Geological Processes — Changes in Earth's surface

About this lesson

This unit introduces students to geological processes that change Earth's surface, focusing on the continental drift hypothesis and the theory of tectonic plates. It explains Wegener's hypothesis that 200 million years ago all land was a single continent called Pangaea, which drifted apart. The unit then details the theory of tectonic plates, describing how Earth's lithosphere is divided into oceanic and continental plates that move slowly over the asthenosphere due to convection currents. It covers three types of plate movements: divergent, convergent, and transform, with examples like the Red Sea, Himalayan mountains, Andes mountains, and San Andreas fault. The unit also discusses the roles of earthquakes, volcanoes, and meteorites in changing Earth's surface, including their damages and effects. By the end, students should be able to identify Wegener's hypothesis, understand the tectonic plates theory, distinguish between plate movements, recognize the role of natural phenomena in changing Earth's surface, and conclude the catastrophic risks of earthquakes and volcanoes.