Plate Tectonics Using Artview
PLATE TECTONICS USING ARCVIEW
Introduction:
This lesson provides a basic, simple, straight-forward introduction to the core concepts of plate tectonics. Students are enabled to discover a strong correlation or connection between the occurrence of volcanoes, earthquakes, and their proximity to plate boundaries. The teacher is then free to discuss the dynamics of motions along these boundaries that produce these dynamic events and features.
Students are provided with several datasets for this investigation. Volcanoes and earthquakes are provided and plot as points on the interactive world map which serves as a base layer. Plate boundaries appear as lines and students are prompted to compare the position of the plate boundary lines with the occurrence of earthquakes and volcanoes. Using the power of GIS, students can explore the earthquake and volcano datasets by creating color keys that illustrate earthquake magnitude, depth, and volcano height (optional.)
This lesson has been correlated to the following national science standards: (Taken directly from the NSES – NRC – 1995)
Science Content Standards: 5-8
Science as Inquiry
CONTENT STANDARD A:
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop
*Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
*Understandings about scientific inquiry
Students in grades 5-8 can begin to recognize the relationship between explanation and evidence.
ABILITIES NECESSARY TO DO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
IDENTIFY QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ANSWERED THROUGH SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS.
DESIGN AND CONDUCT A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION.
USE APPROPRIATE TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES TO GATHER, ANALYZE, AND INTERPRET DATA.
DEVELOP DESCRIPTIONS, EXPLANATIONS, PREDICTIONS, AND MODELS USING EVIDENCE.
THINK CRITICALLY AND LOGICALLY TO MAKE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EVIDENCE AND EXPLANATIONS.
RECOGNIZE AND ANALYZE ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS AND PREDICTIONS.
COMMUNICATE SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES AND EXPLANATIONS.
UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
Physical Science
CONTENT STANDARD B:
As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
*Properties and changes of properties in matter
Earth and Space Science
CONTENT STANDARD D:
As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of
*Structure of the earth system
*Earth's history
*Earth in the solar system
STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH SYSTEM
*Lithospheric plates on the scales of continents and oceans constantly move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the mantle. Major geological events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building, result from these plate motions.
*Land forms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces. Constructive forces include crustal deformation, volcanic eruption, and deposition of sediment, while destructive forces include weathering and erosion.
Science and Technology
CONTENT STANDARD E:
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop
*Abilities of technological design
*Understandings about science and technology
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
CONTENT STANDARD F:
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of
*Personal health
*Populations, resources, and environments
*Natural hazards
*Risks and benefits
*Science and technology in society
NATURAL HAZARDS
*Internal and external processes of the earth system cause natural hazards, events that change or destroy human and wildlife habitats, damage property, and harm or kill humans. Natural hazards include earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, floods, storms, and even possible impacts of asteroids
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY
*Technology influences society through its products and processes. Technology influences the quality of life and the ways people act and interact. Technological changes are often accompanied by social, political, and economic changes that can be beneficial or detrimental to individuals and to society. Social needs, attitudes, and values influence the direction of technological development.
*Science and technology have advanced through contributions of many different people, in different cultures, at different times in history. Science and technology have contributed enormously to economic growth and productivity among societies and groups within societies.
*Scientists and engineers work in many different settings, including colleges and universities, businesses and industries, specific research institutes, and government agencies.
Science Content Standards: 9-12
Science as Inquiry
CONTENT STANDARD A: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop
*Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
*Understandings about scientific inquiry
ABILITIES NECESSARY TO DO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
IDENTIFY QUESTIONS AND CONCEPTS THAT GUIDE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. Students should formulate a testable hypothesis and demonstrate the logical connections between the scientific concepts guiding a hypothesis and the design of an experiment. They should demonstrate appropriate procedures, a knowledge base, and conceptual understanding of scientific investigations.
DESIGN AND CONDUCT SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. Designing and conducting a scientific investigation requires introduction to the major concepts in the area being investigated, proper equipment, safety precautions, assistance with methodological problems, recommendations for use of technologies, clarification of ideas that guide the inquiry, and scientific knowledge obtained from sources other than the actual investigation. The investigation may also require student clarification of the question, method, controls, and variables; student organization and display of data; student revision of methods and explanations; and a public presentation of the results with a critical response from peers. Regardless of the scientific investigation performed, students must use evidence, apply logic, and construct an argument for their proposed explanations.
