Geography: Earth in Motion
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 3.3ACTIVITY GEOGRAPHY: EARTH IN MOTION1Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Geography: Earth in Motion,” OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/PurposeLooking at maps of the world at different periods throughout historywill help you understand how geography plays a role in the distribution of life on Earth.Key information•The continents are in constant motion. Tectonic platespush together and break apart in a process that expands and shrinks oceans, builds mountains, and rearranges landmasses. Process1.Draw a line to match the statements to the correct maps.About200 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangea allowed land animals to migrate from the South Pole to the North Pole,diversifying lifeafter a major extinction.About 100 million years ago, Pangea divided into distinct landmasses, creating the coasts of today’s continents.Dinosaurs were present north of the Arctic Circle and in Antarctica and southern Australia.Today, Earth’s continents remain in motion, and species are shaped by millions of years of geographic isolation, climate shifts, and evolutionary pressures.
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 3.3ACTIVITY GEOGRAPHY: EARTH IN MOTION22. Geologists predict that approximately 250 million years in the future, Earth’s plates will move to form another supercontinent. Answer the questions below based on thismap:•How have coastlines changed or disappeared in this future supercontinent?
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 3.3ACTIVITY GEOGRAPHY: EARTH IN MOTION3•How might animals be affected by the formation of a single landmass?•Which oceans have expanded, and which have nearly disappeared, according to this map?•What challenges or opportunities might marine species face if ocean currents, temperatures, or coastlines change dramatically?•Based on what you’ve learned about evolution and plate tectonics, how do you think life on Earth will evolve in the future?