Three Sisters - Plate Tectonics (3/19 - 3/23)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/The-Three-Sisters-Szmurlo.jpg

Summary:

Do you ever wonder how some famous landforms such as mountains and islands are created? There are eight main tectonic plates on the surface of the Earth that make up the lithosphere. The movement of these plates is what causes landforms such as mountains and more. The three sisters mountains in Oregon were created by the movement of tectonic plates over a very long period of time.

The three sisters mountains were created by the collision of subduction zones. Subduction zones are a type of convergent boundary where one of the places contains oceanic crust, and the other contains continental crust. The two plates collide, causing the oceanic crust to move downwards into the asthenosphere. The collision that created the three sisters mountains was between the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate and the North American tectonic plate. These amazing landforms were also created by land erosion. The blue mountain broke up over time, causing the cliffs around the Jamison Valley to break up and form mountains.

SP7: Engaging in Argument From Evidence:

This week, as we were learning about the tectonic plate movements that created some famous landforms, we gathered evidence about the creation of the Three Sisters Mountains. I used evidence to defend my explanation of the subduction zone that created these mountains. In our group, we participated in a discussion and argument based on the evidence that we collected. I collaborated with my peers so that we could find the best explanation based on research, discussions and more.

XCC: Cause and Effect

This week in class, I observed a cause and effect relationship between the collision of plates in a subduction zone and the Three Sisters Mountains that they created. The cause is the convergent boundary between the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate and the North American tectonic plate. When these plates collided, they caused the Three Sisters Mountains to be formed over a long period of time. Based on this relationship, we can make predictions on where other mountains may be created based on the placement of the tectonic plates. This relationship has helped me understand more about tectonic plates and the movements that create so many landforms.

Multiplier

This week, I was a wanderer. When we were doing research on the landform that we chose, I contributed to my group with information, facts, and knowledge about the topic. Whenever I learned or discovered something new, I shared it with my group so that we all knew as much as we could about the topic. I also shared my notes and ideas and contributed to the discussion in class. Being a wanderer has helped us learn much more about the topic to a new level.