Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Writing to Support the Theory of Plate Tectonics
This lesson helps young scholars use images that depict earthquakes, seafloor ages, topography, and volcanoes, and then make a scientific argument supporting the Theory of Plate Tectonics.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Naturally Disastrous
Students are introduced to natural disasters, and learn the difference between natural hazards and natural disasters. They discover the many types of natural hazards - avalanche, earthquake, flood, forest fire, hurricane, landslide,...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Deadly Shadow of Vesuvius
Observe the relationship among volcanoes, earthquakes and lithospheric plates by collecting data and creating maps. This activity was created to be used with the NOVA program, "Deadly Shadow of Vesuvius" but the video is not necessary...
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Mapping Quake Risk
Students use GIS to observe worldwide patterns of earthquakes and volcanoes and analyze the relationships of those patterns to tectonic plate boundaries. Then they identify cities at risk.
Bozeman Science
Bozeman Science: Natural Hazards
In this video, Paul Andersen explains how natural disasters (like earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and flooding) have affected and will continue to affect humans on the planet. Many of the natural hazards (like volcanoes and storms) can...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Plate Kinematics
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,...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Writing About Plate Tectonics
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...
Bozeman Science
Bozeman Science: Geology
Paul Andersen explains how rock is formed and changed on the planet. The video begins with a brief description of rocks, minerals, and the rock cycle. Plate tectonics is used to describe structure near plate boundaries. Hot spots and...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Plate Tectonics: Convergent Plate Boundaries
Explore the geological features of convergent plate boundaries in this video. Learn that as the plates come together a volcano, a earthquake or more could occur. [6:03]
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Quick or Slow? I've Got to Know!
Earth changes can happen quickly or slowly. The students will work in teams to stake a claim about these changes and then use texts to find evidence to prove their claims. Included in this lesson are video clips of the class, a list of...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Discovering Plate Boundaries
A data rich exercise built around four global data maps to help learners discover the processes that occur at plate tectonic boundaries. The lesson is based on the jigsaw concept, mixing the students to work in different groups during...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Vocabulary Words in Context
In this lesson, 5th graders will use context clues as they learn new science vocabulary words through listening, reading and discussing the new content. The terms are associated with the reshaping of the earth's surface.
Next Vista for Learning
Next Vista for Learning: Plate Tectonics
Do you know how mountains, volcanoes, and rift valleys are formed? This video uses graham crackers and frosting to illustrate what plate boundaries look like. Learn what causes subduction zones and earthquakes with this model. See the...
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Geology: Pacific Ring of Fire: Lesson 1
This lesson introduces and explores the Pacific Ring of Fire. It is 1 of 3 in the series titled "Geology: Pacific Ring of Fire."
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Geology: Plate Tectonics: Lesson 2
This lesson introduces the plate tectonics of the world and discusses their effects on the earth. It is 2 of 3 in the series titled "Geology: Plate Tectonics."
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Plate Tectonics: Geological Features Convergent Plate Boundaries
This video discusses the geological features of convergent plate boundaries. [6:03]
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Geology: Pacific Ring of Fire: Lesson 2
This lesson introduces and explores the Pacific Ring of Fire. It is 2 of 3 in the series titled "Geology: Pacific Ring of Fire."
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Computer Model of Mantle Convection
See how scientists study mantle convection, or the flow of hot rock in the Earth's deep interior, in order to better understand how this flow shapes the surface of the Earth. Learn how convection makes the Earth dynamic. [7:10]