Island School Humanities
  • Home
  • MYP 1
    • 1. The Universe & Earth >
      • 1. Where did our Universe and Earth come from? >
        • 1. What is the Universe?
        • 2. How Big, Far, Hot, and Old is the Universe?
        • 3. What are Ultimate Questions?
      • 2. What are origin stories?
      • 3. What is the Christian origin story?
      • 4. How did the scientific origin story develop?
      • 5. How do theories become accepted? >
        • 1. Charles Darwin and Evolution
        • 2. Alfred Wegener and Plate Tectonics
      • 6. Can religion and science co-exist?
      • 7. Assessment: Personal beliefs on creation
      • 8. Reflection: Changing Beliefs
    • 2. Natural Systems >
      • 1. How did early humans adapt to natural systems?
      • 2. How did farming help early human societies?
      • 3. What are natural systems?
      • 4. How do tropical rainforest systems work?
      • 5. How does farming affect natural systems in rainforests?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How can rainforests be used in a sustainable way?
      • 8. Reflection: The future of natural systems
    • 3. Ancient Civilisations >
      • 1. What are Ancient Civilisations?
      • 2. How and why do civilisations rise and fall?
      • 3. How successful were the Greeks?
      • 4. How successful were the Chinese?
      • 5. How successful were the Aztecs?
      • 6-7. Assessment: Ancient Civilisations Presentation
      • 8. Reflection: What is the legacy of Ancient Civilisations?
    • 4. Conflict and Crusade >
      • 1. What are the core beliefs of Christianity?
      • 2. What are the core beliefs of Islam?
      • 3. What do world religions teach about conflict?
      • 4. Was religion the main cause of the crusades?
      • 5. What did Muslims think about the Crusades?
      • 6-7. Assessment: Does religion cause conflict?
      • 8. Reflection: Can religion help end conflict?
    • 5. Island Learning - What's MY Hong Kong? >
      • 1. What is the cultural identity of Hong Kong?
      • 2. What is tourism?
      • 3. Where is tourism in Hong Kong located?
      • 4 - 6. Designing Graphics
      • 7-8. Assessment 1: Tourist Attractions in Sha Tin
      • 9-10. Assessment 2: Planning the Fieldtrip
      • 11. Assessment 2: Creating the Brochure
      • 12-14. Developing Design Skills
      • 15. Assessment 2: Designing the Icons
      • 16. Reflection: What have we learnt about HK?
    • Further Reading
  • MYP 2
    • 1. Significance & Symbolism >
      • 1. What and where was the Renaissance?
      • 2. What influenced artists in the Renaissance?
      • 3. Who was the ultimate Renaissance 'artist'?
      • 4. How does culture express time and place?
      • 5-7. Assessment: Artists, Culture & Expression
      • 8. Reflection: How is my own culture expressed?
    • 2. Trade & Exchange >
      • 1. Why do people explore?
      • 2. What is the impact of exploration?
      • 3. How was trade unequal in the past?
      • 4. How does trade and exchange work today?
      • 5. Is the global trade of chocolate fair?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How does fair trade reduce inequalities?
      • 8. Reflection: How can I make trade fairer?
    • 3. Diversity & Change >
      • 1. What is cultural diversity?
      • 2. How did beliefs differ in pre-Colonial Hong Kong?
      • 3. How did the British change Hong Kong's culture?
      • 4. What can we learn about culture from the local area?
      • 5. How does globalisation influence culture today?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How cultural diverse are Hong Kong neighborhoods?
      • 8. Reflection: Should we preserve cultural diversity?
    • 4. Sustainability & Society >
      • 1. Why is urbanisation a problem?
      • 2. How can we research solutions?
      • 3. What have we found out about our issue?
      • 4. How could Hong Kong be more sustainable?
      • 5. What is our solution to the issue?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How can we share our learning?
      • 8. Reflection: Can Hong Kong change?
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    • TED-Ed Club >
      • Part 1 - Discover >
        • 1. Tell us who you are
        • 2. Discover great ideas
        • 3. Learn the art of feedback
        • 4. Identify your ideas
      • Part 2 - Develop >
        • 5. Build your throughline
        • 6. Plan your talk arc
        • 7. Research and support your idea
        • 8. Write your script
        • 9. Make it visual
        • 10. Say your talk out loud
      • Part 3 - Share >
        • 11. Practice, Edit, Practice
        • 12. Present your final rehearsal
        • 13. Record the talk
      • IS TED 2020-21
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2. Alfred Wegener and Plate Tectonics

Activity 1 - What on Earth?!


