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Lesson title

Baja California: Past and Present
Intent of the lesson

Students will discover through the examination of different sources of data to discover the interaction of the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate which created Baja California and the Sea of Cortez.
Ed. standards

 

California State Standards-Earth Science

3. Plate tectonics operating over geologic time has changed the patterns of land, sea, and mountains on Earth’s surface. As the basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know features of the ocean floor (magnetic patterns, age, and sea-floor topography) provide evidence of plate tectonics.

b. Students know the principal structures that form at the three different kinds of plate boundaries.

c. Students know how to explain the properties of rocks based on the physical and chemical conditions in which they formed, including plate tectonic processes.

 

9. The geology of California underlies the state’s wealth of natural resources as well as its natural hazards. As a basis for understanding this concept:

b. Students know the principal natural hazards in different California regions and the geologic basis of those hazards.

 

Investigation and Experimentation

1. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other four strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. Select and use appropriate tools and technology (such as computer-linked probes, spreadsheets, and graphing calculators) to perform tests, collect data, analyze relationships, and display data.

h. Read and interpret topographic and geologic maps.

i. Analyze the locations, sequences, or time intervals that are characteristic of natural phenomena (e.g., relative ages of rocks, locations of planets over time, and succession of species in an ecosystem).

l. Analyze situations and solve problems that require combining and applying concepts from more than one area of science.

 

California State Standards-Biology

8. Evolution is the result of genetic changes that occur in constantly changing environments. As a basis for understanding this concept:

   c. Students know the effects of genetic drift on the diversity of organisms in a population.

d. Students know reproductive or geographic isolation affects speciation.

e. Students know how to analyze fossil evidence with regard to biological diversity, episodic speciation, and mass extinction.

 
Orientation

Introduce available tools and concepts so that students feel safe taking intellectual risks
  Intent
 The orientation will introduce students to the major concepts of global plate tectonics and how paleomagnetism can be used to reconstruct the movement of specific parts of the Earth, such as Baja California and the Sea of Cortez. This provides the concepts and tools necessary to use the provacative phenomena to track the origin and movement of Baja California.
  Procedure  The orientation procedure positions the students as global observers. The perspective and tools used to study global processes are introduced and include looking for patterns, the relationships within patterns (symmetry), magnetic north and south and what that means, and how those patterns are generated. The orientation will follow these steps:
  • beginning with the Earth from space and zooming into Sea of Cortez region
  • review plate tectonics using http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics/#
  • activity to demonstrate the magnetic fields around a bar magnet and how a compass needle changes position in relationship to the North & South poles
  • the north magnetic pole and how the poles have reversed over time (activity to demonstrate the change in magnetic poles)
  Type of Evidence
 Student comments on what they observe in response to teacher questioning.
  Teacher  profile
 2.5: Teacher questions would include:
What is the North Pole?
Is it ever the South Pole?
Are there continents that could have fit together?
When you look at a map, how can you tell where North is located and is it the same on all maps?
  Student profile
 2.0: Students will offer answers to the questions and they in turn will ask questions to clarify their prior knowledge. Anticipated questions include"
How do we know the continents move?
How do we know the poles reverse?
Why do the poles reverse?
What is so special about the Sea of Cortez?
Why aren't all magnetic anomaly patterns symmetrical?
Fieldwork
 Give students experience to foster their intererst and ownership; provoke students to explore, observe and generate their own questions about the phenenomon
  Intent
 The intent is to provide different activities that allow students to make observations and formulate questions about the origin of Baja California. These are designed to interest students and to provoke them to think about how Baja California originated and how long it has existed. The other goal is to get across the point that the Earth is a dynamic system that is everchanging.
  Procedure

The students will be working in pairs or groups of three on their own computer. Each person in the group will receive handouts that describe the data type at each station and a sample observation that could be made.

Instructions at each station will describe the data type, the units of these data (if needed), and guide students to key features of the presented information.

At each station, students will write down their observations on the information presented and questions they have about the information.

