Lesson 2 : Lab

Time Required: 120 minutes

Design a model of Pangaea and use fossil/geologic data to create a model that demonstrates how the plates of a supercontinent could break apart. They then will present their findings as an archeological team, explaining the theory of plate tectonics as indicated by the presence of certain fossils.

MS-ESS2-3

Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions. [Clarification Statement: Examples of data include similarities of rock and fossil types on different continents, the shapes of the continents (including continental shelves), and the locations of ocean structures (such as ridges, fracture zones, and trenches).] [Assessment Boundary: Paleomagnetic anomalies in oceanic and continental crust are not assessed.]