The Gottesman Hall
of Planet Earth
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EDUCATOR’S GUIDE
See inside
2
3-4
Introduction
Before Coming to the Museum
4
Prepare for the Tour
5
At the Museum
5
Related Museum Exhibits
5-6
Back in the Classroom
7-8
Exhibition Map
2
Introduction
r th
f Ea
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sat ell it e ima
stromatolite: In 1998, Edmond
Mathez and Heather Sloan of the
American Museum of Natural
History collected this 900-millionyear old stromatolite boulder in
Mauritania, western Africa.
Stromatolite boulders contain fossilized evidence of early marine
life. The photosynthetic processes
of these early life forms played a
key role in increasing the oxygen
in the atmosphere and oceans.
In Nepal, climbers at a base camp high in the Himalayas prepare to
ascend Mount Everest, which, at 29,028 feet, is the world’s highest
mountain. Two hundred miles off the coast of Seattle a researcher
operates an underwater remote-control vehicle in an attempt to
harvest a sulfide chimney from the ocean floor. In Arizona, a
family stands on a promontory overlooking the magnificent
Grand Canyon. In the South Pacific, children run along a
beach as gentle waves lap the shore. All the Earth’s
landscapes, rugged and tame, are the result of four and a half
billion years of drifting continents, shifting seas, and crushing
glaciers. While the earth underneath our feet appears to be
stable, it was, and continues to be, shaped by powerful and
dynamic forces.
What are these dynamic forces and how did we learn about
them? Scientists from the American Museum of Natural History
are among those who hope to find the answers to these questions by
looking at processes that are occurring on our planet today. They look
at volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, they look at climate and climatic
changes, they look at the water cycle, the carbon cycle, and the rock cycle.
Most importantly, they study rocks, where Earth’s long history is recorded.
From the data that has been gathered, geologists have pieced together an
understanding of the formation of Earth, the interaction among physical,
chemical, and biological processes throughout its history, and how Earth is
capable of supporting life. They have learned that our planet’s workings are
complex and sometimes fragile. Because Earth’s processes continue,
geologists have an understanding not only of what has happened on our
planet, but also of what is likely to happen in the future. With this
knowledge we have found fossil fuels, metals, and other natural resources.
We can anticipate earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, as well as analyze
the carbon cycle, climatic changes, the greenhouse effect, and how our own
actions might effect the future of our planet.
The Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth provides a graphic demonstration
of the processes that created our planet. It reveals Earth’s 4.5-billion-yearhistory, in which continents drift, mountains build, oceans form, glaciers
grind through rock, rivers emerge, and the chemical building blocks of life
cycle through the air, oceans, crust, and mantle to create the remarkable
place in which we live.
Over the course of two years more than twenty-eight expeditions from
the Museum have traveled to twenty-five countries and five ocean-floor
regions. Their aim was to bring back geological samples representing
chapters in Earth’s history. In all, 86 tons of rock were transported back to
the Museum. Among the 168 samples are a zircon crystal from Australia
that is nearly 4.3 billion years old; and a sulfur sample, barely a year old,
from an active volcano in Indonesia. These dramatic samples demonstrate
how the Earth works and help us to understand the dynamic processes that
make life on this planet possible. The Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth
represents a major step in advancing and spreading that understanding.
You and your students are a vital part of that effort.
3
Before
Coming
to
the Museum
We recommend that you visit the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth prior to
bringing your students so that you can familiarize yourself with its content and
test some of the activities. Use the map of the Hall on panels 2–3 to help you with
your planning. Prepare students for their visit by conducting one or more of the
following activities.
WHAT COVERS THE EARTH?
Unconformity at Jedburgh, Borders
(Scotland). Engraving based on
James Hutton’s studies.
Obtain four or five pictures showing Earth’s various features (a volcano,
an ocean, a desert, a mountain, a river). Begin by displaying a globe. Have
students examine the globe and identify hills, mountains, oceans, river, lakes,
etc. Then display the pictures and call on students to describe what they see.
Point out that all of Earth’s features are the result of its 4.5 billion year
history. Ask students to name events that might have changed Earth’s features.
