If we could travel back 90 million years, we would find India positioned east of Madagascar and just beginning its tectonic journey northward toward Asia. Travel through India today and you will notice many variations in its physical geography. What we see now could have been quite different if India had not moved. How has the movement of India affected the country’s physical environment?
This lesson will help students to connect plate tectonic movement with physical features in the environment using India as a case study. In activity 1, students learn about plate tectonics and the formation of present-day continents, beginning with Pangaea. In activity 2, students learn how the Himalaya Mountains formed. In the closing activity, students work in small groups to research a physical feature in India’s diverse landscape and present it as part of a class "tour" of India.
Activity 1:
In activity 1, students learn about plate tectonic activity and the formation of present-day continents, beginning with Pangaea.
Directions:
1. Tell students that they are going to learn about the powerful physical process, called plate tectonics, that can create mountains. Ask students what they learned in the opening activity about plate tectonics, and write their answers on the board. Ask students what questions they still have, and write these on the board.
2. Explain that Earth’s hard shell is made up of thick slabs of rock that are constantly moving. These thick slabs of rock are called plates. Each plate floats above the fluid-like upper mantle and core of Earth. Plate tectonics refers to the theory of movement and interaction of the plates. This image shows Earth’s plates.
3. After discussing what they know about plate tectonics, break students into small groups. Have students work through an online tutorial to gain a greater understanding of plate tectonics. Alternatively, project this interactive and discuss as a class.
4. Explain to students that because Earth’s plates are always moving, they were not always in their present locations. Give each student or small group a copy of the Plate Tectonics Handout (PDF, Adobe Reader required). Ask students to arrange the five maps chronologically to show the movement of Earth’s landmasses into their present day state.
5. After students complete their handouts, discuss as a class. The answers can be found at the USGS Web site. On this site, there is more information on tectonic plates and the movement of Earth’s landmasses over time. You may choose to have students read this or highlight some of its facts. Return to the questions written on the board and see which students can now answer.
Activity 2:
In activity 2, students learn how the Himalaya Mountains formed.
Directions:
1. Using this image of the Earth’s plates, have students locate the name of the plate upon which the country of India lies. Answer: Indian Plate. Ask students what they notice about the plate. Note: They should notice that the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate abut each other.
2. Now have students focus on the movement of India over time. Over millions of years, tectonic plate movement cause India to venture from the east coast of Madagascar to its present location touching Asia. Have students look at the map of the Indian Plate’s movement.
3. Ask students what they think happened over 50 million years ago when India collided with Asia.
Answer: The collision of plates raised a large range of mountains called the Himalayas.
Background Information:
The Himalaya mountain range began to form when two large landmasses, India and Eurasia, driven by tectonic plate movement, collided. The pressure of the colliding plates could only be relieved by pushing the plates skyward. The folding, bending, and twisting of the collision zone formed the jagged Himalayan peaks. This string of towering peaks is still thrust up as India continues to crunch relentlessly into the southern edge of the Eurasian Plate.
4. Have students learn more about the formation of the Himalayas over time by exploring this interactive. For more information and additional diagrams, see the "Continental-continental convergence" section of this USGS Web page.
5. Distribute blank paper and colored pencils or pens. Ask students to draw a diagram illustrating how plate tectonic activity created the Himalayas. They should label their diagrams and write a paragraph explaining the illustration.
6. Share the diagrams as a class and discuss. Include in the discussion how this massive mountain range might impact India. Write student answers on the board. Possible answers include physical impacts, such as providing water that melts from its snowy peaks and influencing climate, and human impacts, such as creating a natural border, making travel difficult, and attracting tourism.
In the closing activity, students work in small groups to research a physical feature in India’s diverse landscape and present it as part of a class "tour" of India.
1. Instruct students to each select a physical feature of India to research. Assign or allow students to choose from the following, making sure that each feature has been selected by at least one group:
- Mountain: Eastern and Western Ghats
- River: Indus River and the Ganges River
- Plain: Indo-Gangetic Plain
- Plateau: Deccan Plateau
- Desert: Great Indian Desert
Students should conduct research using library or Internet resources.
2. Tell students to prepare a three to five minute oral presentation on their feature. Explain that they will present their research during a class "tour" of India’s physical landscape.
3. Use the Tour of India Educator Handout (PDF) to guide the class tour. It includes some of the background information students might present on their physical features, but is by no means exhaustive.
This lesson was adapted from a lesson developed by DC Geographic Alliance Teacher Consultant Donna Grogan for Geography Action! Asia
Teacher observation of student participation and completion of assigned activities
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