Pangea Puzzle
Summary
Pangea Puzzle is an interactive digital activity in which students reconstruct the supercontinent Pangea using an app developed specifically for this exercise.
https://mupages.marshall.edu/sites/brinkroby/pangea-puzzle/
Based on the classic activity developed by the USGS' This Dynamic Planet: A Teaching Companion.
Students use multiple lines of geologic evidence—including continental fit, fossil distributions, glacial striations, and mountain belt alignments—to guide their reconstruction. The activity introduces students to plate tectonics and the scientific basis for continental drift.
Keywords: plate tectonics, continental drift, Pangea, paleogeography, geologic evidence, introductory geology, active learning, tectonic reconstruction, Wegener, paleoclimate.
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Context
Audience
The USGS suggests primarily for grades 6–14.
This activity is used in an introductory physical geology course for undergraduate students, including both majors and non-majors. It typically appears in the first third of the semester when students are learning about plate tectonics and the historical development of geologic theory.
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
Students should understand basic Earth systems, continental vs. oceanic crust, and have been introduced to the concept of plate tectonics.
How the activity is situated in the course
This activity is part of a sequence on plate tectonics. It typically precedes lessons on seafloor spreading and modern plate boundaries.
Goals
Content/concepts goals for this activity
Understand and apply multiple lines of evidence for continental drift
Recognize geologic patterns such as fossil distribution, glacial striations, and collisional mountain belts
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
Develop evidence-based interpretations of Earth's geologic past
Evaluate how different types of data support a scientific theory
Skills goals for this activity
Work collaboratively in pairs or small groups to solve a spatial puzzle
Communicate reasoning and decision-making clearly in written or oral form
Description and Teaching Materials
Teaching Notes and Tips
This works on laptops, desktops, tablets, and smartphones, but it is somewhat challenging to manipulate on smartphones. Resizing browser windows or switching from landscape/portrait requires a refresh.
Please let me know if you find any errors, or would like the original AI files.
Assessment
Assessment is based on a combination of the students' completed reconstruction and a written explanation of how they used each type of geologic evidence.