Write their responses on the chalkboard. If students do not mention them,
suggest shifting continents, rising waters, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and
climatic changes. Point out that these changes continue to occur.
Provide students with clip boards and drawing materials. Take them on a walk
where they can observe various land formations and/or different bodies of water.
Have them record their observations by drawing some of the land and water
features and writing a hypothesis describing how these land features were
formed. Discuss students’ observations and hypotheses back
in the classroom. Explain to students that they will learn more about the
processes that shaped and continue to shape our planet when they visit the
Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth at the American Museum of Natural History.
(Science Standard S4: The student produces evidence that demonstrates understanding of big
ideas and unifying concepts, such as order and organization; models; form and function; change
and constancy; and cause and ef fect.)
HOW DO GLACIERS SHAPE THE EARTH?
sulfide chimneys: In the 1970s,
researchers found a living world
thriving in and around the sulfurous hot springs that erupt
at midocean rifts. There, sulfide
chimneys (called “black smokers”) build up when minerals
leached from magma-heated
rock beneath the Earth’s surface precipitate into the cold,
35 degree F. seawater.
Researchers hypothesize that
in these sunless places, geology meets biology—creating
conditions for life to emerge on
our planet.
In 1998, scientists from
the American Museum of
Natural History and the
University of Washington
were the first to retrieve
complete sulfide chimneys.
Display a picture of a glacier. Explain that glaciers are large masses of ice that
cover areas of land. As glaciers move over the land, they change the land’s
features. Tell students they will do an experiment to see what a glacier does to the
land as it grinds and scrapes along. Have students work in groups. For each
group, make a block of ice by freezing water in a rectangular or square container
(approximately 6–8” long, 6” wide and 4–6” thick) Take these “glaciers”
outdoors to a patch of bare ground (a sandbox or gravel dirt are good locations).
Have each group find a spot. Call on each group to slowly and firmly push
their glacier for a distance of a foot or two. Have them pick up their
glacier and look at the path it made. Ask: Are there grooves in the
ground? Where did they come from? Have students examine the
bottom of their glaciers. Are there rocks or sand frozen into the
bottom? (This is called the load.) Have students put the
glacier back on the ground where it stopped and let it
melt. Ask: What has happened to the load? (The
glacier has moved it from its original location.
The load that remains is called till) What has
happened at the front of the glacier? (There is a
ridge of dirt and rocks. This is called a
moraine.) What evidence of the glacier
remains? (an
volcano
4
outline of its path and possibly small pools of water. When glaciers melt they
leave behind ponds.). Discuss students’ findings. As a follow up to this
activity, take your students to a location where they can identify and sketch
features created by glaciers. Central Park is one good location. Another is the
north shore of Long Island. The northern part of the island is the moraine
created by the glacier that once covered North America.
(Science Standards S6: The student acquires information from multiple
sources, such as experimentation and print and non-print sources.)
FIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EARTH
ice crystals
Obtain books and magazines on geology from the school or public library
or have students bring in books from home. Write the following questions
on the board.
• How has the Ear th evolved?
• How do scientists “read” the rocks?
• Why are there ocean basins, mountains, and continents?
• What causes climate and climate change?
• Why is the Ear th habitable?
Have your students work in small groups.
Using the books, magazines, and Internet
resources (http://www.amnh.org/resources),
have them find three
or four pieces of information that they can
use to help answer one or more of the
questions. While students are doing
research, create a K-W-L (what we Know, what
we Want to know, what we Learned) chart. Record
the five questions on the chart. Then call on groups to
share their findings. Write their responses on the chart. Ask
students if any additional questions came up as they were
doing their research. Add these questions to the chart. Tell
students they will continue to investigate and learn the answers to
these questions when they visit the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth.
(Science Standards S5: The student asks questions about natural
phenomena; objects and organisms; and events and discoveries.)
Prepare for the Tour
Duplicate the Field Journal and distribute it to the students. Review the
five questions that the Hall addresses. Read through the Field Journal to
identify the tasks involved and the information students will be gathering
at each exhibit. Point out that, besides written responses, they will be
making drawings and diagrams. Students should bring along clip
boards and additional sheets of blank paper for this purpose.
