The Continental Puzzle

The Continental Puzzle

Purpose: To form a model on paper of the super-continent, Pangaea.

Materials: Copy of figure 10-7, scissors, paste, colored pencils

Procedure:

1.  Read ALL instructions before you begin your work.

2.  There are 3 symbols for fossils in figure 10-7. The types of fossils show that they were formed near the equator, the middle latitudes, and the poles. Color the fossil symbols using a different colored pencil for each of the 3 symbols.

3.  The shaded areas on the continents in fig. 10-7 each represent 1 type of rock. Color these rock areas in the correct locations on your paper continents.

4.  Use scissors to carefully cut your copy of fig. 10-7 along the border of each continent. These represent the approximate shape of the continents formed when Pangaea broke up.

5.  Place the continents on the BACK of this sheet. Use the clues to move the continents until they form one large super-continent. The pieces do NOT have to fit together EXACTLY.

6.  Attach the continents to a piece of paper using the paste. Try to keep the pieces together in the shape of Pangaea.

7.  Before leaving class, clean up ALL materials!!

Collecting and Analyzing Data

1.  Which 2 continents have the most obvious fit of the coastlines? ______& ______.

2.  How were the fossil symbols helpful in deciding where to move the continents? ______

3.  How did you use the types of rock as a guide in moving the continents? ______

4.  Describe the order you followed in placing separate continents into the super-continents. ______

Drawing Conclusions

5.  Find a world map (in agenda book). Compared with the present locations of the continents on a world map, which continent has changed the its position LEAST? Explain. ______

6.  A large mass of ice called a glacier once covered parts of Pangaea nearest the South Pole. On what continents would you expect to see evidence of a glacier? Why? EXPLAIN. ______

7.  Why would the present shape of the continents not fit perfectly into the shape of a super-continent? THINK. ______

8.  Describe the direction each continent has moved to get from Pangaea to its present location. ______