  Provacative Phenomena


iView Presentation of Sea of Cortez, Baja California Peninsula, & mainland Mexico
Animation of Pacific Plate movement
Picture of a rock lizard of Baja CA & mainland Mexico

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  Type of Evidence
 Discourse among students
  Teacher profile
 2: Teacher provides a focus for observation that allows for adaptation.  Questions asked by the taecher might include:
How would you recognize a pole reversal in the chart of magnetic anomalies?
What is the relationship between the magnetic anomalies and age?
What are the parts or features of Baja California that fit into the mainland of Mexico?
Why are the magnetic anomalies symmetrical?
What would result in the magnetic anomaly data if there was a subduction zone right of the coast of western Mexico?
  Student profile
 3.5: Students are working almost independently generating their own questions and offering xplanations. Their questions  might include:
Why did Baja California move to the northwest?
What causes the peninsula to move?
How do you know what color represents normal and what color represents a reversal?
Why don't the lizards live everywhere (have a continuous distribution rather than in certain areas only)?
Debriefing
 Teacher honors all student observations, questions and hypotheses in order to identify and discuss their viability as a research topic.
  Intent
 Helps students to understand their questions and to offer explanations for their peers' questions. Researchable hypotheses are generated from this give-and-take discussion.
  Procedure
 Should include detailed instructions of the process including the anticipated hypothesis and question, along with a description of any content lessons  necessary to achieve this stage
Begin with the first station and ask students for their observations and generated questions.
Anticipated questions might include:
Why did Baja move to the northwest?
What caused the peninsula to move?
Why did the peninsula "tear" off at that particular place on the mainland of Mexico?
Anticipated hypotheses might include?
There is a place in the Sea Cortez where the peninsula and the mainland are moving apart.
The mainland is on one plate and the peninsula is on another plate and as they move apart, the two bodies also move at an angle.
  Type of Evidence
 Discourse between teacher and students. Questions generated by students while other students offer explanations.
  Teacher profile
 1.5: Provides an opportunity to ask questions with a few leading questions.
Has  Baja California always been located in its current position? Why or why not? This question should help generate a response without giving too much away.
  Student profile
 3.5 Generates questions and may modify a question provided by the teacher.
Why did Baja move?
How fast has it moved?
Where was it once located?
How can the magnetic anomaly data be used to calculate the travel time?
Has the Baja peninsula always moved at the same rate (SOPAC vector map)
Experimental design
 Design an investigation wherein students gather and analyze data that address the identified question
Data collection
 Define approach for collecting data
  Intent
 The concepts necessary to collect data and answer the question will be identified by the students in their groups. The teacher will circulate throughout the classroom and assist when needed.
  Procedure
 Should include detailed instructions of the process and a description of any content lessons necessary to achieve this stage
The concepts associated with the question include:

Plate Tectonics
Question: Are the Baja Peninsula and mainland Mexico located on the same plate?
Researchable Hypothesis: The Baja Peninsula and mainland Mexico are located on different plates by viewing the vector map from SOPAC. Vector Map of Baja California Region
Data Collected & Examined:
A paper activity with the cutouts of Baja Peninsula and the mainland of Mexico.
Animation of the continents in motion over time

Magnetic Anomalies
Question: Do the anomalies represent magnetic reversals and are they correlated to time?
Researchable Hypothesis: At a spreading center, the new rock takes on the magnetic orientation of the time and is represented as magnetic anomalies.
Data Examined:
Magnetic Fields
Animation of spreading center

Spreading Centers
Question: How can spreading centers be identified in the Sea of Cortez?
Researchable hypothesis: If the magnetic stripes can be correlated with distance moved per year, then the magnetic anomalies can date the age of this area of the Sea of Cortez.
Data collected:
Spreading Rate
Magnetic Anomalies of East Pacific Rise

