This lesson asks students to consider how the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates alters the physical characteristics of places over geologic time. Students will investigate how climate has changed in specific world regions since the time of the dinosaurs and will write paragraphs explaining their findings.

Geography, history, technology, earth science

Standard 4: "The physical and human characteristics of places"

Two hours

• Computer with Internet access
• Writing materials

Students will

• review the theory of plate tectonics;
• discuss how plate movements affect climate in various land regions;
• research and record the ways that climate has changed in various world regions over the past one hundred million years;
• explain how animals in these regions might have been affected by climate changes;
• research and take notes on dinosaur characteristics that have been revealed from the fossil record in various world regions;
• write paragraphs explaining what fossils reveal about the vegetation and climate of the places where dinosaurs lived; and
• write paragraphs explaining how the places they have written about have changed since the era of the dinosaurs.

Review with the class the theory of plate tectonics to make sure everyone understands that the Earth's plates are constantly moving. Ask them to think about how these plate movements affect the climate in various places over millions of years. For example, if the Pacific plate continues to move northward, what will the climate of present-day Los Angeles eventually be like?

Ask students to take out two or three pieces of paper and list the following places, keeping at least half a page between each one so there will be room for notes: Antarctica, India, southern South America, Southern Africa, the southern United States, and another place of their choice.

Ask students to look at maps of ancient Earth and describe what the climate might have been like in each of the places on their list one hundred million years ago.

Students should look closely at the latitudes where these regions were once located and think about what the climate there is like today. Under each place on their list, have students list how the animals found in fossils from this time period may have adapted to their climate.

Have students read about dinosaur discoveries in each of the places on their list. Ask them to list the characteristics of at least one dinosaur from each place.

Discuss with the class the question "What do fossils say about the vegetation and climate of the places when dinosaurs were alive?" Students should refer to their research notes when providing answers.

Ask students to write a paragraph answering the question, "What do fossils say about the vegetation and climate of the places when dinosaurs were alive?" Have students find out what the climate in these places is like today by looking at the Climate Zones map at the Dinosaur's Neighborhood activity. Then have them write additional paragraphs answering the questions, "What are these places like today? Are they more or less different from each other than they were 100 million years ago? Why?"

Have students write paragraphs predicting what scientists one million years from now might learn about the physical (and, optionally, human) characteristics of the places we inhabit today. What might scientists learn by studying the traces we leave behind?

Dinosauria On-Line
Enchanted Learning: Dinosaur Fossils
National Geographic: Xpeditions Activity—A Dinosaur's Neighborhood