Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigation of Newtonian Forces on Plate Tectonics
An investigation for students to understand plate tectonics by using models to see how motion and forces act on the plates. Students can use these models to see the connection between Newtonian Laws to Earth materials. Lesson plan...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Earthquakes Living Lab: The Theory of Plate Tectonics
Working in pairs, students think like engineers and connect what they understand about the theory of plate tectonics to the design of structures for earthquake-resistance.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Dynamic Earth Interactives: Plate Tectonics
The resource explores the Earth. There are tutorials on plate tectonics, plates and boundaries, and the Earth's structure. There is also an introduction and an interactive activity to test the students on skills taught.
US Geological Survey
Usgs: Plate Tectonics, Hot Spots, and Ring of Fire: World Map
A world map featuring active volcanoes, plate tectonics, hot spots, and ring of fire.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Expeditions to the Sea Floor: Plate Tectonics
Interactive site provides information on the Breakup of Pangea, plate boundaries, plate movements as well as a quiz.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Plate Tectonics
This plate tectonic activity is designed to assess the comprehension of concepts related to the physical processes that shape the Earth's surface.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Geo Logic: Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics
Using the skills of a paleontologist, learners are asked to match up lecturers with what day and time they teach, and how many students they have based on clues given from several different perspectives. In the second part of the...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Uncovering Plate Tectonics
In this investigation, middle schoolers will be given an opportunity to make the connection between plate boundary movement and the topographic features of the earth.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Plate Tectonics (Intermediate)
Many activities in this lesson plan to help pupils understand the Theory of Plate Tectonics. Plans can be used in intermediate or middle school levels.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Musical Plates: A Study of Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics
Four part lab activity involves students using real-time data to solve a problem, study the correlation between earthquakes and tectonic plates, and determine whether or not there is a relationship between volcanoes and plate boundaries.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Activity: Claim Testing: Geology and the Earth's Formation
An activity where students investigate how scientist study plate tectonics.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Earth Science Education Activities: Prof. Larry Braile
A lesson collection covering plate tectonics, with some structural geology and planetary science projects. The PDF files include activities, hand outs, maps, and directions for building a simple seismometer and seismograph. Also included...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Earthquake Faultline Earthquake Activities
This outstanding website provides an excellent variety of hands-on earthquake activities to help you understand what causes earthquakes.
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
Iris: Gps Measuring Plate Motion [Pdf]
This resource looks at how geologists are able to measure the movement of tectonic plates using satellite-based data and how they were able to surmise in the past that the plates were moving. It also discusses how to read GPS time-series...
Other
Usra: Lunar and Planetary Institute: Hot Spot Activity [Pdf]
In this lesson, students will measure the distances between Hawaiian islands, and convert and graph their data to determine the speed of the Pacific Plate.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Discovering Plate Boundaries
A classroom activity designed to introduce students to the process of observing and classifying data, in addition to the fundamentals of plate tectonics.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Dynamic Earth Interactives
Interactive tutorials on plate tectonics, plates and boundaries, and the Earth's structure convey the dynamism of geologic processes, such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Takes a multidimensional approach to coverage of basic geologic...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Dynamic Earth Interactives: Earth's Structure
The resource explores the Earth. There are tutorials on plate tectonics, plates and boundaries, and the Earth's structure. There is also an introduction and an interactive activity to test the students on skills taught.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Igneous Activity
In this interactive tutorial you will learn about the types, forms, and hazards of volcanoes. The types of landform common to volcanic activity is discussed. Then, the landforms commonly resulting from intrusive igneous activity are...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Intraplate Activity
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Covers volcanic activity occurrence within oceanic and continental plates.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Intraplate Activity
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Covers volcanic activity occurrence within oceanic and continental plates.
National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training (Spain)
Ministerio De Educacion: Estructura Interna De La Tierra
In addition to exploring the inside of the earth, this unit will explore the consequences on the dynamics of the outer layers; it will deepen the knowledge of plate tectonics and the movement of the plates in the past. It includes 16...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History: Global Volcanism Program: This Dynamic Planet
Interactive activity that allows the learner to make their own regional map using layers of their choice such as volcanoes, craters, plate tectonics, or earthquakes. This map of the Earth zooms in and out, highlights essential processes,...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Plate Kinematics
For this activity, young scholars will observe and understand the basic kinematics of plate movement, how oceans are formed during continental rifting, and the relationship between plate geometry and tectonic data such as earthquakes,...