Students discover that Earth’s surface is broken into giant plates that slowly move — and that where they meet, mountains rise, oceans form, volcanoes erupt, and earthquakes shake.
Students will be able to…
Mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes seem random — but they mostly happen along the same lines on Earth. What’s moving beneath our feet?
Project this and slide the plates together or apart. Watch new crust form when they separate and mountains rise when they collide.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Why do earthquakes and volcanoes line up on a map?
Students investigate.
Teacher explains.
Apply.
Three quick checks.
Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core literacy. State-standard crosswalks available on request.
Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks to provide evidence of past plate motions.
Construct an explanation for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface.
Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials.
Integrate information presented in different media or formats.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students plot volcanoes and earthquakes on a world map and see how they trace the edges of the tectonic plates (the “Ring of Fire”). A printable plate map is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.