Name MonicaCamacho

Submitted on 10/17/2005 6:50:04 PM

Topic: ES

 Landalf,H. (1998). Tectonic Plate Movement. Science Activities, 35, 14-16.

Summary

This article by Landalf, is an earth science activity for grades 3-6 in teaching Tectonic Plate Movement. This activity utilizes body movement as a tool to teach the theory of plate movement. This activity helps students retain concepts by allowing them to construct the movement. Landalf wanted students to never forget tectonic plates with this creative activity. This activity gave theories as to what causes plate movement such as, when plates subduct or slide beneath the other, causes trenches, and volcanoes, or the two plates push together and form mountains. The activity is an enrichment activity after a lesson on plate tectonics. Once students absorbed the knowledge of plate movements, they were to do this 15 minute activity. The objective of the lesson is to give students a kinesthetic concept of the movement of the Earth's plates that will further enrich their knowledge of plate movement, and actually have some kind of feeling of what is going on with the different types of plate movement. The inexpensive materials needed for the activity are 2-4 jigsaw puzzle foam pieces that interlock, index cards and a tape or cd player. The activity reinforces students learning of plate tectonics as the activity begins. The activity started out by asking students what the theory of plate tectonics is. That the Earth is divided like a jigsaw puzzle. Then the Teacher is to model how divergence is by holding two jigsaw puzzles and moving them away from each other. Then the Teacher went on to modeling convergence by moving the two pieces back together. Next, the activity allowed the teacher to demonstrate subduction by letting one piece slide beneath another piece. Then the teacher modeled transform movement by sliding the interlocking edges of two puzzle pieces past each other horizontally making known that the edges might stick and result in tension being created. After much modeling, the teacher paired students up each having index cards. The students were to make each plate movement with their index cards making sure that they are shaking, tossing and holding the cards in the together. Next, the students were to imagine that their bodies are tectonic plates and still paired in groups of two, the students were to demonstrate a way to connect themselves. Then, when the music starts the students were to act out one of the movements demonstrated above in slow motion. While this is going on the teacher invites them to imagine that there is magma underneath them. Students will continue doing body movements until all forms of plate movement has been demonstrated. The activity also provided teacher with questions to ask during the activity and an extension activity that shows a map of all the plates and questions about what they think will happen, for example, if Australian plate hits Indonesia. Then, students create a 3-dimensional representation of one of the tectonic plate movement.

Reaction

Plate Tectonics is a fascinating theory underlying the possibility that we were once connected and then spreading further, and further apart. This activity brings students into a deeper understanding of plate movement. It allows the students to become the plates and rely the actions that causes each plate movement. The activity provides students and experience that encourages them to be creative. Not only does the activity encourages student to be creative but artistic, and intellectual as well. I liked how the teacher demonstrated with jigsaw puzzles and then allowing the students to apply their knowledge to index cards. Then further, with movement using their own bodies. The activity provides students with a better understanding of what convergent, divergent, subduction, transform movement, and earthquake really is. Students are not learning these vocabularies on paper anymore. Rather, they are learning the vocabulary by their own actions. That is learning science!