite indepthandgathering evidence about what features and characteristics are present at that site, youcangainabetteranddeeperunderstandingofmanysitesonEarth.

92

MakingSense

1. Whydoyouthinkthe10casestudysitesthatyouarestudyinginthisunitwerechosen?

2. HowcananunderstandingofonecasestudysitehelpyouunderstandotherplacesonEarth?

93

Activity10.2–ScientificExplanationofOneSiteWhatWillWeDo?

We will explain how the earth is changing at a single case study site. Procedure

1. What case site are you studying?

2. For your site, conduct a more in-depth exploration using outside resources. Specifically try to answer the following questions.

• How have geologic events impacted life at that site? How has that site has

changed over geologic time?

• How quickly are the plates moving at that site?

• Discuss anything else that interests you.

3. Write a scientific explanation to justify which boundary type is found at your site. Remember a scientific explanation includes a claim (type of boundary), supporting evidence, and reasoning (scientific principles).

Scientific Explanation = Claim + Evidence + Reasoning

94

4. Pair up with another student who is studying the same site as you. Compare your scientific explanations, and discuss any differences that arise.

5. You and your partner should now compare your explanations with another pair of

students who also studied your site.

6. With the members of your group, come to a consensus about the type of plate movement at your site, the evidence in support of that claim, and the scientific principles that explain your evidence.

7. Record any changes to your scientific explanation.

MakingSense

1. What questions do you still have about your case study site?

2. What types of pictures, diagrams, or other additional information are you going to include that will help support your scientific explanation?

95

Activity10.3–ProjectPresentationsWhatWillWeDo?Wewillshareourprojectwiththeclass.ProcedureAsotherstudentspresenttheircasestudysite,recordonenewideayoulearned,oneaspectofthepresentationthathelpedyoulearnabouttheirsite,andonewaythatthepresentationcouldbeimproved.

CaseSite

Oneideayoulearned

Whathelpedyoulearnaboutthesite?

Howcouldthepresentationbeimproved?

Yellowstone

Hawaii

AndesMountains

SanAndreasFault

Mid-OceanRidge

RedSea

HornofAfrica

Himalayas

JapaneseIslands

MediterraneanSea

MakingSense

1. Answer the Driving Question for the unit: How Is the Earth Changing?

2. If convection were to stop, would the earth continue to change? Explain your answer.