Exploring Plate Tectonics through the Graham Cracker Lab

What does the cherry frosting mixed with yellow food coloring represent in the lab?

• Magma

• Continental crust

• Lava

• Ocean water

What geological feature is formed when two oceanic crusts move apart?

• Mountains

• Volcanoes

• Rift valleys

• Earthquakes

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What materials are required to participate in the graham cracker lab at home?

• Graham crackers, sugar, salt, baking soda, water, knife

• Bread, peanut butter, jelly, knife, plate, napkin

• Flour, eggs, sugar, butter, baking powder, vanilla extract

• Graham crackers, frosting, water, fruit roll-ups, wax paper, knife or spoon

What happens when an oceanic crust converges with a continental crust?

• The oceanic crust subducts under the continental crust.

• Both crusts dissolve into the mantle.

• The continental crust subducts under the oceanic crust.

• Both crusts elevate to form mountains.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What is created on land when the oceanic crust subducts under the continental crust?

• Mid-ocean ridges

• Rift valleys

• Ocean basins

• Volcanoes

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What does the fruit roll-up represent in the lab?

• Magma

• Oceanic crust

• Mountain ranges

• Continental crust

What is formed when two continental crusts converge?

• Plateaus

• Folded mountains

• Ocean trenches

• Volcanic islands

What is demonstrated by pushing two graham crackers together in the lab?

• The creation of folded mountains

• The subduction of one plate under another

• The sliding of tectonic plates

• The formation of a rift valley

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

What type of boundary occurs when crustal plates slide past each other?

• Divergent boundary

• Convergent boundary

• Subduction zone

• Transform boundary

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

What natural phenomenon is associated with transform boundaries?

• Earthquakes

• Oceanic trench formation

• Volcanic eruptions

• Mountain formation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2