Biological Data
Question: Can the distribution of the rock lizard be used to locate the original position of Baja California in relationship to mainland Mexico?
Researchable Hypothesis: The rock lizard's distribution is in the Cape Region of Baja California and Baja's original position on the mainland.
Data Collected:
Dr. Lee Grismer presented this information in class and I have to locate these data and maps.
  Type of Evidence
 Collecting observations and questioning what these data represent. Questions should be student to student rather than student to teacher.
  Teacher profile
 2: Teacher offers some guidance in what data to collect and how to collect it. Guiding questions might include:
On a map, where is north?
What is the scale of the map or the time scale of the observations.
What patterns do you observe and what could they mean in terms of the data?
What is the significance of symmetry in magnetic anomalies?
What are the units of the observations?
  Student profile
 3.5: Students make decisions as to what data to collect and how to collect it. A little structure is provided by the teacher.
How can I record my data?
What do these units mean and how do they relate to the Earth?
Do I have to write down all of this information?
What does this mean?
How many pieces of evidence do I need to examine and collect data from for this assignment?
Data analysis
 Define approach for analyzing data
  Intent
 Students look for patterns within data and between data sets. The results from the different data should be considered together to gain insight into the question.
  Procedure
 Should include detailed instructions of the process and a description of any content lessons necessary to achieve this stage
Students can begin on any of the four data collecting stations.
  Type of Evidence
 Discourse between students as they formulate their explanations for their observations and data collected.
  Teacher profile
 1.5: Students formulate their explanations independent of the teacher with a little guidance from the teacher.
When looking at the coastlines of Baja & mainland, how are they similar?
What does symmetry mean in relationship to the magnetic anomalies?
Does time have a relationship to the magnetic anomalies? Why?
Why was distribution of the rock lizard discontinuous?
  Student profile
 3.7: Students formulate explanations from evidence collected with a few guiding remarks from the teacher.
How do I calculate the rate of spreading from the magnetic anomaly data?
How do I relate the magnetic anomalies to spreading centers?
Why can't rock lizards live all over Baja?
How can I recognize if Baja is on one plate and mainland Mexico is on another plate?
Presentation
 Teacher provides students an opportunity to prepare and communicate what they have learned.
  Intent
 Students will communicate their findings in a coherent presentation that uses several technologies.
  Procedure
 Should include detailed instructions of the process and a description of any content lessons necessary to achieve this stage
Students will follow the general outlines of investigative process. The presentation will be approximately 10 minutes long.
  Type of Evidence
 Speaking style to audience will vary with the individual but it will be informative and interactive, at some point.
  Teacher profile
 1: Encourages students to formulate their explanations into plausible ideas. Standardized questions should be asked of all groups to elucidate the group's ideas and explanations.
How did you develop that explanation from your collected data?
What was the most difficult part of this process?
What have you learned from this assignment?
  Student profile
 3.5: Crafts their explanations into a cohesive presentation with a little bit of interaction with the teacher. Presentation defends explanations and answers questions from their peers to clarify thoughts.
CP0001 Expedition - Cruise Planning Back to index


Expedition - Planning the Mission (logistics and operations)
Expert level
 Data
Images
Text
1-3
(Elementary)
   Supporting resources:
  Distance on the globe for kids web site




4
(Middle School)
 NGA (NIMA) World Port Index
SIO port stops with lat,lon
  Supporting resources:
  Great Circle distance calculator web site
 Metadata
Metadata


Operational Plan Template - middle school
  Supporting resources:
  History of Navigation web site
  Oceanographers Telescopes - the Research Fleet (presentation)
  Oceanographers Telescopes - the Research Fleet (speakers notes)
  SIO Ship Operations web site
  Research Vessel Roger Revelle overview
Metadata


Metadata
Metadata
5
(High School)
   Supporting resources:
  NGA Marine Navigation Calculator




Operational Plan Template - high school and up
Contingency Planning
Project Budget Template
Cruise Calulator (waypoints, distances and times)
  Supporting resources:
  Revelle's Current schedule web site
 Metadata
Metadata
Metadata
Metadata
6
(College)



Peru Clearance Cliffhanger Metadata
7-9
(Graduate
and Research)



Scheduling the UNOLS Fleet
  Supporting resources:
  SIO Chief Scientists Manual web site 		Metadata

 

Expedition - Planning the Science
Expert level
 Data
Images
Text
1-3
(Elementary)
  





4
(Middle School)
 NIMA world port facility index
 Metadata


Project Summary Page Template - middle school and up
Project Description Template - middle school 		Metadata
Metadata
5
(High School)
  



Project Description Template - high school and up Metadata
6
(College)





7-9
(Graduate
and Research)




 

Expedition - Case Study:  Panorama Leg 1  near 21°N
Expert level
 Data
Images
Text
1-3
(Elementary)
  





4
(Middle School)
 PANR01MV track chart
CruiseViewer snapshot
of PANR01MV, over global topography
Lonsdale location figure


 Metadata
 Prior work:  Gulf of California 1939 Expedition
 PANR01MV weekly report
PANR01MV cruise report
Metadata
Metadata
5
(High School)
 Observed magnetic profile
Magnetic model
 Metadata
Metadata
 PANR01MV Multibeam bathymetry visualization experience

Lonsdale-Eakins Alarcon map collection


 Metadata
 PANR01MV QC report
Publications
Lonsdale, 19xx
 Metadata
6
(College)





7-9
(Graduate
and Research)






Expedition - Regional Study of the EPR near 21°N
Expert level
 Data
Images
Text
1-3
(Elementary)
  





4
(Middle School)

CruiseViewer snapshot
of nearby cruises, over global topography
Lonsdale location figure
Prior work:  Gulf of California 1939 Expedition
List of cruises
Cruise reports for each cruise
5
(High School)
 Observed magnetic profile

Magnetic model
CruiseViewer snapshot
of nearby cruises, over crustal age

Regional Multibeam bathymetry visualization experience

Lonsdale-Eakins Alarcon map collection

gtnavmap dredge map


 Metadata
 All QC reports
Publications
Lonsdale, 19xx
6
(College)





