HOW INDIA MOVED: PLATE TECTONICS AND INDIA’S LANDSCAPE
Overview: If we could travel back 90 million years, we would find India positioned east of
Madagascar and just beginning its tectonic journey northward toward Asia. Travel through India
today and you will notice many variations in its physical geography. What we see now could
have been quite different if India had not moved. How has the movement of India affected the
country’s physical environment?
This lesson will help students to connect plate tectonic movement with physical features in the
environment using India as a case study. In activity 1, students learn about plate tectonics and
the formation of present-day continents, beginning with Pangaea. In activity 2, students learn
how the Himalaya Mountains formed. In the closing activity, students work in small groups to
research a physical feature in India’s diverse landscape and present it as part of a class "tour"
of India.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, science
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 1: "How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to
acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective"
Standard 4: "The physical and human characteristics of places"
Standard 7: "The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth’s surface"
National Science Education Standards
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Science Content Standard D: Earth and Space Science
Time: 3 hours
Materials Required:
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Copies of the handout: Plate Tectonics (PDF, Adobe Reader required)
Copies of the handout: Tour of India (PDF)
Map of India
Drawing paper
Colored pencils or pens
Objectives:
Students will
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describe how the movement of tectonic plates influences the physical characteristics of a
place, particularly the formation of mountains;
use maps to understand patterns of tectonic plate movement in space and time;
explain how mountain ranges help shape other physical features of the environment;
and use India as a case study of these physical processes.
Geographic Skills:
Asking Geographic Questions
Answering Geographic Questions
Analyzing Geographic Information
Suggested
Procedure
Opening:
Guiding Question: How did plate movement impact the physical geography of India?
Try this first!
Show students a photograph of the Himalaya Mountains from National Geographic Magazine.
Rotate the image 360 degrees to show students the dramatic landscape. Ask them to
hypothesize how the mountains may have formed. Take suggestions and write some on the
board.
Next, have students watch the following short animation from National Geographic Explorer
magazine explaining mountain formation.
Development:
Activity 1:
In activity 1, students learn about plate tectonic activity and the formation of present-day
continents, beginning with Pangaea.
Directions:
1. Tell students that they are going to learn about the powerful physical process, called plate
tectonics, that can create mountains. Ask students what they learned in the opening activity
about plate tectonics, and write their answers on the board. Ask students what questions they
still have, and write these on the board.
2. Explain that Earth’s hard shell is made up of thick slabs of rock that are constantly moving.
These thick slabs of rock are called plates. Each plate floats above the fluid-like upper mantle
and core of Earth. Plate tectonics refers to the theory of movement and interaction of the plates.
This image shows Earth’s plates.
3. After discussing what they know about plate tectonics, break students into small groups.
Have students work through an online tutorial to gain a greater understanding of plate tectonics.
Alternatively, project this interactive and discuss as a class.
4. Explain to students that because Earth’s plates are always moving, they were not always in
their present locations. Give each student or small group a copy of the Plate Tectonics Handout
(PDF, Adobe Reader required). Ask students to arrange the five maps chronologically to show
the movement of Earth’s landmasses into their present day state.
5. After students complete their handouts, discuss as a class. The answers can be found at the
USGS Web site. On this site, there is more information on tectonic plates and the movement of
Earth’s landmasses over time. You may choose to have students read this or highlight some of
its facts. Return to the questions written on the board and see which students can now answer.
Activity 2:
In activity 2, students learn how the Himalaya Mountains formed.
Directions:
1. Using this image of the Earth’s plates, have students locate the name of the plate upon which
the country of India lies. Answer: Indian Plate. Ask students what they notice about the plate.
Note: They should notice that the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate abut each other.
2. Now have students focus on the movement of India over time. Over millions of years, tectonic
plate movement cause India to venture from the east coast of Madagascar to its present
location touching Asia. Have students look at the map of the Indian Plate’s movement.
3. Ask students what they think happened over 50 million years ago when India collided with
Asia.
Answer: The collision of plates raised a large range of mountains called the Himalayas.
Background Information:
The Himalaya mountain range began to form when two large landmasses, India and Eurasia,
driven by tectonic plate movement, collided. The pressure of the colliding plates could only be
relieved by pushing the plates skyward. The folding, bending, and twisting of the collision zone
formed the jagged Himalayan peaks. This string of towering peaks is still thrust up as India
continues to crunch relentlessly into the southern edge of the Eurasian Plate.
4. Have students learn more about the formation of the Himalayas over time by exploring this
interactive. For more information and additional diagrams, see the "Continental-continental
convergence" section of this USGS Web page.
5. Distribute blank paper and colored pencils or pens. Ask students to draw a diagram
illustrating how plate tectonic activity created the Himalayas. They should label their diagrams
and write a paragraph explaining the illustration.
6. Share the diagrams as a class and discuss. Include in the discussion how this massive
mountain range might impact India. Write student answers on the board. Possible answers
include physical impacts, such as providing water that melts from its snowy peaks and
influencing climate, and human impacts, such as creating a natural border, making travel
difficult, and attracting tourism.
Closing:
In the closing activity, students work in small groups to research a physical feature in India’s
diverse landscape and present it as part of a class "tour" of India.
1. Instruct students to each select a physical feature of India to research. Assign or allow
students to choose from the following, making sure that each feature has been selected by at
least one group:
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Mountain: Eastern and Western Ghats
River: Indus River and the Ganges River
Plain: Indo-Gangetic Plain
Plateau: Deccan Plateau
Desert: Great Indian Desert
Students should conduct research using library or Internet resources.
2. Tell students to prepare a three to five minute oral presentation on their feature. Explain that
they will present their research during a class "tour" of India’s physical landscape.
3. Use the Tour of India Educator Handout (PDF) to guide the class tour. It includes some of the
background information students might present on their physical features, but is by no means
exhaustive.
This lesson was adapted from a lesson developed by DC Geographic Alliance Teacher
Consultant Donna Grogan for Geography Action! Asia
Suggested Student Assessment:
Teacher observation of student participation and completion of assigned activities
Extending the Lesson:
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Students may look at another area of the world that is directly affected by plate tectonic
activity and compare their physical features with India’s.
Students can use the Internet to research other physical features of India.
Students can research the effects of global warming on the Himalayas.
Students can learn more about some of the famous Himalayan peaks, including Mount
Everest and K-2.
Students can create a poster explaining the rain shadow effect.
Read and share daily news articles on India.
Go to www.mywonderfulworld.org and learn more about the country of India.
Plan a visit to the Embassy of India.
Adaptations
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Make certain that the learning environment is risk free for ELL students
Pair students for peer tutoring and group work
Provide alternate assignments
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/07/g68/index.html