Science 7 Unit: Earth’s Crust and Resources
Lesson 1: “Legend Traveler” (Nate Polsfut)
Outcome: EC7.1 Analyze societal and environmental impacts of historical and current
catastrophic geological events, and scientific understanding of movements and forces within
Earth’s crust.
Purpose: Allow the students to discover the significance of natural catastrophies through past
cultural theories and mythology.
Materials: 4 tables for stations
Giant jumbo piece puzzle
4 Prepared legends*
“Fill in the blank” worksheets *
Cultural artifacts to enhance station (optional, but encouraged)
Procedure:
Introduction
This lesson will begin with the teacher giving a 5 minute explaination of Alfred Wegene’s theory
of continental drift. This theory will be illustrated by referring to a puzzle at the front of the
classroom. The teacher will highlight that Wegene’s theory was dismissed as crazy but
eventually was revisited in the 1960’s when scientists realized the earth was made up of tectonic
plates that caused natural catastrophes through their interactions.
Activity
In this activity students have the opportunity to discover how other cultures throughout time have
explained natural catastrophes.
The legends for this activity are;
1) “The Rainbow Serpent”- An Australian aboriginal myth about mountain creation.
2) “ Mountain Demons”- A Russian aboriginal myth about volcanoes.
3) “Namazu: The Earthshaker”- A Japanese myth about earthquakes
4) “The Whale and The Thunderbird”- A Northwest coat aboriginal myth about tsunamis
and earthquakes.
The students must be divided into groups of 4-5 for this activity. Students will then be assigned a
“Legend Traveler” station to “travel” to. Students will have approximately 10 minutes to read the
legend at each table and fill out their worksheet.
We will conclude this activity by discussing the student’s answers and what they have learned
about human’s relationship with natural catastrophes.
Conclusion/segue to next lesson: Humankind has always endeavored to understand natural
catastrophes. After examining these myths that humankind has used to explain natural
catastrophes we can conclude that these events are significant and have had great impact on
society.
We can also conclude that although humankind may attempt to explain the origin of natural
events, they cannot be controlled. In our next lesson we will discover 10 natural catastrophes that
have devastated the earth and its inhabitants.
* Background information, legends, and worksheet attached
Lesson 1: “Legend Traveler”
Background Information
Alfred Wegene, continental drift and plate tectonics:
In 1912 a German scientist named, Alfred Wegene claimed that about “200 million years
ago” the continents on earth were actually one huge land mass called “Pangea”. Wegene based
his ideas on the fact that the continents seemed to fit together, like a puzzle. Wegene believed
that the earth’s continents not only drifted apart over time, but also drifted against each other
creating mountains as a result of their impact.
Wegene’s theory of continental drift was quite controversial in the early 1900’s and was
dismissed by society. It wasn’t until the 1960’s, when scientists began to theorize about tectonic
plates that Wegne’s theory was considered.
The theory of tectonic plates states that the earth is made up of 9 plates, again, similar to
a puzzle.
According to the theory of plate tectonics natural catastrophes such as volcanoes, earthquakes,
and mountain creation are a result of these plates interacting with each other.
Legends for “Legend Traveler” activity:
“The Rainbow Serpent”
“Long long ago in the Dreamtime a group of Aboriginals were out hunting for
wallabies. It had been raining and the ground was soft making it hard for them to
run. The wallabies, feeling refreshed by the rain, were flighty and difficult to stalk.
The Aboriginals came to a slump of tree near the edge of a small plain, and there
they decided to rest. As they sat around, telling stories and warming their hands by
the fire, one of them looked up. There on the horizon was a beautiful multicoloured arch. A rainbow,
'Look, look, over there.'
'There goes the Rainbow Serpent. He is moving from his old waterhole to another.'
They were a little fearful. They did not want the huge brightly-coloured Serpent in
a waterhole near their camp. They were grateful that he did not seem to be moving
too near their own waterhole. They sat and talked some more, mostly about the
Rainbow Serpent, but also about hunting and fishing, and about the battles they
had fought. One young man, Bandalil, kept wanting to know more about the
Rainbow Serpent. The other hunters laughed at him.
'Little Bandilil, be patient. You'll find out about the Rainbow Serpent. What's the
hurry?'
But Bandalil said he wanted to find out more about the Rainbow Serpent and
threatened to set off for the waterhole, where it now lived. The others pleased with
him,
'Don't go. You mustn't disturb the Rainbow Serpent.'
'Don't go. Bandalil. It'll only cause trouble.'
So Bandalil agreed to wait and ask the old men of the tribe about the Serpent. when
the hunting party returned to their camp, the children ran out to greet them. Even
though they had caught only two wallabies, not really enough for everyone, there
would be singing and dancing, a big corroboree, that night. During the corroboree,
Bandalil went over to where the old men were sitting, 'Tell me about the Rainbow
Serpent. If everyone is so frightened of him I will go and spear him, then no one
need fear any more.'
The old men were horrified. The Rainbow Serpent was one of the Dreamtime
creatures who had shaped the earth. In the beginning the earth was flat, a vast grey
plain. As the Rainbow Serpent wound his way across the land, the movement of
his body heaped up the mountains and dug troughs for the rivers. With each thrust
of the huge multi-coloured body, a new landform was created. He was the biggest
of the Dreamtime Beings. Even the other Dreamtime creatures thought that he
looked enormous, and they were very careful to leave him alone. At last, tired with
the effort of shaping the earth, he crawled into a waterhole. The cool water washed
over his vast body, cooling and soothing him. The other animals watched as the
water blurred the bright colours of his body. Then he sank from sight. Each time
the animals visited the waterhole, they were careful not to disturb the Rainbow
Serpent, for although they could not see him they knew he was there. Then one
day, after a heavy rainstorm, they saw him. His huge coloured body was arching up
from the waterhole, over the tree-tops, up through the clouds, across the plain to
another waterhole. To this day the Aboriginals are careful not go disturb the
Rainbow Serpent, as they see him going across the sky, from one waterhole to
another.”