7-9
(Graduate
and Research)






Expedition - Historical  Voyages of Discovery  (web resources)
Expert level
 Data
Images
Text
1-3
(Elementary)
  



National Maritime Museum, Greenwich UK
National Maritime Museum, Sydney Australia
National Maritime Museum, Auckland New Zealand
4
(Middle School)

David Rumsey Online historic map collection
Discoverers Web by Andre Engels
European Voyages of Discovery in the New South Wales Library
5
(High School)
  





California Explores the Oceans - early SIO expeditions
Menard Anatomy of an Expedition chapter on planning
6
(College)





7-9
(Graduate
and Research)






 

 

 

M00001 Simple Seafloor Spreading (Reykjanes Ridge)   Back to index









Standard Subject

M00001 Simple Seafloor Spreading

 

General Metadata

magnetic anomalies, seafloor spreading, magnetic stripes, magnetism, magnetic anomaly, mid-ocean ridge

 

Level (L) Images (I)   Data (D)   Text (T)  

1-2
(Elementary)		 Photograph of bar magnet and  nearby iron filings Index Page        

3
(Middle School)		 Magnetic Seafloor and Deeper Reversals   Table 1: Le Pichon 1968 Index Page Definition of Mid-Ocean Ridge Index Page

4
(High School)		 Age of the Seafloor Along Reykjanes Ridge Index Page Cross-Section Formation of Magnetic Anomalies with Geologic Timescale Index Page Definition of Seafloor Spreading Index Page

5
(College)		 Magnetic Polarities Along Reykjanes Ridge Index Page Magnetic Poloraity and Ocean Depth Versus Longitude Along the Reykjanes Ridge Index Page Abstract-Heirtzler et al 1966 Index Page

6-9
(Graduate & Research)		 Figure 1: Heirtzler et al 1966 Index Page Figure 2-Heirtzler et al 1966 Index Page Abstract-Heirtzler et al 1966 Index Page
























 

M00002 Complex Seafloor Spreading   Back to index









Standard Subject

M00002 Complex Seafloor Spreading


General Metadata

magnetic anomalies, seafloor spreading, magnetic stripes,


Level (L) Images (I)   Data (D)   Text (T)  

1-2
(Elementary)		 Seafloor Spreading Animation Index Page        

3
(Middle School)		 Magnetic Particles in Oceanic Sediment Index Page Cross-Section Formation of Magnetic Anomalies with Geologic Timescale Index Page Text 01 from Vine 1966 Text 01 from Vine 1966

4
(High School)		 Magnetic Anomalies Off the Coast of the Pacific Northwest Index Page Geomagnetic-Polarity Epochs and Respective Age of Seafloor Index Page Text  04  from Vine 1966 Text  04  from Vine 1966

  Magnetic Anomalies and the Sea-floor Spreading Rate Index Page  

5
(College)		  Figure 1-Vine 1966 (Raff & Mason) Index Page Table 1. Mid-Ocean Ridge Data Table (Wilson) Index Page Chapter 2 Mason - Oreskes Chapter 2 Mason - Oreskes

Multiple Maps of Diverging Plate Boundary and Cruise Paths Index Page Magnetic Profile and Map of Spreading Center Index Page  

6-9
(Graduate & Research)		 Magnetic Anomaly Data for Multiple Seafloor Locations Index Page Magnetic Anomlay Data from Multiple Seafloor Locations Index Page Chapter 3 Vine - Oreskes Chapter 3 Vine - Oreskes

Map of Diverging Plate Boundary and Cruise Path Index Page Magnetic Profiles and Map of Diverging Plate Boundary Index Page  
























 

M00006 Magnetic Reversals   Back to index









Standard Subject

M00006 Magnetic Reversals


General Metadata

magnetic field reversals, geomagnetic field reversals


Level (L) Images (I)   Data (D)   Text (T)  

1-2
(Elementary)		 Magnetic Reversal Video Along a Spreading Center Index Page Magnetic Rock Sample Polarity Data Table Index Page Definition of Magnetic Reversal - Elementary School Index Page

3
(Middle School)		 Figure of a Normal and Reversed Magnetic Field Index Page Magnetic Reversal Data and Timescale Index Page Definition of Magnetic Reversal - Middle School Index Page

4
(High School)		 Direction of Changing Magnetic Poles based on Basalt Samples in Japan Index Page Magnetic Reversal Data Table Index Page    

  Magnetic Profiles Index Page    

5
(College)		 Magnetic Field Reversal Video Index Page Magnetic Profile Data Across the East Pacific Rise Index Page    

