Unit 2.3: Plate boundaries in the past and the future
Summary
Students use their knowledge of plate motions to explore plate reconstructions throughout Earth's history and predict what Earth may look like in the future using the tools introduced in Unit 2.2.
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Learning Objectives
At the end of this unit, students will be able to:
- Describe data that are used to reconstruct plate boundary locations in Earth's past
- Collect and record data about current plate motions using appropriate reference frames
- Develop a plan to work as a team to systematically collect, record, and share data
- Predict changes to the distribution of Earth's continents, oceans, and features such as mountain ranges in the far future (tens to hundreds of million years)
Context for Use
This activity is intended for use at the beginning of an introductory Earth Science course for college-level students. The activity could be used with any class size, and can be completed in two to three 75-minute class periods, plus additional time for pre-class and homework assignments.
Students will need access to a computer during class and outside of class to complete the activities in this module.
Description and Teaching Materials
Day 1 Where were the continents and oceans in the past?
Day 1 Teaching Materials
- Unit 2.3 Pre-class work (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 1.9MB Sep10 24)
- Slides to guide Unit 2.3 in-class activity (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 18.7MB Sep10 24)
- Student handout for Unit 2.3 in-class activity (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 8MB Sep10 24)
Instructor Key for Unit 2.3 Pre-class work -- educator-only file
HideDay 1 Pre-class work
Students watch two videos about plate reconstructions and answer a few reflection questions before coming to class.
- Geonews YouTube video of Merdith et al. (2021) plate reconstructions over past billion years
- YouTube Video: Animation of Matthews et al. (2016) plate reconstructions
Day 1 In Class
Reconstructing past plate motions (50 min)
- Discussion of pre-class work and types of data that can be used to reconstruct plate configurations (20 min)
- What did students find interesting about the pre-class videos? What observations did they make about the reconstructions?
- Students talk with neighbors about what types of data might be used to reconstruct past plate configurations and then different data sources are reviewed using the class slides, with discussion at each slide about what could be inferred from each data type.
- Students work in small groups to answer the questions in the handout (30 min)
- Part A: Students look at two types of evidence used in plate reconstructions (glacial striations and matching rock types/ mountain ranges).
- Part B: Students choose a place of interest (or current location) and use the pre-class videos and static images in the slides to hypothesize about what the geologic setting of that location would have been at some time in the past.
- Part C: Students work together to describe a past geologic state at their current location or another place of interest.
Note: The reconstructing past plate motion activities could take a full class period, or if there is extra time, the final Unit 2 activity, predicting future plate configurations, can be introduced at the end of class. In the interest of keeping the files associated with these two activities separate, the future prediction materials are all below.
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Day 2-3 Where will the continents and oceans be in the future? (two 75-minute class periods, or one with significant out-of-class work)
Day 2 Teaching Materials
- Slides to guide day 2 in-class activity (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 9.4MB Sep10 24)
- Student handout for day 2 activity (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 75kB Sep10 24)
- Student template for plate tectonics predictions (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 1.6MB Sep8 24) (need to make a copy for each student group)
- . Other configurations may be reasonably explained and justified.
- Unit 2 Exit Ticket homework assignment (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 3.4MB Aug16 24)
Day 2 In Class
Students work in small groups (3-4 students) to hypothesize the timing and configuration of the next supercontinent using the tools that were introduced in Unit 2.2. Students present their ideas through a series of slides and a written report or presentation. Students may need more than one class period to complete their slides, so a second class period may be needed for students to continue working together, or a second class period could be used for students to share/present their predictions.
Day 2 Homework
Students may be assigned to continue working on their predictions and report outside of class. When the activity is finished, each student will complete an "Exit Ticket" reflection for the entirety of Unit 2.
Teaching Notes and Tips
Student slides with future plate predictions could be shared during a subsequent class period or shared in a discussion board, depending on available time and class size.
Assessment
LO1: Describe data that are used to reconstruct plate boundary locations in Earth's past
- Class discussion and day 1 pre-class and in-class activities
LO2: Collect and record data about current plate motions using appropriate reference frames
- Plate boundary prediction activity
LO3: Develop a plan to work as a team to systematically collect, record, and share data
- Observation of student interactions during plate boundary prediction activity
LO4: Predict changes to the distribution of Earth's continents, oceans, and features such as mountain ranges in the far future (tens to hundreds of million years).
- Student plate prediction slides, accompanying reports, and Exit Tickets
References and Resources
Cao, W., Zahirovic, S., Flament, N., Williams, S., Golonka, J., and Müller, R. D., (2017). Improving global paleogeography since the late Paleozoic using paleobiology: Biogeosciences, v. 14, no. 23, p. 5425-5439. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5425-2017
EarthByte (2016). Matthews et al. (2016) Plate Reconstruction [Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Gzue-Lxqs
Egger, A.E. (2003). Origins of Plate Tectonic Theory. Visionlearning Vol. EAS-1(1)
Egger, A.E. (2003). Plates, Plate Boundaries, and Driving Forces. Visionlearning Vol. EAS(2).
Hasterok, D., Halpin, J. A., Collins, A. S., Hand, M., Kreemer, C., Gard, M. G., & Glorie, S. (2022). New Maps of Global Geological Provinces and Tectonic Plates. Earth-Science Reviews, 231, 104069. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EARSCIREV.2022.104069
IRIS (2022) New!! What Drives Plate Tectonics? What Are the Forces Involved? (new convection ending; 2022) [Video]. YouTube, 10 Jan. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUtYyRUBdZQ
Matthews, K. J., Maloney, K. T., Zahirovic, S., Williams, S. E., Seton, M., & Müller, R. D. (2016). Global plate boundary evolution and kinematics since the late Paleozoic. Global and Planetary Change, 146, 226-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.10.002
Merdith, A,S., Williams, S.E., Collins, A.S. Tetley, M.G., Mulder, J.A., Blades, M.L., Young, A., Armistead, S.E., Cannon, J., Zahirovic, S., and Müller, R.D., (2021). Extending full-plate tectonic models into deep time: Linking the Neoproterozoic and the Phanerozoic. Earth-Science Reviews, Volume 214, 103477, ISSN 0012-8252, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103477
Plate reconstruction (Accessed: 5 September 2022). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_reconstruction
Scotese, C.R., (2016). PALEOMAP PaleoAtlas for GPlates and the PaleoData Plotter Program, PALEOMAP Project, http://www.earthbyte.org/paleomappaleoatlas-for-gplates DOI: 10.13140/RG2.2.34367.00166
UTD Geoscience Studio (2021). A new model of plate tectonic evolution from 1 Billion years ago to the present [Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY6D1eR3mM4