Activity Tasks
  1. How many features of the physical world can you remember? Be ready for a quick quiz from your teacher!
    1. What are the seven continents?
    2. What are the five oceans?
    3. What are the three biggest mountain ranges?
    4. What are the three longest rivers?
  2. Has the Earth always looked like this? Would these labels have been the same 270 million years ago?

Activity 2 - Who was Alfred Wegener?


Activity Tasks
  1. ​Who was Alfred Wegener? Watch the video and read this short biography of his life to find out more before answering these questions:
    1. Alfred Wegener was a meteorologist. What is meteorology?
    2. What evidence did he have for his theory of Continental Drift?
    3. Why did people oppose his theory? Think about the claim testers we have used previously: evidence; logic; authority; intuition; faith
    4. When did his ideas finally become accepted?

Activity 3 - What did he claim?


Activity Tasks
  1. ​In pairs, label the continents on your worksheets and then colour the fossil areas to match this key.
  2. Carefully cut-out each of the continents along the edge of the continental shelf (the outmost dark line).
  3. Try to logically piece the continents together so that they form a giant supercontinent. Use Wegener's fossil evidence to place them in the correct positions.
  4. When you are satisfied with the 'fit' of the continents, glue the land masses down in your books.

Activity 4 - What was the reaction?


Activity Tasks
​
​Your teacher will give you a number between 1-2. Number 1's should complete question 1 here, Number 2's complete question 2. Write your paragraphs in your books. Your teacher may ask you to read out your paragraphs!
  1. Imagine you are Alfred Wegener. Write a one-paragraph statement to summarize your work. Your summary must include descriptions on:
    1. What your map shows about the Earth 225 million years ago (What does the map show?)
    2. How the fossil evidence helped you to put the landmasses together (What was your process?)
    3. Why the fossil evidence is good (Why do you think your map is a good one?)
  2. Imagine you are a skeptic of Alfred Wegener. Write a one-paragraph statement to criticize his work.
    Your criticism must included challenges about:
    1. Why the continents could NOT possibly move the way Wegener is describing
    2. How the fossils could naturally be located in the places Wegener found them, without the
      continents moving
    3. Why Wegener is not qualified to be proposing theories in the fields of geology and Earth history
Picture
Picture

Activity 5 - When was the claim accepted?


Activity Tasks​
When Alfred Wegener proposed his theory of plate tectonics, the rest of the scientific community dismissed his claims. This task asks you to consider why they did this and to ask when and why his claim was finally accepted:
  1. Just as you did when evaluating the claim of 'spontaneous generation' in the last lesson, complete this claim testing worksheet for the theory of plate tectonics. Imagine you had just heard about the theory. Consider whether the theory passes the four tests.
  2. Now watch this video (-->). Making a note of the ways in which his claim was strengthened after his death.
  3. When and why was the theory of plate tectonics finally accepted? Write a paragraph answer, referring back to the four claim testers in your answer.

Further Reading


STANDARD READING
  1. Andrew Rader Studios. (2015). Geography4Kids.com: Earth Structure: Plate Tectonics. Geography4kids.Com.
INTERMEDIATE READING
  1. Amos, J. (2017, October 2). Plate tectonics: When we discovered how the Earth really works. BBC News.
ADVANCED READING
  1. Oskin, B. (2017, December 19). What Is Plate Tectonics? Livescience.Com; Live Science.
FURTHER WATCHING
  1. BrainPOP. (2017). PLATE TECTONICS [YouTube Video]. 
  2. TED-Ed. (2014). The Pangaea Pop-up - Michael Molina [YouTube Video].

PREVIOUS LESSON - CHARLES DARWIN AND EVOLUTION
NEXT LESSON - CAN RELIGION AND SCIENCE CO-EXIST?

