We were still talking about plate tectonics on Friday. We talked about how scientists theorize that the continents were once connected as one giant super-continent, Pangaea. I cut out South America and Africa and asked them to fit them together as best the could. When they didn't fit together perfectly I asked the kids why the continents wouldn't match perfectly after 250 million years? We talked about erosion and the power of water (waves, storms and such--like the poor people who endured the cyclone in the Cairns region of Australia in the past week or so). Next we did a little activity to show how continents could move without some giant hand pulling them apart. This was perfect for the kids, since it let them "see" the continents move without our touching them. I cut the continents out of foam. The kids folded construction paper. First we set the continents close together with a piece of playdough to weight the continents down. As the kids pulled each side of the construction paper, they could see the continents move apart. We got this idea from Robert Gardners" Earth-Shaking Science Projects About Planet Earth. (affiliate link) The red paper represents the mantle and the next experiment helps the kids understand how and why magma flows. The mantle is hotter than the crust. This is a terrible picture, but it helped the kids see that heat rises. We took ice cold water and poured it into a jar. We dyed some water green and heated it up. Then LD sucked the hot water with a turkey baster (but I think a eye dropper might work better) and slowly let out the hot/green water. The kids could see the green water streaming upwards toward the surface. This helped the kids understand why magma/lava from the mantle would move up/out of the crust and/or shift about to affect the earth's plates. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Be sure to check out our 150+ page Earth Science Packet! Our Earth Science Unit (post) is here to find out more!! Learn how to make a earthquake shake table, more than a dozen hands-on activities on the layers of the earth, plate movement, convection currents, earthquakes, volcanoes, and more! Topics include: Solar System, Layers of the Earth, Earth’s Axis and the Seasons, Latitude and Longitude, Plate Tectonics, Faults, Earthquakes, Earthquake Waves, Volcanoes, 4 Types of Mountains We have a 150+ page Earth Science Unit! Here is a Quick Preview of the Earth Science Packet. Our Earth Science Unit covers the solar system, the layers of the Earth, plate tectonics, the ring of fire, faults, earthquakes, volcanoes and more. It also includes instructions for more than a dozen hands-on activities we did with this unit. This includes activities about plate tectonics, convection currents, using a compass, earthquakes, volcanoes, instructions on how to make a shake table and more! Our packet is $9.99. We did this unit twice: My kids were in Grades 1, 4, and 6 when we did this unit the first time. They were in Grades 4, 7 and 9 when we covered it again (and added to the packet!). Scroll down for more pictures and information! When you click on the Buy Now button below, it will take you to Paypal. Upon receipt of payment you will immediately get a link to download this pdf in your browser. You will also receive an email from SendOwl Downloads to your PayPal email address which will give you a link to download. Be sure to check your spam folder if that email doesn't appear. Remember, you do not have to have a Paypal account to make a payment. Just click on the line that says, "Pay with a debit or credit card or PayPal credit." That gives you the option of paying with a credit card even if you don't have an actual Paypal account. If you have any trouble with your order, please contact me (Liesl) via email liesl at homeschoolden dot com or via our contact page or by replying to the email you receive from Sendowl. ~Liesl Purchase the Earth Science Packet $9.99 Don't forget to check your PayPal email address for the download link! More pictures of what is included: Pangaea and Plate Movement Activities Types of Plate Boundaries Faults The types of earthquake waves Volcanoes In this unit, we especially liked these resources. These are affiliate links: Geology Rocks How the Earth Works: 60 Fun Activities for exploring Volcanoes, Fossils, Earthquakes and More Janice VanCleave's Earthquakes Earth-Shaking Science Projects about Planet Earth (Rockin' Earth Science Experiments) See how to make a shake table here: See our Gelatin Volcano Earth Science Activity here: Se our Tissue Paper Volcano Activity here: Hope you visit our new location at homeschoolden.com (the links above take you there!) or come visit us at our Homeschool Den Facebook Page. :) ~Liesl Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. P.S. We have lots of other units. Here are the links to check those out Characteristics of Animals - Vertebrates and Invertebrates Unit Simple Machines Skeletal System Digestive System Unit A Study of Cells Civics and Government States of Matter- Changing States of Matter Unit Solids, Liquids, Gases Animal Unit Biology Unit Ocean Unit Packet Electricity and Circuits: STEM Unit Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase.