Download Print - National Geographic Society

Yourwebbrowser(Safari7)isoutofdate.Formoresecurity,comfortand
thebestexperienceonthissite: Updateyourbrowser Ignore
Activityengage
U N D E R S E A G E O L O GY
Whereareunderseageologicfeatureslocated?
Whyaretheylocatedwheretheyare?
OVERVIEW
Studentslocateandlabelgeologicfeaturesoftheoceanandexplorethe
relationshipofthesefeaturestoplatetectonics.
Forthecompleteactivitywithmediaresources,visit:
http://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/undersea-geology/
DIRECTIO NS
1.Brainstormanddefineunderwaterlandforms.
ExplaintostudentsthattheywillbeexploringEarth'soceanfloorandthetypes
ofgeologicactivitythatoccurthere.Havestudentsimaginewhattheocean
floormightbelike.Ask:Whattypesoflandformsarethereontheocean
floor?Studentsmaysuggesttherearemountains,valleys,orflatareas.Explain
thatgeologistsandoceanographersoftenusedifferenttermsforoceanfloor
formationsandterrestrialformations.Defineonawhiteboardthetermsbelow,
creatingakeyusingadifferentcolortorepresenteachterm.
Atrenchisalong,deepdepressionintheoceanfloor.
Atroughisagentlyslopingdepressionintheoceanfloor.
Anislandisabodyoflandsurroundedbywater.
Aridgeislong,narrowelevationofearth.
1of9
Agapisasteep-sidedopeningthroughamountainridge.
Aseamountisanunderwatermountain.
Ariseisanunderwatermountainrangelocatedwheretectonicplatesare
spreadingapart.Ariseisalsoknownasamid-oceanridge.
Aplateauisalargeregionthatishigherthanthesurroundingareaand
relativelyflat.
2.Locateunderwatergeologicfeaturesonthemapstiles.
Dividetheclassintoeightsmallgroups.GiveeachgroupatilefromtheWorld
PhysicalMapMakerKittabletopmapandmarkersforeachcolorinthekey
createdinStep1.LookingforthetermsinStep1,haveeachgrouplocatethe
undersealandformsontheirtiles,highlightingorunderliningthenamesusing
thecolorpreviouslyassignedinthekey.Haveeachgroupsayoutloudthe
namesofafewunderseafeaturesontheirtile.
3.Locatevolcaniceruptionsandearthquakelocationsonthemap.
GiveeachgrouptheDataSheet:VolcanicEruptionsandEarthquakeshandout.
Haveeachmarkhistoricvolcaniceruptionsandearthquakesontheirtileusing
thelistprovided.Havestudentsmarkhistoricvolcaniceruptionswithan"X"and
earthquakeswithan"O."
4.ExplorepatternsintheEarth'sgeologicfeatures.
Havestudentgroupsbringtheirtilemaptothefrontoftheclassandplace
themnexttoeachothertocreateacompleteWorldPhysicalmap.Asaclass,
2of9
observethemap.Ask:Whichareashavethemosthistoricactivityofvolcanoes
andearthquakes?Whereareearthquakesandvolcanoesinrelationtothegeologic
featuresyourgrouplocatedearlier?Whatpatterns,ifany,doyouseeinthe
locationsofthegeologicfeatures,volcanoes,andearthquakes?
5.Defineplatetectonics.
DisplaytheTectonicPlateInteractiveMaplayerfromtheResourceCarousel.
Explainthattheearth'scrust,oroutercovering,isdividedintoanumberof
piecescalledplates.Intotal,thereareabout15oftheseplates.Earth'splates
canbeterrestrialoroceanicplates.Theseplatesmoveveryslowlyandarein
constantmotion.Theymovethewayiceslabsfloatandmoveonwater.The
platescanseparatefromeachother,collidewitheachother,sinkundereach
other,andgrindagainsteachother.Thismovementiscalledplatetectonics.
6.Discusstherelationshipofplatetectonicswithearthquakes,volcanoes,
andunderseageologicfeatures.
HavestudentscomparetheTectonicPlatesimagetothelocationsofthe
geologicfeatures,volcanoes,andearthquakes.Ask:Whatsimilaritiesdoyou
noticebetweenthelocationsoftheplatesandthelocationsofthegeologic
features,volcanoes,andearthquakes?Explainthatmanygeologicfeaturesare
createdasaresultofEarth'sshiftingtectonicplates.Tofullydemonstratethe
connectionbetweentectonicplates,earthquakes,andvolcanoes,turnonthe
VolcanoandEarthquakelayerswithintheInteractiveMapandlookforpatterns.
OntheInteractiveMapandontheWorldPhysicalmaptiles,studentswillsee
alignmentofplateboundaries,earthquakes,volcanoes,andunderwater
geologicfeatures.
Tip
3of9
LaminatetheindividualsheetsoftheMapMakerKitmapsoyoucanre-useitfor
severalyears.
Modification
YoucanadapttheactivityfordifferentMapMakerKitsizesasneededfor
differentsettings.
