Unit Plan
E-learning for Kids

E Learning for Kids: Madagascar: What Are Tectonic Plates and How Are They Moving?

For Students 5th - 7th
This lesson teaches students about tectonic plates, plate boundaries, and their role in earthquakes and volcanoes.
Handout
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology

Iris: Gps Measuring Plate Motion [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource looks at how geologists are able to measure the movement of tectonic plates using satellite-based data and how they were able to surmise in the past that the plates were moving. It also discusses how to read GPS time-series...
Unit Plan
Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology

Ciese Real Time Data Projects: Musical Plates: A Study of Earthquakes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this project, students use Real-time and volcano data from the Internet to explore the relationship between earthquakes, plate tectonics, and volcanos.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Musical Plates: A Study of Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Four part lab activity involves students using real-time data to solve a problem, study the correlation between earthquakes and tectonic plates, and determine whether or not there is a relationship between volcanoes and plate boundaries.
Website
US Geological Survey

Usgs: Volcanic Hazards, Features, and Phenomena

For Students 9th - 10th
Site from the U.S. Geological Survey provides a brief list of volcano terminology including descriptions as well as links to major menus.
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Dynamic Earth Interactives

For Students 9th - 10th
Interactive tutorials on plate tectonics, plates and boundaries, and the Earth's structure convey the dynamism of geologic processes, such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Takes a multidimensional approach to coverage of basic geologic...
Handout
Other

University of Delaware: Plate Tectonics

For Students 3rd - 8th
This site is a very simple overview of plate tectonics. It includes a map of all the major plates and a diagram of the layers of the earth.
Interactive
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Plate Tectonics

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
Unit Plan
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Geology: Plate Tectonics

For Students 6th - 8th
An basic introduction to plate tectonics and the Earth's processes related to this phenomenon.
Interactive
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Volcanoes

For Students 9th - 10th
This interactive from Annenberg Learner asks the question of whether erumptions of volcanoes can be predicted. Review what you already know about volcanoes, and move on to forecasting potential. Several short video clips are included as...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Writing to Support the Theory of Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson helps students use images that depict earthquakes, seafloor ages, topography, and volcanoes, and then make a scientific argument supporting the Theory of Plate Tectonics.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Writing About Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson is a writing assignment focussed on the use of data to support the theory of plate tectonics. It includes a scoresheet that was created for a calibrated peer review assignment. The assignment directs students to determine the...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Plate Kinematics

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity, young scholars will observe and understand the basic kinematics of plate movement, how oceans are formed during continental rifting, and the relationship between plate geometry and tectonic data such as earthquakes,...
Unit Plan
CPALMS

Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Mantle Convection and Earth's Features

For Students 6th - 8th
A resource to help understand that the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates is caused by convection. The plates' movements cause geologic features on the Earth's surface.
Handout
US Geological Survey

U.s. Geological Survey: Volcanoes of the u.s.

For Students 9th - 10th
This graphical and textual journey about the US volcanoes was made by Steven Brantley. There is an introduction, volcanoes and plate tectonics, Hawaiian volcanoes, cascade volcanoes, restless volcanoes, a glossary and further readings.
Article
National Earth Science Teachers Association

Windows to the Universe: Volcano Formation

For Students 6th - 9th
Explanation of the factors that result in the formation of volcanoes, some basic but helpful animations and photographs.
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Answers to Exploration Questions: Plate Tectonics

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore answers about plate tectonics with this questions by Himalayan Mountains.
Interactive
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Ph Et: Interactive Simulations: Plate Tectonics

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Volcano Characteristics

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What volcanoes are and where they are located.
Graphic
US Geological Survey

Usgs: Plate Tectonics, Hot Spots, and Ring of Fire: World Map

For Students 9th - 10th
A world map featuring active volcanoes, plate tectonics, hot spots, and ring of fire.
Lesson Plan
National Association of Geoscience Teachers

Nagt: Discovering Plate Boundaries

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students work collaboratively using data maps to discover plate tectonic boundary processes. Data sets used are earthquakes, volcanoes, seafloor age, and topography.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: A Data Rich Exercise for Discovering Plate Boundary Processes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This article in the Journal of Geoscience Education describes a classroom exercise based on four world maps containing earthquake, volcano, topographical and seafloor age data. Students participate in this exercise by using a "jigsaw"...
Interactive
Math Science Nucleus

I. Science Ma Te: Integrating Science, Math and Technology

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This site offers a wealth of online textbook-related materials that encourage the discovery of science in the world around us. Enter the site to access material on specific topics. Each section contains reading material (complete with...
eBook
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Mantle Convection and Plate Tectonics

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the fundamental planetary process that has profoundly influenced the character and evolution of Earth, mantle convection.