Suggest that they also write down their own questions and look
for the answers as they tour the Hall. Assign each student to a
group.
5
At
the
Museum
You may want to organize your class visit in the following manner to make
the most of the time you have in the Hall. When you enter the Hall, go to the
amphitheater with the globe suspended above it. Have the students observe
the globe for 3–4 minutes. Have groups go to separate sections. It is not
necessary to view the exhibitions in order. Make sure your students have an
opportunity to experience the video stations, EarthBulletin, and computer
stations. If time permits, suggest groups visit other Museum exhibitions
related to the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth.
Related Museum Exhibitions
HARRY FRANK GUGGENHEIM HALL OF MINERALS
JOHN PIERPONT MORGAN HALL OF GEMS 1ST FLOOR
This Hall displays hundreds of gems and minerals from around the world.
Students can learn about minerals, their formation, occurrence, properties,
composition, and classification. Watch the Forever Gold video in the room
adjacent to the Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems. Have the students answer
these questions: How do minerals form? How are minerals different from
rocks?
HALL OF NORTH AMERICAN MAMMALS
1ST FLOOR
The dioramas in this hall depict a variety of landscapes, e.g. glaciers,
canyon, mountains. Have the students answer the following questions:
How did these landscapes form? What types of rock are displayed? What role
did weathering and erosion play in creating these different formations?
AKELEY HALL OF AFRICAN MAMMALS
2ND FLOOR
The dioramas in this hall feature a variety of landscapes including
grasslands, deserts, mountains, valleys, and volcanoes. Have the students,
working in small groups, examine two of the land features displayed. Have
them describe the land feature and the processes that helped to form it.
Back inthe
Classroom
DISCUSS THE MUSEUM EXPERIENCE
Have students share the experience they had in the Gottesman Hall of
Planet Earth. Then, review with the class as a whole the information they
recorded in their Field Journals. Ask students what they learned that they
didn’t know before and what they learned that surprised them the most.
Review the five questions addressed in the Hall. Chart students’ responses
on the K-W-L chart you made earlier. Include any new questions that
students may have. Use the chart as a reference point for further
investigations.
(Science Standard S3: The student produces evidence that demonstrates an understanding of
changes in Ear th and sky, such as changes caused by weathering, volcanism, and
ear thquakes, and the patterns of movements of objects in the sky. )
THE PROCESS OF VOLCANISM
Discuss with students how volcanoes, earthquakes, and plate tectonics have
shaped the Earth. Have small groups of students prepare presentations on
volcanoes for other classes in the school. Suggest that students draw
diagrams and make models to illustrate their presentations.
Model volcanoes can be made in the following manner.
6
Back inthe
Classroom continued
M AT E R I A L S : a baking pan, modeling clay (in natural colors such as
tan, red, and green), a small round plastic container, 1/4 cup water,
1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/4 cup vinegar, a few drops of liquid dishwashing
detergent, a few drops of red food coloring. Have students model the clay to
create a volcano in the baking pan. Fit the small round plastic container in the
top of the volcano. Pour in the water. Stir in the baking soda, red food coloring,
and dishwashing detergent. When you’re ready for an eruption, pour in the
vinegar.
(Science Standards S7: The student demonstrates effective scientific communication by clearly
describing aspects of the natural world using accurate data, graphs, or other appropriate media to
convey depth of conceptual understanding in science.)
ROCK CONCERT
The Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth
was made possible through the
generous support of David S. and
Ruth L. Gottesman.
Public support has been provided by
the State of New York; the City of
New York, New York City
Deparment of Cultural Affairs; New
York City Council; and the Office of
the Manhattan Borough President.
Significant programming and
educational support has been
provided by The National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA).
For additional information regarding
educational programs, please contact:
American Museum
of Natural History
Department of Education
Central Park West at 79th Street
New York, NY 10024-51092
And visit us on the world wide web at:
http://www.amnh.org/education
Christine Economos
DESIGNER: Davidson Design, Inc.
