Plate Tectonics: Earth's Moving Puzzle

Understanding How Earth's Surface Moves and Changes Grade 6 Science - Lesson 3 of 6

What Causes These Powerful Events?

Look at these images of earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges What do you think makes the ground shake, mountains rise, and volcanoes erupt? Share your ideas with a partner

Earth's Lithosphere: The Puzzle Pieces

The lithosphere is Earth's rocky outer shell It's broken into large pieces called tectonic plates These plates float on the hot, flowing mantle below Plates move very slowly - only 2-10 cm per year That's about as fast as your fingernails grow!

Types of Plate Boundaries

Hands-On Lab: Modeling Plate Boundaries

Work in groups of 5 students Use frosting and graham crackers to create tectonic plate models Experiment with all three boundary types: • Divergent: Pull plates apart slowly • Convergent: Push plates together • Transform: Slide plates past each other Record your observations for each boundary type

What We Observed: Plate Boundary Effects

{"left":"Divergent Boundaries: New crust forms, gaps appear, seafloor spreading occurs\nConvergent Boundaries: Mountains rise, plates crumple, one plate goes under another\nTransform Boundaries: Plates scrape and grind, earthquake-like shaking happens","right":"Divergent: Mid-Atlantic Ridge, East African Rift Valley\nConvergent: Himalayan Mountains, Mariana Trench\nTransform: San Andreas Fault, Alpine Fault"}

Real-World Applications: Where Do We See This?

{"left":"Divergent Boundaries: New crust forms, gaps appear, seafloor spreading occurs\nConvergent Boundaries: Mountains rise, plates crumple, one plate goes under another\nTransform Boundaries: Plates scrape and grind, earthquake-like shaking happens","right":""}

Check Your Understanding

Exit Ticket Questions: 1. Name and describe one type of plate boundary 2. What happens when plates move at that boundary? 3. Why is plate movement important for Earth's surface changes? Write your answers and be ready to share!