USE TECHNOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS TO IMPROVE INVESTIGATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS. A variety of technologies, such as hand tools, measuring instruments, and calculators, should be an integral component of scientific investigations. The use of computers for the collection, analysis, and display of data is also a part of this standard. Mathematics plays an essential role in all aspects of an inquiry. For example, measurement is used for posing questions, formulas are used for developing explanations, and charts and graphs are used for communicating results.
FORMULATE AND REVISE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS AND MODELS USING LOGIC AND EVIDENCE. Student inquiries should culminate in formulating an explanation or model. Models should be physical, conceptual, and mathematical. In the process of answering the questions, the students should engage in discussions and arguments that result in the revision of their explanations. These discussions should be based on scientific knowledge, the use of logic, and evidence from their investigation.
RECOGNIZE AND ANALYZE ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS AND MODELS. This aspect of the standard emphasizes the critical abilities of analyzing an argument by reviewing current scientific understanding, weighing the evidence, and examining the logic so as to decide which explanations and models are best. In other words, although there may be several plausible explanations, they do not all have equal weight. Students should be able to use scientific criteria to find the preferred explanations.
COMMUNICATE AND DEFEND A SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENT. Students in school science programs should develop the abilities associated with accurate and effective communication. These include writing and following procedures, expressing concepts, reviewing information, summarizing data, using language appropriately, developing diagrams and charts, explaining statistical analysis, speaking clearly and logically, constructing a reasoned argument, and responding appropriately to critical comments.
UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
*Scientists usually inquire about how physical, living, or designed systems function. Conceptual principles and knowledge guide scientific inquiries. Historical and current scientific knowledge influence the design and interpretation of investigations and the evaluation of proposed explanations made by other scientists
*Scientists conduct investigations for a wide variety of reasons. For example, they may wish to discover new aspects of the natural world, explain recently observed phenomena, or test the conclusions of prior investigations or the predictions of current theories.
*Scientists rely on technology to enhance the gathering and manipulation of data. New techniques and tools provide new evidence to guide inquiry and new methods to gather data, thereby contributing to the advance of science. The accuracy and precision of the data, and therefore the quality of the exploration, depends on the technology used.
*Scientific explanations must adhere to criteria such as: a proposed explanation must be logically consistent; it must abide by the rules of evidence; it must be open to questions and possible modification; and it must be based on historical and current scientific knowledge.
*Results of scientific inquiry--new knowledge and methods--emerge from different types of investigations and public communication among scientists. In communicating and defending the results of scientific inquiry, arguments must be logical and demonstrate connections between natural phenomena, investigations, and the historical body of scientific knowledge. In addition, the methods and procedures that scientists used to obtain evidence must be clearly reported to enhance opportunities for further investigation.
Physical Science
CONTENT STANDARD B: As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop an understanding of
*Interactions of energy and matter
INTERACTIONS OF ENERGY AND MATTER
Earth and Space Science
CONTENT STANDARD D: As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop an understanding of
*Energy in the earth system
*Geochemical cycles
ENERGY IN THE EARTH SYSTEM
*Earth systems have internal and external sources of energy, both of which create heat. The sun is the major external source of energy. Two primary sources of internal energy are the decay of radioactive isotopes and the gravitational energy from the earth's original formation.
*The outward transfer of earth's internal heat drives convection circulation in the mantle that propels the plates comprising earth's surface across the face of the globe.
GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
*Movement of matter between reservoirs is driven by the earth's internal and external sources of energy. These movements are often accompanied by a change in the physical and chemical properties of the matter. Carbon, for example, occurs in carbonate rocks such as limestone, in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas, in water as dissolved carbon dioxide, and in all organisms as complex molecules that control the chemistry of life.
Science and Technology
CONTENT STANDARD E: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop
*Abilities of technological design
*Understandings about science and technology
GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD
Fundamental abilities and concepts that underlie this standard include
ABILITIES OF TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN
UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
*Scientists in different disciplines ask different questions, use different methods of investigation, and accept different types of evidence to support their explanations. Many scientific investigations require the contributions of individuals from different disciplines, including engineering. New disciplines of science, such as geophysics and biochemistry often emerge at the interface of two older disciplines.
*Science often advances with the introduction of new technologies. Solving technological problems often results in new scientific knowledge. New technologies often extend the current levels of scientific understanding and introduce new areas of research.
*Creativity, imagination, and a good knowledge base are all required in the work of science and engineering.
*Science and technology are pursued for different purposes. Scientific inquiry is driven by the desire to understand the natural world, and technological design is driven by the need to meet human needs and solve human problems. Technology, by its nature, has a more direct effect on society than science because its purpose is to solve human problems, help humans adapt, and fulfill human aspirations. Technological solutions may create new problems. Science, by its nature, answers questions that may or may not directly influence humans. Sometimes scientific advances challenge people's beliefs and practical explanations concerning various aspects of the world.