PHOTOGRAPHS: AMNH Photo Studio
MAP ILLUSTRATION: Kascha Semon
REVIEWERS: Rosamond Kinzler, Ph.D, Karen
Kane and Donna Sethi
WRITER AND EDITOR:
© 2001 American Museum of Natural History
Printed in the United States of America
Obtain books about rocks and minerals from the school library or have students
bring books from home. Also have each student bring in one or two rocks.
Review with students what they learned about rocks at the Museum. Review or
introduce them to the three types of rock:
I G N E O U S R O C K : rock that cr ystallizes from magma, or molten rock, deep inside
the ear th, or is spewed up as lava during volcanic eruptions. Some examples are
granite and basalt.
S E D I M E N TA R Y R O C K :
rock formed from tiny grains of smashed-up and
g round-up rock or from broken and ground up shells, usually floating
in water. These grains settled to the bottom and built up in layers that
hardened into solid rock. Some examples are shale and limestone.
M E TA M O R P H I C R O C K :
rock that forms when igneous or sedimentar y rock
is crushed and heated by movements in the Ear th. One example is marble.
Have students, working in small groups, complete the following activity.
1. What colors are the rocks? Group them according to color.
2. Do the rocks have dif ferent textures and sur faces,
i.e. rough, smooth, shiny, dull? Group them according to texture.
3. Lift each rock. Are they all the same density?
Group rocks according to density.
4. A re there any other characteristics that you see? Then,
g roup rocks according to other characteristics that you identify.
5. Identify each rock using the books, computers, and other
resources, and write a description of the rock on an index
card. Descriptions should include: what type of rock it is;
how the rock was formed; where the rock is found; and what information
the rock can provide about the histor y of the Ear th.
Have one student from each group share the group’s findings with the
rest of the class. Create a rock display in the classroom or school library.
(Science Standard S5: The student uses evidence from reliable sources to construct explanations. The
student works individually and in teams to collect and share information and ideas.)
7
THE GOTTESMAN HALL OF PLANET EARTH explores
Ear th’s geologic histor y and the processes that have
shaped and continue to shape our planet. The Hall
addresses five impor tant questions:
• How has the Ear th evolved?
• How do scientists “read” the rocks?
• Why are there ocean basins,
mountains, and continents?
• What causes climate and climate change?
• Why is the Ear th habitable?
HOW HAS THE EARTH EVOLVED?
Conditions on Ear th seem per fect for animal and plant
life. There is water, air, land, and food. But it was not
always like this. Four and a half billion years ago,
shor tly after the Ear th was formed, meteorite after
meteorite smashed into Ear th’s barren crust, which
was probably baking hot. There was no oxygen, no
atmosphere, no oceans, no life anywhere. The exhibits
in this section focus on early Ear th and its formation.
They show how current conditions on Ear th are the
result of our planet and its life-forms evolving
simultaneously over long stretches of time.
WHY ARE THERE OCEAN BASINS,
MOUNTAINS, AND CONTINENTS?
If you look at a globe or world map, you will see that the
west coast of Africa and the east coast of South
America seem to fit together like pieces of a giant
jigsaw puzzle.
In 1915, Alfred Wegener, a meteorologist, put for th
the theor y of plate tectonics. Wegener believed that the
continents had once been joined together, and that,
over millions of years, had drifted apar t. At the time it
seemed like a wild idea, but about for ty years ago the
evidence began to build in Wegener’s favor. In the space
of ten years the entire science of geology was
transformed and Ear th scientists evolved the theor y of
plate tectonics. Today, plate tectonics is central to our
understanding of the Ear th. Geologists believe that heat
produced by radioactive decay inside the Ear th is
powering convection currents within our planet. This
results in the Ear th’s crust being created, moved
around, and destroyed constantly, albeit at an extremely
slow rate. The theor y helps to explain why there are
ocean basins and continents, and how mountain ranges
have formed. It helps us understand ever ything from
ear thquakes to geochemical cycles, and where we
might best look for minerals and energy resources.
Models at the center of this exhibit illustrate
convection in the Ear th’s core and mantle, and lead up
to an exposition of the theor y of plate tectonics. Four
suppor ting displays—explosive volcanism, ef fusive
volcanism, ear thquakes, and mountain building—
surround a central display.
