This page includes links to resources and activities to go along with my Plate Tectonics Unit! Find the Plate Tectonics Unit and other nature-based learning materials in my Shop!
1.) Related freebies from Wild Earth Lab
2.) Volcanic Eruption Research Project
Suggested Eruptions to Research:
- Mt. Etna, Italy (many eruptions in recent times)
- Mauna Loa, Hawai’i, US (2022)
- Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala (2018)
- Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland (2010)
- Mt. St. Helens, US (1980, 2004)
- Krakatau, Indonesia (1883, 2018, many others)
- Laki, Iceland (1783)
- Mt. Vesuvius, Italy (79 AD)
Online Eruption Resources:
These websites and articles can help you pick a volcanic eruption and begin your research.
- USGS – Which Volcanic Eruptions Were the Deadliest? And other Notable eruptions
- Washington State Magazine – Large volcanic eruptions 1800–present in the United States
- Discover Magazine – 5 of the Most Explosive Volcanic Eruptions – article by M. Cull, 2022
- Australian Geographic – The world’s 10 most devastating volcanic eruptions – article by C. Cassella, 2017
- ABC News – Follow the latest volcano news
- US News and World Reports – the latest volcanoes news
- Smithsonian Institute – National Museum of Natural History’s Global Volcanism Project – Database Search tool
- NOAA – National Centers for Environmental Information – Search Volcano Events tool
- USGS – Volcano Hazards Program – interactive map with active volcanoes in the US
3.) Earthquake Research Project
Suggested Earthquakes to Research:
- Turkey & Syria (2023)
- Sumatra, Indonesia (2005, 2007, 2012)
- Haiti (2010)
- Sichuan, China (2008)
- Indonesia (2004)
- Alaska, US (1964)
- Valdivia, Chile (1960)
- San Francisco, US (1906)
Online Earthquake Resources:
These websites and articles can help you pick a earthquake and begin your research.
- Australian Geographic – Earthquakes: the 10 biggest in history – Article by C. Phillips, 2011
- Newsweek – The Deadliest Earthquakes in History – Article by P. Dewan, 2023
- NOVA – Once and Future Tsunamis (many are caused by earthquakes)
- BBC News – History of deadly earthquakes, 2022 article
- US News and World Report – Earthquakes – the latest earthquakes
- ABC News – Follow the latest Earthquakes news, videos, and analysis
- USGS – Earthquake Hazards Program – 20 Largest Earthquakes in the World Since 1900
- USGS – Earthquake Hazards Program – Latest earthquakes
- USGS – Earthquake Hazards Program – Search earthquake catalog tool
- NOAA – Earthquake Data and Information – databases
4.) Additional Plate Tectonics Activities & Lesson Plans (external links)
This is a list of free lesson plans and plate tectonics activity ideas from other authors for educators to use.
- Density Activity – liquid stacking
- Stacking liquids teaches us about density – which is why there are layers inside the earth. Try this liquid stacking activity from ScienceBuddies.org
- A YouTube tutorial for liquid stacking from Super Experiment
- This layers of the earth video from PBS explains the role of density and much more
- Edible layers of the earth
- Follow this guide from the American Museum of Natural History to make an edible layers of the earth model
- Or, make a model of the layers of the earth using food following this guide from Sciencing.com
- Pangea puzzle
- Here is a short, easy reading about Pangea from the American Museum of Natural History
- Here is an interesting (and more advanced) reading about predicting the next supercontinent, from ScieneNews written by A. Tripathy-Lang in 2023
- Try to figure out how the continents fit together to form a supercontinent with this online Pangea puzzle from Gizmos.
- Or try a print Pangea puzzle from the Florida Museum
- Plate boundary types with sandwich cookies
- Try a plate tectonics cookie activity from Oregon State University
- Try this edible plate tectonics activity out with this guide from Red Rock Canyon NCA
- Identifying Plate Boundaries
- Locate earthquakes and volcanic activity along plate tectonic boundaries. The National Park Service website provides materials for a ring of fire plotting lesson.
- Students may also find it helpful to explore this interactive map of earthquakes, volcanoes, and plate boundaries from PBS Learning Media
- This inquiry-style discovering plate tectonics lab from Rice University is advanced, but should work well for older students
- Volcano model
- There are many guides for this classic activity, such as this simple soda bottle volcano from Mt.Rainier National Park
- Or, try this volcano activity from the UK Natural History Museum
- More volcano lessons
- Try out these free volcano curriculum materials from Mt. Rainier National Park.
- Also, check out these earth science lessons and teaching resources from Oregon State University’s Volcano World website
- Sea floor age
- Read this article from Earth Observatory of Singapore about how scientists determine the age of the sea floor.
- Then examine this map of the sea floor age from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. Ask students to locate boundaries (esp. divergent boundaries).
- Alternatively, view the age of the sea floor on Google Earth
- Earthquake engineering challenge
- Build your own miniature earthquake-resistant structures. Find free earthquake engineering STEM challenge guides for this activity from Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers
- Also, try this earthquake activity from Queensland University of Technology
5.) References (external links)
These include reference websites, books, and materials I used to fact check the information within the Plate Tectonics Unit as well as other websites you may find helpful in planning your lessons. Use the links below to enjoy the wealth of information these references have to offer!
Plate Tectonics
- C.C. Plummer, D.H. Carlson, and L. Hammersley (2019). Physical Geology. McGraw-Hill Education. (Chapters 1, 4, 16, and 19)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (n.d.). What are the different types of plate tectonic boundaries? Ocean Exploration. Available: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/plate-boundaries.html
- The National Park Service (2020). Types of Plate Boundaries. Available: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/plate-tectonics-types-of-plate-boundaries.htm
- U.S. Geological Survey (1996). Tectonic plates (public domain image). Available: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plates_tect2_en.svg
Layers of the Earth
- Dobrijevic, D (2023). Earth’s layers: Exploring our planet inside and out. Spage.com. Available: https://www.space.com/17777-what-is-earth-made-of.html
- U.S. Geological Survey (1999). Inside the Earth. Available: https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/inside.html
Volcanoes
- British Geological Survey (n.d.). Types of Volcano. Available: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/earth-hazards/volcanoes/how-volcanoes-form/
- National Park Service (n.d.) Types of Volcanoes. Available: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/volcanoes/types-of-volcanoes.htm
- National Park Service (n.d.). Volcanic Eruptions. Available: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/volcanoes/volcanic-eruptions.htm
- Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (2022). Active, Dormant, and Extinct: Clarifying confusing classifications. U.S. Geological Survey news. Available: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/active-dormant-and-extinct-clarifying-confusing-classifications
Earthquakes
- Thompson, A. (2023). How to Engineer Buildings That Withstand Earthquakes. Scientific American. Available: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-engineer-buildings-that-withstand-earthquakes/
- Michigan Tech (n.d.) Why do earthquakes happen? UPSeis. Available: https://www.mtu.edu/geo/community/seismology/learn/earthquake-cause/
- British Geological Survey (n.d.). What causes earthquakes? Available: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/earth-hazards/earthquakes/what-causes-earthquakes/
Scientific Theories
- American Museum of Natural History (n.d.). What is a Theory? Darwin Exhibition. Available: https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/darwin/evolution-today/what-is-a-theory
- University of Hawai’i at Manoa (n.d.). Practices of Science: opinion, hypothesis, and theory. Available: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/physical/ocean-floor/continental-movement-plate-tectonics/practices-science-opinion-hypothesis-theory
