Plate Tectonics Read, Highlight, Video and Questions!

Day 3

Plate Tectonics
Grade 8 Science

Match

Match the following...

divergent boundary

volcanic island

deep sea trench

transform boundary

convergent boundary

• divergent boundary

• volcanic island

• deep sea trench

• transform boundary

• convergent boundary

Read and

Highlight the

underlined text
on your hand out.

Essential Question:

How does the movement of the tectonic plates change the surface of the Earth?

What features are created or destroyed as a result of plate movement?

Background:
Have you ever dropped a hard-boiled egg?
Earth’s crust is cracked just like the shell of a
dropped hard-boiled egg. Each major section
of the cracked crust is called a tectonic plate.
The study of plate tectonics focuses on the
movement of these plates.

Fill in the Blank

The earth's crust is cracked like the shell of a dropped hard-boiled ___.

During the 1960s, scientists started to identify
the edges, or boundaries, of the tectonic plates.
When studying the tectonic plates, they noticed
that deep-ocean trenches and mid-ocean
ridges were located along plate boundaries.

Open Ended

What do you remember from yesterday about Earth's Plates?

There are two types of tectonic plates:
continental and oceanic. Continental plates are
thicker, but less dense than oceanic crust.
Oceanic plates are thinner, but more dense
than continental crust. There are three main
types of plate boundaries where the plates
meet.

Drag and Drop

Continental crust is ​

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.

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thicker, but less dense

thinner, but more dense

Drag and Drop

Oceanic crust is ​

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.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

thicker, but less dense

thinner, but more dense

Multiple Choice

There are ___ main types of plate boundaries.

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Match

Match the following boundaries with their picture.

divergent boundary

transform boundary

oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary

continent-continent convergent boundary

oceanic-continent convergent boundary

• divergent boundary

• transform boundary

• oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary

• continent-continent convergent boundary

• oceanic-continent convergent boundary

Convergent boundaries occur when two plates collide or
crash into each other. Plate collisions can occur
between two oceanic plates, two continental plates, or
one oceanic plate and one continental plate. If two
continental plates collide, mountains form.

Drag and Drop

Convergent boundaries form when

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

two plates collide

two plates divide

two plates slide

Drag and Drop

Mountains are formed when

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

two continental plates collide

two oceanic plates collide

two continental plates divide

If the densities of the plates are different, the denser
plate will subduct, or be pushed under the other plate
back into the mantle. The process of subduction results
in the destruction and recycling of the denser plate
material. This also leads to the formation of a volcano
along the plate boundary.

Drag and Drop

The more dense plate

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beneath the less dense plate.

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subducts

floats

Divergent boundaries occur when two plates are

dividing or pushing away from each other. This can

happen between two oceanic plates or two

continental plates. It is not likely to happen between

a continental plate and an oceanic plate.

Multiple Choice

True or False: It is common for a continental plate and an oceanic plate to form a divergent boundary.

• true

• false

Dropdown

When two oceanic plates diverge, a

Select answer

forms.

Two diverging oceanic plates result in the seafloor

spreading and the formation of new ocean floor along

the mid-ocean ridges. Magma rises up in between the

diverging (separating) plates, forming new oceanic

crust and underwater volcanoes.

Multiple Choice

True or False: Diverging ocean plates can form volcanoes.

• true

• false

When this occurs on land, continents break apart and

rift valleys are formed. Eventually, a new ocean basin

will fill in the rift that was created by the separating

continents.

Transform boundaries occur when two tectonic plates
slide past each other. This can happen between two
continental plates, two oceanic plates, or one of each
(i.e. one continental and one oceanic). When two
plates are stuck moving past each other (due to
friction), pressure builds up. When the plates finally
break free and slide past each other, the sudden
release of energy causes earthquakes.

Dropdown

Transform boundaries occur when two plates

Select answer

.

Some earthquakes occur on land and some occur in
the ocean which may trigger a tsunami. Unlike the
other two types of boundaries, no crust is created or
destroyed at a transform boundary.

Drag and Drop

Underwater earthquakes may trigger a

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.

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tsunami

volcano

mountain

hurricane

​Watch the video and be prepared to answer some questions!

Drag and Drop

​

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cause the Earth's plates to move.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Convection currents in the mantle

convection currents in the outer core

convection currents in the crust

Multiple Choice

What happens when an oceanic plate and a continental plate collide?

• the ocean plate subducts under the continental plate

• the continental plate subducts under the oceanic plate

• neither subduct

Multiple Choice

What makes some plates move faster than others?

• Some plates move faster when they are pulled into a subduction zone

• Some plates move faster when they are making a mountain

Hotspot

Where is the mid-ocean ridge located in this diagram?

Hotspot

Where is subduction occurring in this diagram?

Hotspot

Where is the trench located in this diagram?

Hotspot

Locate the convergent boundary.

Hotspot

Locate the divergent boundary.

Draw

Draw a divergent boundary between two oceanic plates.

Draw

Draw a convergent boundary between two continental plates.

Draw

Draw a transform boundary. What occurs here?