“Mountain Demons”
“The Itelmen are one of the least populous but one of the most ancient peoples of
the North [Russia]. [T]he Itelmen were nomadic hunter and fishers, living this
lifestyle as late as the 18th century. The Itelmen believe that all dangerous places,
such as volcanoes, hot springs, forests, water, etc., are inhabited by devils, which
they fear and respect more than their gods. The gods only explain their existence; it
is the demons that dwell with in the volcanoes that govern their lives. Volcanic
eruptions are explained by the belief that mountain demons, called gomuls or
kamuli, lived on fish. The demons fly down from the mountain tops at night and
into the sea to sleigh fish and whale to bring back to the mountain tops, cooking
and eating the catch. This explained why the volcanoes light up the night. The
Itelmen are very fearful of the mountain demons. They will not climb to the
mountain tops as it is believed that the tops are a wasteland of fish and whale bone.
If too close to the top, the demons will explode out of the mountain. The Itelmen
pay the demons respect by sacrificing food, throwing bits of meat onto the
mountains, in order to bargain for safety. It is believed that the sacrifices will keep
the demons, or "eruptions", from harming the people during the night raids.”
“Namazu: The Earthshaker”
“According to Japanese myth the cause of earthquakes is the giant catfish Namazu
or Namazu-e (the second term refers to the woodcuts of Namazu) living buried in
the underground. Namazu is one of the yo-kai (in a very broad sense translatable as
"monster"), creatures of Japanese mythology and folklore that were associated or
caused misfortune or disasters. By moving his tail he can shake the entire earth and
unfortunately he loves to cause trouble and havoc. Namazu can be controlled only
be the god Kashima, which with help of a powerful capstone pushes the fish
against the underground and in such doing immobilized him. However the god
sometimes got tired or is distracted from his duty and Namazu can move a bit and
cause an earthquake.”
“The Whale and The Thunderbird”
“Stories of the Hoh and Quilleute Indians of
the northwestern Olympic Peninsula relate the
epic struggle between Thunderbird and Whale.
Thunderbird is a bird of monstrous size, “when he
opens and shuts his eyes he makes lightning. The
flapping of his wings makes the thunder and the great
winds.”(1) Thunderbird lives in “a dark hole under the
foot of the Olympic glacial field” (1).
“Thunderbird ... soared from her .. dark hole in
the mountains....far out over the placid waters and
there poised herself high up in the air and waited for
[Whale] to come to the surface of the water ... It came
and as quick as a flash, the powerful bird darted and
seized it in her flinty talons. Then above the watery
surface she lifted it and with great effort soared away
toward the land areas.”(2)
“Passing beyond the oceans with her ponderous load,
she ... was compelled to alight and rest her wings;
and each and every time the bulky beast was allowed
to reach solid land there was a terrible battle; for
it was powerful and fought for its life with terrible
energy.”(2) “Again Thunderbird would seize him...
Again ...Whale would escape. Again Thun- derbird
caught ... Whale.”(3) “High into the air the bird carried
it over the land, ... dropping it to the land surface at
Beaver prairie. Then at this place there was another
great battle.”(2)
“The great thunderbird finally carried the weighty
animal to its nest in the lofty mountains, and there was
the final and terrible contest fought.”(2) “There were
... a shaking, jumping up and trembling of the earth
beneath, and a rolling up of the great waters.”(2)
“The waters receded...and...again rose. The water
of the Pacific flowed through what is now the swamp
and prairie westward from Neah Bay on the Strait of
Juan de Fuca to the Pacific, making an island of Cape
Flattery. Again the waters suddenly receded ... and
numerous sea monsters and whales were left on dry
land. Also each time that the waters rose, the people
took to their canoes and floated off as the winds and
currents wafted them, as there was neither sun nor
land to guide them. Many canoes also came down in
trees and were destroyed..[.]”
(1) Reagan, Albert. B. and L.V.W. Walters, 1933,Thunderbird, p. 320, IN Tales from the Hoh and
Quileute, The Journal of
American Folk-lore, Vol. 46, No. 182, pp. 297-346.
(2) Reagan, A.B., 1934, A Hoh version of the Thunderbird Myth, IN Myths of the Hoh and Quileute
Indians, Utah
Academy of Sciences, Vol. 11, pp. 17-37.
(3) Reagan, A.B., 1934, A story of the flood, IN Myths of the Hoh and Quileute Indians, Utah Academy
of Sciences, Vol.
11, pp. 17-37.
“Legend Traveler” worksheet
Name________________
Date:__________
Travel log 1:
Legend Title _____________________
People group_____________________
What does this myth explain? _____________________
Draw or describe 4 important events in this myth in the space below.
How does this people group view this natural catastrophe? Why?
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Travel log 2:
Legend Title _____________________
People group_____________________
What does this myth explain? _____________________
Draw or describe 4 important events in this myth in the space below.
How does this people group view this natural catastrophe? Why?
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Travel log 3:
Legend Title _____________________
People group_____________________
What does this myth explain? _____________________
Draw or describe 4 important events in this myth in the space below.
How does this people group view this natural catastrophe? Why?
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Travel log 4:
Legend Title _____________________
People group_____________________
What does this myth explain? _____________________
Draw or describe 4 important events in this myth in the space below.
How does this people group view this natural catastrophe? Why?
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________