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  • Home
  • MYP 1
    • 1. The Universe & Earth >
      • 1. Where did our Universe and Earth come from? >
        • 1. What is the Universe?
        • 2. How Big, Far, Hot, and Old is the Universe?
        • 3. What are Ultimate Questions?
      • 2. What are origin stories?
      • 3. What is the Christian origin story?
      • 4. How did the scientific origin story develop?
      • 5. How do theories become accepted? >
        • 1. Charles Darwin and Evolution
        • 2. Alfred Wegener and Plate Tectonics
      • 6. Can religion and science co-exist?
      • 7. Assessment: Personal beliefs on creation
      • 8. Reflection: Changing Beliefs
    • 2. Natural Systems >
      • 1. How did early humans adapt to natural systems?
      • 2. How did farming help early human societies?
      • 3. What are natural systems?
      • 4. How do tropical rainforest systems work?
      • 5. How does farming affect natural systems in rainforests?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How can rainforests be used in a sustainable way?
      • 8. Reflection: The future of natural systems
    • 3. Ancient Civilisations >
      • 1. What are Ancient Civilisations?
      • 2. How and why do civilisations rise and fall?
      • 3. How successful were the Greeks?
      • 4. How successful were the Chinese?
      • 5. How successful were the Aztecs?
      • 6-7. Assessment: Ancient Civilisations Presentation
      • 8. Reflection: What is the legacy of Ancient Civilisations?
    • 4. Conflict and Crusade >
      • 1. What are the core beliefs of Christianity?
      • 2. What are the core beliefs of Islam?
      • 3. What do world religions teach about conflict?
      • 4. Was religion the main cause of the crusades?
      • 5. What did Muslims think about the Crusades?
      • 6-7. Assessment: Does religion cause conflict?
      • 8. Reflection: Can religion help end conflict?
    • 5. Island Learning - What's MY Hong Kong? >
      • 1. What is the cultural identity of Hong Kong?
      • 2. What is tourism?
      • 3. Where is tourism in Hong Kong located?
      • 4 - 6. Designing Graphics
      • 7-8. Assessment 1: Tourist Attractions in Sha Tin
      • 9-10. Assessment 2: Planning the Fieldtrip
      • 11. Assessment 2: Creating the Brochure
      • 12-14. Developing Design Skills
      • 15. Assessment 2: Designing the Icons
      • 16. Reflection: What have we learnt about HK?
    • Further Reading
  • MYP 2
    • 1. Significance & Symbolism >
      • 1. What and where was the Renaissance?
      • 2. What influenced artists in the Renaissance?
      • 3. Who was the ultimate Renaissance 'artist'?
      • 4. How does culture express time and place?
      • 5-7. Assessment: Artists, Culture & Expression
      • 8. Reflection: How is my own culture expressed?
    • 2. Trade & Exchange >
      • 1. Why do people explore?
      • 2. What is the impact of exploration?
      • 3. How was trade unequal in the past?
      • 4. How does trade and exchange work today?
      • 5. Is the global trade of chocolate fair?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How does fair trade reduce inequalities?
      • 8. Reflection: How can I make trade fairer?
    • 3. Diversity & Change >
      • 1. What is cultural diversity?
      • 2. How did beliefs differ in pre-Colonial Hong Kong?
      • 3. How did the British change Hong Kong's culture?
      • 4. What can we learn about culture from the local area?
      • 5. How does globalisation influence culture today?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How cultural diverse are Hong Kong neighborhoods?
      • 8. Reflection: Should we preserve cultural diversity?
    • 4. Sustainability & Society >
      • 1. Why is urbanisation a problem?
      • 2. How can we research solutions?
      • 3. What have we found out about our issue?
      • 4. How could Hong Kong be more sustainable?
      • 5. What is our solution to the issue?
      • 6-7. Assessment: How can we share our learning?
      • 8. Reflection: Can Hong Kong change?
  • Futures
    • Elements >
      • Big History Project
      • Freakonomics
      • History: Film, Food and Fashion
      • Law
      • Mundo Geographico
      • Philosophy at the Movies
      • Run Your Own Business
      • Social Psychology
      • Urban Survival
    • Entrance >
      • Business
      • Economics
      • Geography
      • History
      • Religious Studies
    • Escape
    • Explorations
  • IBDP
    • Business & Management
    • Economics
    • Environmental Systems and Societies
    • Geography
    • Global Politics
    • History
    • Philosophy
    • Psychology
  • ECA
    • Model United Nations
    • TED-Ed Club >
      • Part 1 - Discover >
        • 1. Tell us who you are
        • 2. Discover great ideas
        • 3. Learn the art of feedback
        • 4. Identify your ideas
      • Part 2 - Develop >
        • 5. Build your throughline
        • 6. Plan your talk arc
        • 7. Research and support your idea
        • 8. Write your script
        • 9. Make it visual
        • 10. Say your talk out loud
      • Part 3 - Share >
        • 11. Practice, Edit, Practice
        • 12. Present your final rehearsal
        • 13. Record the talk
      • IS TED 2020-21
  • More
    • About
    • I&S Blog
    • Links >
      • Island School Business and Economics
      • Island School Global Politics
      • Island School History
      • Island School PRS