Curated OER
Pass the Plate
Students define constructive forces. They describe how landforms are created as a result of constructive forces. Students recognize active volcano areas in the United States. They demonstrate an understanding of Panagea.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
Students simulate the three types of plate boundaries using robots. In this earth science lesson plan, students explain how earthquakes and volcanoes are formed. They collect real-world earthquake data and plot them on the map.
Curated OER
Prehistoric Mesosaurus
Students draw conclusions why Mesosaurus has only been found in Africa and Brazil and how its fossil remains serve as important evidence that shows where two continents were once joined together.
Curated OER
The Great Continental Drift Mystery
Students stud the concept of Pangaea by using Wegener's clues to construct a map of the continents joined together. They determine how fossil distribution can be used to enhance the study of continental drift. They locate the...
Curated OER
Explosive Ideas!
Students explore the layers of the Earth and the dynamic changes that they cause on Earth's surface. Volcanoes and earthquakes become the focus of the lesson plan as the Oregon State quarter and its Crater Lake images are linked to the...
Curated OER
Science
Seventh graders study the theory of plate tectonics. In this activity lesson students complete an activity to determine how seafloor spreading and volcanoes contribute to solving the plate tectonics puzzle.
Curated OER
Natural Disasters
Middle schoolers work together in groups to travel throughout the room to different stations. They practice making different natural disasters at each station. They also examine fault lines and the supercontinent Pangaea.
TED-Ed
Bringing a Pop-up Book to Life
Breath life into the pages of a text with this instructional video on creating pop-up books. From choosing a topic, through the planning and creation phases, this video examines how to develop engaging visual presentations that reach out...
Curated OER
Rain Forest
Young scholars study the Amazon tropical rain forest. In this rain forest lesson, students discuss the Manu Biosphere reserve and watch a video about conserving the rain forest. Young scholars create mobiles for the rainforest that...
Curated OER
Earth History Part II
Eighth graders hypothesize what caused the break up of continents. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders study about the events that took place during Mesozoic and Cenozoic Era. They reconstruct a supercontinent and report their...
Curated OER
A Moving Experience
Students visit Time Machine's San Francisco Earthquake Era. They understand how the Earth's layers interact to cause changes in the Earth's surface. They review information about earthquakes and Earth's layers.
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Earth Science: Plate Tectonics I: Geologic Revolution
Instructional module focusing on the development of plate tectonic theory. Discussion includes the evidence of Pangaea, and the processes of seafloor topography and seafloor spreading. Site also includes an interactive practice quiz and...
Other
Nevada Seismological Laboratory: Plate Tectonics, the Cause of Earthquakes
This site contains an in-depth explanation of the causes of earthquakes as they relate to plate tectonics, and also has many nice and easy to read pictures, maps, and diagrams of plate tectonics and earthquakes.
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Plate Tectonics: The Origin of Plate Tectonic Theory
Discover Alfred Wegner's ideas relating to continental drift and seafloor spreading which are both evidence to the concept of plate tectonics.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Paleozoic Plate Tectonics
How plate tectonics formed Pangaea. [Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.]
Science Struck
Science Struck: Theory of Plate Tectonics
A detailed discussion of plate tectonics. Looks at continental drift, types of tectonic plates and plate boundaries, and primary and secondary tectonic plates.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Cenozoic Plate Tectonics
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How in the most recent age, Pangaea broke apart and made modern plate tectonics.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Cenozoic Plate Tectonics
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How in the most recent age, Pangaea broke apart and made modern plate tectonics.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Plate Tectonics Through Earth History
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] The history of plate tectonics past and future.
Libre Text
Libre Text: Historical Perspective [Of Plate Tectonics]
Read here about the historical perspective of plate tectonics.
Other
Hartao: An Introduction to Plate Tectonics
Introduces South African Alexander Toit as naming Gondwanaland and Laurasia.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Paleozoic Plate Tectonics
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How plate tectonics formed Pangaea.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Plate Tectonics Through Earth History Study Guide
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Summarizes the key points about the movement of tectonic plates throughout Earth's history. Includes a few questions to check for understanding.
University of California
Ucmp: Plate Tectonics
Provides hyperlinks to the history behind and the mechanisms driving plate tectonics. Be sure to click on the globe icons for animations of plate tectonics.