Video Stations throughout the Hall illustrate how
scientists develop computer models and visualizations
based upon vast amounts of data. These help them
study processes such as ocean circulation, storm
formation, and the churning of the Ear th’s interior.
Other videos show American Museum of Natural Histor y
scientists and their colleagues in the field as they
collected specimens for the Hall.
EarthBulletin provides a large video screen and
computer kiosks where recent global events such as
ear thquakes, volcanic eruptions, and major storms are
repor ted; as well as recent advances in our ef for ts to
understand how the Ear th works. This information can
also be found at:
http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/ear th.
Computer Stations enable visitors to investigate
ear th processes such as oceanic and atmospheric
circulation, the carbon cycle, and plate tectonics.
8
HOW WE READ THE ROCKS?
OUR DYNAMIC EARTH
Ever y rock has a stor y to tell. A layer of
shale containing mollusk shells tells us
that the area was once a sea. A layer of
dark igneous rock full of little bubbles
indicates that a volcanic eruption
happened somewhere in the area,
spreading molten lava over the ground.
The exhibits in this section focus on how
geologists have learned to “read” the
rocks, how they study the Ear th’s crust,
and how they calculate a rock’s age.
The Grand Canyon, which is a superb
example of many geological processes,
forms the central exhibit in this section.
Suspended above a thir ty seat amphitheater, an eightfoot half-globe with an
internal projection system
recreates an awe-inspiring
view of Ear th from space.
Visitors can obser ve the
various sur faces of our
planet, as the layers of
clouds, life, ice, and ocean
are successively peeled
away, revealing the
underlying rocky sur face.
<<
WHY IS THE EARTH HABITABLE?
Until fairly recently, many people
assumed that it was a lucky coincidence
that Ear th is habitable and that
organisms had evolved to fit various
niches. Today we know there is much
more to the stor y. The Ear th and its lifeforms have evolved together over time,
and that has had a profound effect
on the composition of the oceans,
atmosphere, and soils. Oxygen in the air
to breathe, an ozone layer to block out
ultraviolet radiation, and a sur face
temperature that is lower than it
other wise would be are some of the
results of this co-evolution.
This section explores the origin of
life, the possibility of life on other
planets, and the features that make our
planet unique, at least in our solar
system. A suppor ting exhibit examines
three biogeochemical cycles: the rock
cycle, the carbon cycle, and the water
cycle. Highlighted in this exhibit are
sulfide chimneys from the deep sea
floor. Sulfide chimneys are biologically
WHAT CAUSES CLIMATE
AND CLIMATE CHANGE?
Eighteen thousand years ago, the New
York City area was buried under a sheet
of ice as tall as the Empire State
Building. The ice sheet covered most of
Canada and much of the nor thern United
States. Nor thern Europe and Asia were
covered by a similar ice sheet, while the
Sahara region was a wet, green, tropical
forest populated by antelope, rhinoceros,
lion, and groups of early humans. At this
time, the Ear th’s average global
temperature was about 5 degrees C.
(9 degrees F.) lower than it is today.
Today, scientists and others are
concerned about the warming of our
planet, so understanding climate and
climate change is ver y impor tant. We
need to know about the movement of
energy and materials around the planet’s
sur face, about the behavior of the
atmosphere and the oceans, and about
the past histor y of our climate.
Geologists have devised a number of
ingenious ways of finding out about past
climates. The size of a fossil leaf and the
shape of its tip help tell us about the
climate and temperatures millions of
years ago. Little bubbles of air in polar
ice provide clues about the carbon
dioxide levels of the past. This exhibit
explores how heat travels from the
equator to the poles, the structure,
composition, and circulation of the
atmosphere and the oceans, and the El
Niño phenomenon. The exhibit looks at
how scientists have gathered evidence
about climate change from deep-sea
sediments, ice cores, and tree rings, and
proposes possible causes for climate
change in the past.
isolated, and the energy source for the
life around them is ver y dif ferent from
that for most organisms. Studying
sulfide chimneys helps us to think in a
dif ferent way about the habitability of
the Ear th and about the evolution of life.
To learn more about how the
Gottesman Hall of Planet Ear th was
built, visit our website:
www.amnh.org/rose/hope/creatinghope