6-9
(Graduate & Research)		 Magnetic Reversals Based on Dipole and Nondipole Field Strength Index Page Paleomagnetic Data of Field Intensity and Polarity Index Page Chapter 6 - Oreskes: Morley Chapter 6 - Oreskes: Morley
























 

M00008 Seamounts   Back to index









Standard Subject

M00008 Seamounts


General Metadata




Level (L) Images (I)   Data (D)   Text (T)  

1-2
(Elementary)		            

3
(Middle School)		            

4
(High School)		 Bathymetric map of the Magellan Seamount Trail including Vlinder Morphology Analysis Index Page        

Bathymetry of the Magellan Seamount Trail Index Page        

Ralik and Ratak Seamount Trails Index Page        

5
(College)		 Map of West Pacific Seamount Province Index Page        

Map of the Japanese Seamount Trail Index Page        

WPSP Seamount Trails Index Page        

6-9
(Graduate & Research)		 West Pacific Seamount Province and the Japanese Seamounts Index Page        

Northern and Southern Wake Seamount Trails Index Page        

Euler Pole derivation Index Page        
























 

 

M00013 Tectonic Plates   Back to index









Standard Subject

M00013 Tectonic Plates


General Metadata

plate tectonics, tectonic plates, crustal blocks, lithospheric plates


Level (L) Images (I)   Data (D)   Text (T)  

1-2
(Elementary)		 The Earth's Layers Index Page Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes Index Page Definition of Lithospheric Plates and Plate Tectonics Index Page

3
(Middle School)		 The Major Tectonic Plates of the World Index Page Map of Tectonic Plates and Their Movement Index Page Fill-in-the-Blank Plate Tectonic Exercise Index Page

4
(High School)		 Map of the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate Diverging Over Iceland Index Page Geology of Africa and South America Index Page    

5
(College)		 Diagram Illustrating Components of Plate Tectonics Index Page Movement between Tectonic Plates (Table 5) Index Page Chpt 1. -- Oreskes Index Page

6-9
(Graduate & Research)		     Rates of Plate Rotation (Table 4) Index Page Abstract -- Morgan Abstract -- Morgan
























 

M00016  Convergent Boundaries   Back to index









Standard Subject

M00016 Convergent Plate Boundaries


General Metadata




Level (L) Images (I)   Data (D)   Text (T)  

1-2
(Elementary)		 The Eurasian Plate and Indian Plate Converging to Create the Himalayas Index Page        

3
(Middle School)		 Subduction Zone Index Page Relationship of Temperature and Earthquakes in a Downgoing Slab Index Page    

4
(High School)		 The Collision of Two Continents Index Page Temperature Distribution in a Sinking Lithospheric Plate Compared to Surrounding Mantle Index Page Converging Plate Boundaries Index

Global image of the Pacific Margins Index Page    

5
(College)		            

6-9
(Graduate & Research)		            
























 

M00017  Divergent Boundaries   Back to index









Standard Subject

M00017 Divergent Plate Boundaries


General Metadata

divergent plate boundary, spreading center


Level (L) Images (I)   Data (D)   Text (T)  

1-2
(Elementary)		 Simple Figure for a Divergent Boundary Index Page     Simple Definition of Divergent Plate Boundaries Index Page

3
(Middle School)		 Image of a Divergent Boundary Index Page Heat Level Data Over Divergent Boundary Index Page Definition of Divergent Plate Margins - Middle School Index Page

4
(High School)		 Divergent Boundary Between Two Continents Index Page Gravity Data Over Oceanic Ridge Index Page    

5
(College)		 Topographic Map of a Divergent Plate Boundary Index Page        

6-9
(Graduate & Research)		            
























 

M00018 Strike Slip Boundaries   Back to index









Standard Subject

M00018 Strike-Slip Plate Boundaries


General Metadata


transform faults, strike-slip faults


Level (L) Images (I)   Data (D)   Text (T)  

1-2
(Elementary)		 3-D Image with Arrow Plate Motion Index Page        

3
(Middle School)		 Transform fault at Mid-Ocean Ridge vs. Seafloor Age Index Page     Definition of Transform Fault Index Page

4
(High School)		 Fig. 1-Wilson 1965:  Transform and Transcurrent Faults Index Page     Text 01-Wilson 1965: Definition of Transform and Transcurrent Faults
Text 01-Wilson 1965: Definition of Transform and Transcurrent Faults
*need to scan & archive*

5
(College)		 Mendocino Transform Fault  Index Page        

6-9
(Graduate & Research)		 Fig.3-Wilson 1965: Juan de Fuca Ridge and related faults Index Page Table 1-Wilson 1965: Location of points on Figure 3 Index Page    
























 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2004-07-19 09:15 AM