Be Smart
How Does A Canyon Become Grand?
Ah, the Grand Canyon ... ain't it grand? The narrator of a video from PBS Digital Studios explains, in detail, how the Grand Canyon was formed over millions of years.
TED-Ed
Why is Mount Everest so Tall?
Many years ago, when the Indian plate collided into the Eurasian plate, the highest mountain on Earth was formed. But what gives Mount Everest its shape? Watch an informative video to learn what factors make the...
TED-Ed
What Happens When Continents Collide?
Ever heard of the Great American Biotic Interchange? The joining of North and South America caused one of the greatest biological migrations in Earth's history. Watch the continents collide and learn about the global consequences.
TED-Ed
Why Do Buildings Fall in Earthquakes?
There are few natural phenomena as startling as an earthquake, and depending on the building you're in, these experiences can be downright terrifying. Follow along as this video explores the factors that determine how a building...
TED-Ed
The Pangaea Pop-up
The amazing animation for a video on continental drift is comprised of the pages of a sophisticated pop-up book, The Moving Earth. As the pages turn, your earth scientists discover the tectonic plates of the lithosphere and the...
Khan Academy
Hawaiian Islands Formation, Cosmology and Astronomy
Sal explains the formation of Hawaii and the theories behind the formation of a boundary-related hot spot. He debates the concept that the hot spot is traveling along with the plate.
Curated OER
How a Tsunami Forms
This kid knows his stuff. A middle schooler explains the five-step process that occurs as a tsunami forms. He relates his tsunami research to the events that occurred in Japan in 2011. The question he poses can be discussed by you class....
Khan Academy
Plate Tectonics: Difference Between Crust and Lithosphere, Cosmology and Astronomy
Explore the tectonic plates that make up the surface of our Earth and their movement, as well as the terminology of the Earth's structure.
Curated OER
Mid Ocean Ridges, Volcanoes, and the Arctic
Journey underwater for a better look at the tectonic plates and the volcanoes they create. Although this video is slightly dry, it is packed with valuable information and easy-to-understand visual images. Consider using a portion to...
Curated OER
Earth 100 Million Years From Now
100 million years and counting. See how the earth has changed over the past 100 million years. An image rich clip narrated not by voice but by explanatory text for learners to read. They listen to a dynamic music score, watch the earth...
Curated OER
The Solid Earth - Environmental Science
What is the solid part of the earth and how does it effect our environment? Professor Paul Tackley explains how the active, solid part of the earth is responsible for volcanoes, earthquakes, and plate tectonics. He uses solid examples...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Plate Tectonics: Lake Mead, Nevada
Using animations to illustrate the theory of plate tectonics, this video segment adapted from Discovering Women takes you to Lake Mead, Nevada, to see visual evidence of how plate movement has been stretching the North American...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Plate Tectonics: Further Evidence
This video segment [2:12] adapted from A Science Odyssey uses animation and archival footage to provide an overview of the theory of plate tectonics.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Plate Tectonics: The Hawaiian Archipelago
This video segment adapted from NOVA uses animation to show the relationship between the movement of a tectonic plate and whether volcanoes on the Hawaiian Islands are active or dormant. 4m 38s
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Doomsday Volcanoes Clues Inside a Volcano
Are three seemingly separate volcanoes in Iceland actually connected to each other? For the first time, scientists can study a volcano from the inside and find out that these volcanoes are actually connected. Find out how in this video...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Treasures of the Earth When Did Plate Tectonics Begin?
When you hear the word "diamonds" what comes to mind? Rings, necklaces, earrings? How about plate tectonics? Believe it or not, the minerals in diamond inclusions have helped scientists understand when the process of plate tectonics...
Monterey Institute for Technology and Education
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Plate Tectonics
This resource provides a video about plate tectonics.
Monterey Institute for Technology and Education
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Mid Ocean Ridges
Watch a video depicting the formation of a mid-ocean ridge. The resource also has two additional lessons requiring you to apply your knowledge of mid-ocean ridge location and formation.
Monterey Institute for Technology and Education
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Subduction Zones
This video explains the process of subduction between two oceanic plates as well as a continental plate and oceanic plate. Links to two additional subduction activities are also available.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Learner Express: Plate Tectonics
Learn why there are seashells on top of Mount Everest in this video that explores plate tectonic activity. [5:59]
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Metamorphic Rocks: Why Rocks Bend and Fold: Part 1
Explore rock layers with scientist to learn how forces cause sedimentary rock changes into metamorphic rock in the video. [8:53]
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Mountain Building: A Tug of War
Learn how mountains are formed from below by tectonic forces in this video. [2:42]
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Mountains Are Formed by Plate Collision
Investigate how mountain ranges form by collisions of continental plates in this video. [1:49]
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Earth Revealed
To support or supplement a course in earth science or geography, Annenberg Media offers twenty-six Videos on Demand (VoDs). The topics coverd range from why Earth can sustain life, to plate tectonics, to rock types and landscape...