*Technological knowledge is often not made public because of patents and the financial potential of the idea or invention. Scientific knowledge is made public through presentations at professional meetings and publications in scientific journals.
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
CONTENT STANDARD F: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of
*Natural and human-induced hazards
*Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges
GUIDE TO THE CONTENT STANDARD
NATURAL AND HUMAN-INDUCED HAZARDS
*Some hazards, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and severe weather, are rapid and spectacular. But there are slow and progressive changes that also result in problems for individuals and societies. For example, change in stream channel position, erosion of bridge foundations, sedimentation in lakes and harbors, coastal erosions, and continuing erosion and wasting of soil and landscapes can all negatively affect society.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES
*Science and technology are essential social enterprises, but alone they can only indicate what can happen, not what should happen. The latter involves human decisions about the use of knowledge.
Major Objectives:
- Identifying the “Ring of Fire.
- Discovering movement of the Earth along the plate boundaries.
- Locating and labeling assigned volcanoes.
- Organizing tables.
Materials:
Arcview 3.x
PC or Mac computer
Handouts of directions, world map (with instructions “Ring of Fire”)
Procedure:
A. Launch ArcView and then Open the file titled “Proj1.apr”
Note: Your project should open flawlessly IF you have the folder on the desktop of your computer and the project file is in the same folder as all the other files that it will be “calling upon” to use.
B. Using ArcView you will turn on various themes, such as volcanoes and earthquakes. Turning on a theme will plot points on your world map representing whatever theme you are turning on. For example, if you are turning on the earthquakes theme, earthquakes will be plotted, and can then be analyzed, on your world map. Your ultimate goal is to answer the following question:
Are earthquake and volcanic eruption occurrences random or is there some pattern that explains where these events occur? IF a pattern exists, you then need to explain WHY a pattern exists.
To begin your exploration proceed with instruction #1 below:
1.Once your file is open, under “view 1” is a table of contents.
Your table of contents contains “themes”, these include: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Major Cities, Plates, etc.
- To the left of each theme is a square. Clicking on the square puts a check mark on it. This is known as turning on a theme. For example, put a checkmark in the square next to “Volcanoes”. Red triangles appear across the map of the world. Each triangle represents a volcano.
Hint to working efficiently and effectively within ArcView:
Please note that placing the cursor over any icon within the top two rows of buttons in the ArcView interface will result in the name of the button or tool appearing. Thus when in hunting for a tool or button, this will come in very handy.
Your next objective is to locate the following volcanoes (many of these are well-known) on the map in Arcview and to label each:
(Note: some of the names below DO NOT match the names in the data table called for student use later in the assignment – this ought to be looked at and perhaps the table needs to be modified? Or is there something I’m missing?)
Mt. Etna, ItalyMt. Unzen, Japan
Mt. Vesuvius, ItalyMt. Pelee, Martinique
Nevado del RuizMt. Krakatoa, Indonesia
Mt. Kilauea, HawaiiMt. Tambora, Indonesia
Mt. St. Helens, OregonMt. Kilamanjaro,
3. To locate each of the volcanoes you must first open the data table containing relevant information about the volcanoes. To perform this task, turn on the “Volcanoes” theme (see instructions above if you’re not clear as to how to do this.) Next, you need to make the theme active by clicking just to the right of the name “Volcanoes”. After you have done this notice the area around the name and checkmark appears raised-it is active. You must click anywhere inside this raised rectangle.
4. The next step is to open the volcanoes data table.
To do this, locate the tool called “open theme table” that is illustrated here, , place your cursor at the top of the button bar on this tool and click on it. A table containing information about the volcanoes will appear.
Once the table is open, identify all the columns (also known as “fields”) of information available for each volcano. You may need to increase the width of the table to see all the fields.
5. It is often helpful when analyzing data to organize a data table. For our purposes at the moment, we will organize the table according to the “name” field. That is, we will place the volcanoes in alphabetical order by their name. Before proceeding, discuss with your team what other ways the table could be organized. Record these in your report, and be prepared for a discussion on this topic in the near future.
To organize the volcanoes in alphabetic order by name, you need to click on the word “Name” at the head (top) of the “Name” field. The “Name” cell (or box) should now be “highlighted” or have a darker background than the head of any other field. Next locate the “Sort Ascending” button . Activate it by clicking on it once. Your list of names should now be in alphabetical order.