Curated OER
The Big Balancing Act
High schoolers describe chemical changes occurring in hydrothermal circulation systems. They make inferences about the significance of these systems to ocean chemical balance compared to terrestrial runoff.
Curated OER
And Now for Something Completely Different...
Students identify organisms that are typical a part of a hydrothermal vent. They examine why hydrothermal vents are short-lived.
Curated OER
Shake, Rattle and Erupt
Students study myths regarding four earthquakes myths. They receive a list of supplies each family should have at home to prepare for an earthquake and construct an "Earthquake Preparation" poster showing some of the most important items...
Curated OER
It Looks Like Champagne
Students determine some practical implications of the discovery of liquid carbon dioxide in deep-ocean ecosystems. They interpret phase diagrams and explain the meaning of "critical point" and "triple point."
Curated OER
Earth History Part II
Eighth graders hypothesize what caused the break up of continents. In this earth science lesson plan, 8th graders study about the events that took place during Mesozoic and Cenozoic Era. They reconstruct a supercontinent and report their...
American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History: O Logy: Plates on the Move
Find an interrelated set of tools--maps, animations, diagrams, photographs, and text--to help you understand tectonic plates and how they move.
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.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Plate Tectonics
Windows only - Interact with the tectonic plates of the Earth and see how changing variables affects the plates.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Plate Tectonics
Explore how plates move on the surface of the earth. Change temperature, composition, and thickness of plates. Discover how to create new mountains, volcanoes, or oceans! Java is required.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Earth's Tectonic Plates Study Guide
This comprehensive study guide covers the main terms and concepts needed for an earth science unit on the earth's tectonic plates. Review questions are included at the bottom of the study guide.
Other
Digital Library for Earth System Education: Teaching Box: Plate Tectonics
A suite of lessons focusing on finding the fossil evidence for lithospheric plate tectonics. Inquiry-based exploration of plate tectonics evidence includes fossil distribution, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Plate Tectonics
In this interactive lesson you will learn about the theory of plate tectonics and the three types of plate boundaries that are responsible for Earth's geologic features.
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Exploring the Planets: Earth's Lithosphere
The plate tectonics and other features of the Earth's lithosphere are explained and illustrated. Has links to definitions of the magnetosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Ph Et: Interactive Simulations: Plate Tectonics
Students studying plate tectonics will better understand its concepts with this virtual experiment that tests how plates move on the surface of the earth. Temperature, composition, and thickness of plates can be changed to create new...
PurposeGames
Purpose Games: Plate Tectonics
Gamers will test their knowledge of plate tectonics with this interactive. Know your divergent plate boundaries, hot spots, trenches, lithosphere, and other trivial facts of plate tectonics.
University of Oregon
The Electronic Universe Project: Plate Boundaries/plate Tectonics
Visit this site to learn more about the different types of plate boundaries. Includes color pictures and easy-to-understand examples of how and why plates move the way they do.
South Carolina Educational Television
Know It All Media: Plate Tectonics: Plate Movements
Animated simulations showing the three types of plate movements: divergent, convergent, and lateral plate boundaries.
Center for Educational Technologies
Cotf: Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics provides geology with a comprehensive theory that explains how the Earth works.
Other
The Geological Society: Plate Tectonics: Mechanical Properties: 'Lithosphere' and 'Asthenosphere'
This resource describes how the mechanical properties of the lithosphere and asthenosphere change as the temperature and pressure increase. This can cause rocks to flow and become plastic-like.
Center for Educational Technologies
Nasa: Classroom of the Future: Spheres: Lithosphere
At this site from the NASA Classroom of the Future, you can learn about the many different layers of the earth and see what the earth would look like cut in half.
Other
Plate Tectonic Theory [Pdf]
Check out this slideshow on Plate Tectonics-The unifying theory for all other theories in the Earth sciences-Has resulted in a more detailed understanding of Earth history-Has enabled geologists to more precisely(and cheaply) discover...
McGraw Hill
Glencoe Online: Plate Tectonics Quiz
Take this 20 multiple choice question quiz on plate tectonics.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Dynamic Planet
Seven hands-on lessons module where students learn about our dynamic planet. These inquiry-based explorations investigate scientific models, earthquakes and seismic waves, Earth's interior, Earth movements, the lithosphere, plate...
National Geographic
National Geographic: Encyclopedia: Mantle
An in-depth look at the structure and composition of Earth's mantle, with lots of visuals. Covers lithosphere, Mohorovicic discontinuity, asthenosphere, transition zone, lower mantle, the d double-prime region, mantle convection, mantle...