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Activity Three: Plate Tectonics CATEGORY: Formative
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Student Exploration: Plate Tectonics
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.)
1. Volcanoes are openings in Earth’s crust where lava, gas, and ash can erupt. Where are active
volcanoes located?
Active volcanos are located underneath gaps between tectonic plates or underneath active
hotspots.
2. An earthquake is a violent shaking of Earth’s surface. Where are earthquakes common?
Earthquakes are tectonic plates crashing or overlapping creating vibrations above ground.
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.
1. Turn on Show labels. What are the layers of Earth that you can see?
crust, lithosphere, asthenosphere.
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.
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2. Turn on Boundary name, and click on each boundary. What four boundaries do you see?
Transform Boundaries, convergent boundaries, convergent boundaries: subduction,
divergent boundaries.
Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
Sliding plates ● Select BOUNDARY A.
Question: What happens when plates slide past one another?
1. 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?
The plate moves upwards in a slanted direction.
2. Sketch: ✏️Draw a bird’s-eye view of the plate boundary before and after the plate motion. Draw an
arrow to show which way the plate moved.
✏️Either Hand draw or use ✏️Either Hand draw or use
Drawing tool Drawing tool
Before movement After movement
3. 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.)
the West Coast, the pacific Antarctica area, western Europe Southeastern Africa, east and
west of India, and the east coast of japan.
✏️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.
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Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity B:
Colliding ● Turn off Boundary name and Show location.
continents
● Select BOUNDARY B.
Question: What happens when two continents collide?
1. 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?
the plates crash and build up soil and become a tall hill/ mountain
2. Sketch: Draw a side view of the plate boundary before and after the plate motion. Draw an arrow to
show which way the plate moved.
✏️Either Hand draw or use ✏️Either Hand draw or use
Drawing tool Drawing tool
Before movement After movement
3. 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.)
along the southern part of the continental plate of Eurasia.
✏️Highlight these locations on the map below.
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Activity C: Get the Gizmo ready:
Oceanic crust ● Turn off Boundary name and Show location.
meets continental
crust ● Select BOUNDARY C.
Question: What happens when ocean crust collides with continental crust?
1. 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?
the tectonic plate slides underneath another tectonic plate, causing a volcanic eruption.
2. Sketch: Draw a side view of the plate boundary before and after the plate motion. Draw an arrow to
show which way the plate moved.
✏️Either Hand draw or use ✏️Either Hand draw or use
Drawing tool Drawing tool
Before movement After movement
3. 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.)
every single continental plate except for the African plate
✏️Highlight these locations on the map below.
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Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity D:
● Turn off Boundary name and Show location.
Spreading plates
● Select BOUNDARY D.
Question: How is new crust formed?
1. 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?
The crust slides apart and reveals magma hidden below the earth.
2. Sketch: Draw a side view of the plate boundary before and after the plate motion. Draw an arrow to
show which way the plate moved.
✏️Either Hand draw or use ✏️Either Hand draw or use
Drawing tool Drawing tool
Before
movement After movement
3. 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.)
along every continental plate
✏️Highlight these locations on the map below.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