ExtendingtheLearning
Theearthquakelocatedat38N,142EseriouslyimpactedpartsofJapanon
March11,2011.UsetheMapMakerInteractivetofindthislocationanddiscuss
relationshipsamongplatetectonics,earthquakes,tsunamis,andhuman
settlement.
O BJECTIVES
Subjects&Disciplines
Geography
PhysicalGeography
Science
Geology
Oceanography
LearningObjectives
Studentswill:
identifyoceanfloor'sgeologicfeatures
explainhowcertainoceanfeaturesandgeologiceventssuchasvolcanoes
andearthquakesarerelatedtoplatetectonics
4of9
TeachingApproach
Learning-for-use
TeachingMethods
Brainstorming
Cooperativelearning
Discoverylearning
Discussions
Research
SkillsSummary
Thisactivitytargetsthefollowingskills:
CriticalThinkingSkills
Analyzing
Applying
GeographicSkills
AcquiringGeographicInformation
AnalyzingGeographicInformation
NationalStandards,Principles,and
Practices
N AT I O N A L G E O G RA P H Y S TA N DA RDS
•Standard1:
Howtousemapsandothergeographicrepresentations,geospatial
5of9
technologies,andspatialthinkingtounderstandandcommunicateinformation
•Standard3:
Howtoanalyzethespatialorganizationofpeople,places,andenvironmentson
Earth'ssurface
•Standard4:
Thephysicalandhumancharacteristicsofplaces
O C E A N LI T E RA C Y E SS E N T I A L P RI N C I P LE S A N D
F U N DA M E N TA L C O N C E P T S
•Principle1b:
Anoceanbasin’ssize,shapeandfeatures(suchasislands,trenches,mid-ocean
ridges,riftvalleys)varyduetothemovementofEarth’slithosphericplates.
Earth’shighestpeaks,deepestvalleysandflattestvastplainsareallinthe
ocean.
PREPARATIO N
WhatYou’llNeed
M AT E RI A LS YO U P RO V I DE
Markers
RE Q U I RE D T E C H N O LO G Y
InternetAccess:Required
TechSetup:1computerperclassroom,Projector
Plug-Ins:Flash
P H Y S I C A L S PA C E
Classroom
6of9
SETUP
Studentgroupsattableswithprintedtabletopmaps
G RO U P I N G
Large-groupinstruction
Small-groupinstruction
O T H E R N O T E S
Printseveraltabletopmapsforthestudentstouseinsmallgroups.Thisactivity
maybeadaptedforusewiththeWorldPhysicalMapMakerKitmegamap.
RE S O U RC E S P RO V I DE D: W E BS I T E S
NationalGeographicEducation:WorldPhysicalMapMakerKit
RE S O U RC E S P RO V I DE D: U N DE F I N E D
MapMakerKits101
RE S O U RC E S P RO V I DE D: H A N DO U T S & W O RK S H E E T S
DataSheet:VolcanicEruptionsandEarthquakes
RE S O U RC E S P RO V I DE D: M A P S
NGMapMakerInteractive:PlateTectonics—World
BACKGRO U ND & VO CABU L ARY
BackgroundInformation
Therearemanygeologicfeaturesontheoceanfloor.Trenches,ridges,rises,
7of9
andislandsaretheresultofcontinentaloroceanicplatemovement.Volcanic
eruptionsandearthquakesarealsotheresultoftectonicplatemovement.
PriorKnowledge
[]
RecommendedPriorActivities
OneOcean
Vocabulary
Term
Partof
Definition
Speech
thesuddenshakingofEarth'scrustcausedbytherelease
earthquake
noun
gap
noun
geology
noun
island
noun
bodyoflandsurroundedbywater.
landform
noun
specificnaturalfeatureontheEarth'ssurface.
noun
studyoflandformsintheocean.
noun
largebodyofsaltwaterthatcoversmostoftheEarth.
marine
geology
ocean
oceanographynoun
plateau
plate
noun
ofenergyalongfaultlinesorfromvolcanicactivity.
steep-sidedopeningthroughamountainridge.
studyofthephysicalhistoryoftheEarth,itscomposition,
itsstructure,andtheprocessesthatformandchangeit.
studyoftheocean.
largeregionthatishigherthanthesurroundingareaand
relativelyflat.
noun
movementandinteractionoftheEarth'splates.
ridge
noun
long,narrowelevationofearth.
rise
noun
seamount
noun
tectonics
underwatermountainrangewheretectonicplatesare
spreadingapart.Alsoknownasamid-oceanridge.
underwatermountain.
8of9
Term
Partof
Definition
Speech
trench
noun
long,deepdepression,eithernaturalorman-made.
trough
noun
agentlyslopingdepressionintheoceanfloor.
volcano
noun
anopeningintheEarth'scrust,throughwhichlava,ash,
andgaseserupt,andalsotheconebuiltbyeruptions.
ForFurtherExploration
Maps
USGS:WorldMapofVolcanoes,Earthquakes,ImpactCraters,andPlate
Tectonics
Websites
NationalGeographic:TheOcean
FU NDER
©1996–2017NationalGeographicSociety.Allrightsreserved.
9of9