Name: Date:

Question

Name:		Date:

Student Exploration: Plate Tectonics (CLICK HERE)

Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and prompts in the orange boxes.

Vocabulary: asthenosphere, collision zone, convergent boundary, crust, divergent boundary, earthquake, lithosphere, mantle, plate, plate tectonics, subduction zone, transform boundary, volcano

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

⦁	Volcanoes are openings in Earth’s crust where lava, gas, and ash can erupt. Where are active volcanoes located?

⦁	An earthquake is a violent shaking of Earth’s surface. Where are earthquakes common?

Gizmo Warm-up
Volcanoes, earthquakes, mountains, and other features of Earth’s surface owe their origin to the movements of plates: enormous, slowly-moving sections of Earth’s crust. At plate boundaries, plates collide, move apart, move under or over each other, or slide past one another. The theory of plate tectonics describes how the plates move, interact, and change the physical landscape.

The Plate Tectonics Gizmo shows a cross-section, or side view, of Earth. (Not to scale.) Above the cross section is a bird’s-eye view of the same location.

⦁	Turn on Show labels. What are the layers of Earth that you can see?

The lithosphere is a layer of rigid rock that consists of the crust and the upper part of Earth’s mantle. The asthenosphere is a layer of the mantle that can deform like plastic.

⦁	Turn on the Boundary name, and click on each boundary. What four boundaries do you see?

Activity A:

Sliding plates	Get the Gizmo ready: 
⦁	Select BOUNDARY A.

Question: What happens when plates slide past one another?

⦁	Observe: Boundary A is a transform boundary. The arrows below the BOUNDARY A label will move the plates. Click the left arrow once to see how the plates move.

How would you describe the motion of plates in a transform boundary?

⦁	Locate: Turn on Show location. Where on Earth can you find transform boundaries? (Note: You can refer to a world map or atlas for location names.)

✏️Highlight these locations on the map below. To do this, click on the drawing and select Edit. Select the scribble from the line menu to sketch on the map.

Activity B:

Colliding continents	Get the Gizmo ready: 
⦁	Turn off Boundary name and Show location.
⦁	Select BOUNDARY B.

Question: What happens when two continents collide?

⦁	Observe: Boundary B is an example of a convergent boundary, where two plates are moving toward one another. When the two converging plates both contain continental crust, it is called a collision zone. Click the left arrow four times to see how the plates move.

How would you describe the motion of plates in a collision zone?

⦁	Locate: Turn on Show location. Where on Earth can you find collision zones? (Note: You can refer to a world map or atlas for location names.)

✏️Highlight these locations on the map below.

Activity C:

Oceanic crust meets continental crust	Get the Gizmo ready: 
⦁	Turn off Boundary name and Show location.
⦁	Select BOUNDARY C.

Question: What happens when ocean crust collides with continental crust?

⦁	Observe: Boundary C is another type of convergent boundary called a subduction zone. Click the left arrow four times to see how the plates move.

How would you describe the motion of plates in a subduction zone?

⦁	Locate: Turn on Show location. Where on Earth can you find subduction zones? (Note: You can refer to a world map or atlas for location names.)

✏️Highlight these locations on the map below.

Activity D:

Spreading plates	Get the Gizmo ready: 
⦁	Turn off Boundary name and Show location.
⦁	Select BOUNDARY D.

Question: How is new crust formed?

⦁	Observe: Boundary D is a divergent boundary. Click the right arrow four times to see how the plates move. 
How would you describe the motion of plates in a divergent boundary?

⦁	Locate: Turn on Show location. Where on Earth can you find divergent boundaries? (Note: You can refer to a world map or atlas for location names.)

✏️Highlight these locations on the map below.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

### Student Exploration: Plate Tectonics **Name:** **Date:** --- ### Prior Knowledge Questions 1. **Volcanoes are openings in Earth’s crust where lava, gas, and ash can erupt. Where are active volcanoes located?** Active volcanoes are often located along tectonic plate boundaries, particularly at convergent boundaries (where plates collide) and divergent boundaries (where plates move apart). Many active volcanoes are also found along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is a horseshoe-shaped area around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. 2. **An earthquake is a violent shaking of Earth’s surface. Where are earthquakes common?** Earthquakes are common along tectonic plate boundaries, particularly at transform boundaries (where plates slide past each other) and convergent boundaries (where one plate is forced under another). --- ### Gizmo Warm-up 1. **Turn on Show labels. What are the layers of Earth that you can see?** The layers of Earth that can be seen include the **crust**, **mantle**, and **asthenosphere**. 2. **Turn on the Boundary name, and click on each boundary. What four boundaries do you see?** The four boundaries observed are: - Transform boundary (Boundary A) - Convergent boundary (Boundary B) - Subduction zone (Boundary C) - Divergent boundary (Boundary D) --- ### Activity A: Sliding plates **Question: What happens when plates slide past one another?** When plates slide past one another at a transform boundary, they create friction. This motion can cause energy to build up and eventually be released as earthquakes. 1. **How would you describe the motion of plates in a transform boundary?** The plates move horizontally past each other in opposite directions, resulting in lateral motion. 2. **Locate: Turn on Show location. Where on Earth can you find transform boundaries?** Transform boundaries can be found along the San Andreas Fault in California and the North Anatolian Fault in Turkey. --- ### Activity B: Colliding continents **Question: What happens when two continents collide?** When two continental plates collide, neither plate is subducted due to their buoyancy. Instead, they crumple and fold, which can lead to the formation of mountains. 1. **How would you describe the motion of plates in a collision zone?** The plates move towards each other, leading to uplifting and crumpling of continental crust. 2. **Locate: Turn on Show location. Where on Earth can you find collision zones?** Collision zones can be found in the Himalayas (where the Indian Plate collides with the Eurasian Plate) and the Alps (where the African Plate meets the Eurasian Plate). --- ### Activity C: Oceanic crust meets continental crust **Question: What happens when ocean crust collides with continental crust?** When oceanic crust (which is denser) collides with continental crust, the oceanic plate is subducted beneath the continental plate, leading to volcanic activity and the formation of trenches. 1. **How would you describe the motion of plates in a subduction zone?** The oceanic plate moves down into the mantle beneath the continental plate at an angle. 2. **Locate: Turn on Show location. Where on Earth can you find subduction zones?** Subduction zones can be found along the Pacific coast of South America (the Nazca Plate subducting under the South American Plate) and the Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. --- ### Activity D: Spreading plates **Question: How is new crust formed?** New crust is formed at divergent boundaries as magma rises from the mantle, cools, and solidifies at the surface, resulting in the creation of new oceanic crust. 1. **How would you describe the motion of plates in a divergent boundary?** The plates move apart from each other, creating space for magma to rise and form new crust. 2. **Locate: Turn on Show location. Where on Earth can you find divergent boundaries?** Divergent boundaries can be found along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East African Rift. --- Make sure to highlight the various locations on the provided map for visual reference!