Ready to teach plate tectonics but not sure where to begin? Start with a short video that is long on learning! Junior earth scientists discover the basics of plate tectonics, complete with colorful analogies and explanations. The narrator covers subduction, divergent boundaries, and convergence.

Concepts

plate tectonics, the earth's crust, the earth's mantle, convergence, divergent boundaries, plate movement, subduction

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the video to kick off a plate tectonics unit
• Pass out maps and have paired pupils locate plate boundaries and theorize about the type of interaction occurring there
  

Classroom Considerations

• Written for beginning plate tectonics students
  

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Comparing tectonic plates to baggage on a conveyor belt solidifies the idea that Earth's crust and mantle are in constant motion
• The simple animations are spot-on in illustrating subduction, divergence, and convergence
  

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.2 SL.7.2 SL.9-10.2