The Earth Moves Under My Feet!

1.  What does the term "plate tectonics" mean?  What evidence is there to prove they exist?  Look at this page to find out some background information.  Give a 3 sentence explanation.

2.  Look at the traveling plates.  Scroll down to see the plates moving.  Can you image how slowly they had to move to look the way our planet looks today?  Can you imagine 200 million years?  How long do you think it would take you to count to 200 million? 

3.  What will the world look like in the very distant future? Make a prediction and draw a quick picture.  Compare your prediction with this:   Here's one prediction.

4.  Want to visit some volcanoes?  Take a few minutes to take some virtual tours of volcanoes.  Then look at the photos that astronauts have taken from the space shuttle of volcanoes all around the world. (Look for some in California)

5.  What's shaking right now?  Check out this site to find out "where it's hot" right now!  Where can you barbeque without a match, right now in the world?

Make a comic strip for a "little kid" in which you draw a picture and write a simpler caption for each frame of  this story:

1. Tectonic plates move continually on the Earth's surface.
2. They move slowly, but continually.
3. When plates collide, there is a high rate of earthquakes and volcanoes.
4. Volcanoes are found in many parts of the world.  
5. There are several volcanoes here in California

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PUSD Standards That we are Addressing:

 Identify and understand major geologic events and how they reshape the Earth.

 Analyze the evidence of plate tectonics.

• Explain that earthquakes or sudden motions along breaks in the crust called faults, and volcanoes/fissures are locations where magma reaches the surface of the earth.  (c1d/n)

• Describe how major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building result from plate motions.  (c1e/n)

•  Recognize the fit of the continents, location of earthquakes, volcanoes, mid-ocean ridges, and the distribution of fossils, rock types, and ancient climatic zones provide evidence for plate tectonics.  (c1a)

•  Know that lithospheric plates the size of continents and oceans, move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the mantle. (c1c/n)

• Explain and identify major features of California geology in terms of plate tectonics (including mountains, faults, and volcanoes).  (c1f)