Teachers' Notes - Fast and furious: witnessing the birth of Africa's new ocean
The Earth's changing surface
The student activity is a simple way to show plate tectonics in action at a very significant, unique area of our planet and how this has shaped and continues to shape the Earth. Before the students do the activity it is helpful to give them some background on what is happening in the Afar region and look at plate tectonics. Students should be encouraged to take notes as this will help with answering some of the questions on the student worksheet. The websites below may also be helpful with background information.
Materials required
Print outs of the map on the student’s page
Tracing paper
The PowerPoint presentation which outlines the procedure for the activity
These websites give more detailed information on plate tectonics and other areas of earth science www.gcsescience.com/pwav56.htm, www.rsc.org/education/teachers/learnnet/jesei/index2.htm, www.see.leeds.ac.uk/structure/dynamicearth/index.htm, http://science.discovery.com/videos/100-greatest-discoveries-shorts-the-mid-atlantic-ridge.html, http://see.leeds.ac.uk/afar
Timing: around 30 minutes (could be longer with discussion)
Answers
Most of the answers will be generated by the students themselves, but for question 4 there is a misfit because we cannot draw the coastlines exactly and because erosion, deposition and volcanoes can change the coastlines over time.
Curriculum links
Environment, Earth and universe
- 8b: The surface and atmosphere of the Earth have changed since the Earth’s origin and are changing at present.
| Exam Board | Units |
|---|---|
|
AQA: GCSE Science |
C1b The Changes in the Earth and its Atmosphere |
|
OCR Gateway Science Suite: GCSE Science |
C2 Rocks and Metals Earthquakes and volcanoes |
|
OCR 21st Century Science Suite: GCSE Applied Science (Double Award) |
Unit 2 Science for the Needs of Society Earth and the universe |
|
WJEC: GCSE Science
|
C2 Earth Science Geological processes |
|
Northern Ireland Curriculum: GCSE Single Award Science
|
Module: 3 Chemical patterns and our environment 3.11 (i) Explore plate tectonics theory. (ii) Recognise that volcanoes and mountain building are likely to occur at the edges of tectonic plates. (iii) Recall that earthquakes occur when tectonic plates move last each other. 3.12 Recognise that the surface of the Earth is constantly changing. |
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