Need some DU brainstorm love re: teaching Plate Tectonics

[AlecBGreen]

I am teaching tectonic plate boundaries tomorrow and I want to try a new idea. First, the 'usual lesson' of teaching plate boundaries & their effects. Next the students will examine an animation about the breakup of Pangaea and answer questions "What boundary did this? what is making the plates move? how long did this take? etc" Ive included a still picture of the animation.

Now here is the new idea I need help with. I was thinking the kids could write a break-up letter from the perspective of America to Africa. "Ive had enough of you! After 100 million years together, I just cant take another minute!" I want them to cover a few points in the letter: Why are you leaving? What is MAKING you leave? Who gets to take what with them? Is there 'someone' else who will be leaving with you? Will you ever get back together again? I was thinking they could work in pairs to draft the letter, one person writes the other reads. Whichever has the best dramatic interpretation gets a prize :)

So my question is, how does this sound? Would this be a fun assignment if you were still a high-school student?

More importantly, what other suggestions or guiding questions could/would you ask? Thanks for any help you can offer! :hi:

[Ian David]

1. Maybe you can incorporate the song "Palisades Park" into the lesson?

http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/nysgs/nygeology/tectonic/09.html

Palisades Park by Freddy Cannon
http://s0.ilike.com/play#Freddy+Cannon:Palisades+Park:120315:s1652234.9425964.751956.0.2.105%2Cstd_21b1d719ec37409799364f3df947f29f

Palisades Park with The Ramones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN1-AmYuBmE


Sha Na Na with Freddie Cannon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ttwj3YiPFY&feature=related

[aquart]

2. Are they old enough for this kind of relationship angst?

[AlecBGreen]

5. oh my yes

there is PLENTY o drama at my high school. I think our teen pregnancy rate is one of the highest in the state

[mike_c]

3. just my opinion but...

...I dislike anthropomorphizing natural processes, even to make them more "friendly" or "relevant." I find that students are MORE LIKELY to miss the point if they're focused on inaccurately anthropomorphic perspectives. Just my $0.02.

[AlecBGreen]

6. I agree BUT...

this will be a summary exercise, not the meat & potatoes of the lesson. I will be toward the end of class after they have been lectured, had discussion, done other exercises, etc. Its basically my way of getting one last parting shot but making it different enough to be fun.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. At the age of a high school student, I might have felt patronised

as if you think my attention span was still so bad that I can't study science without 'fun'. But maybe that's just me. :shrug:

[AlecBGreen]

7. heh, I hear you

I normally teach like I was taught: lecture, note-taking & discussion with a few worksheets, videos etc thrown in. Id like to add more things to make it fun b/c I get the feeling they think its boring most of the time.