Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift

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• Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift
• Language Objectives
• Students will compare different theories on the
  creation of Earth.
• Students will revise an already developed theory
  to design their own theory.
• TEKS Objectives
• (8.3)  Scientific processes. The student uses
  critical thinking and scientific problem solving
  to make informed decisions. The student is
  expected to
• (A)  Analyze, review, and critique scientific
  explanations, including hypotheses and theories,
  as to their strengths and weaknesses using
  scientific evidence and information
• (D)  Evaluate the impact of research on
  scientific thought, society, and the environment
  and
• (E)  Connect Grade 8 science concepts with the
  history of science and contributions of
  scientists.
• (8.14) Science concepts. The student knows that
  natural events and human activities can alter
  Earth systems. The student is expected to
• Predict land features resulting from gradual
  changes such as mountain building, beach erosion,
  land subsidence, and continental drift

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Plate Tectonics The Continental Drift Theory
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Continental Drift
_________ proposed the theory that the crustal
plates are moving over the mantle. This was
supported by fossil and rock type evidence also
matching of coastline shapes.
Wegener
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Convection Currents
The force responsible for plate movement is
__________.
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Plate Boundaries

• The following two slides show maps of the current
  major plate boundaries and their relative
  motions.
• You should be able to describe various landforms
  created by different plate movements.

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Plate Boundaries

• Divergent Boundary moving _____
• Convergent Boundary moving ________
• Transform Fault Boundary moving
  ________________________

apart
together
sideways past each other
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Divergent boundary of two continental
plates. Creates a __________. Example
_____________
rift valley
East African Rift
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Convergent boundary of two oceanic
plates. Creates an ________ and a _____.
Example _____
island arc
trench
Japan
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Convergent boundary of an oceanic plate and a
continental plate. Forms a _______ mountain range
and a ______. Examples _______ or _______ Mts
volcanic
trench
Andes
Cascades
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Convergent boundary of two continental plates.
Forms a ______ mountain range. Examples
___________, Alps, ______________
Himalayas
folded
Appalachians
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Transform-fault boundary where the North American
and Pacific plates are moving ____ each
other. Example ________________ in California
past
San Andreas Fault
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Plate Boundaries Review

• Places where plates move apart are called
  _____________ boundaries.
• When continental plates diverge a ___________ is
  formed.
• When two oceanic plates converge what is created?
  _________________
• The Appalachians formed mainly from continental
  plate collisions and therefore are a __________
  mountain range.
• The force moving the plates is ____________ .

divergent
rift valley
an island arc and a trench
folded
Convection currents