Overview

7th Grade Science

Earth Systems

10. Geology

10.1 Plate Tectonics, Global patterns, Introduction

Plate Tectonics: Discover How Earth's Moving Plates Shape Our World

Explore how tectonic plates move, collide, and separate to create mountains, ocean trenches, earthquakes, and volcanoes across the globe.

What You'll Learn

Earth's lithosphere is broken into slowly moving tectonic plates.

Three boundary types produce earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges.

Seafloor spreading and fossils provide key evidence for plate tectonics.

The Ring of Fire marks intense tectonic activity around the Pacific.

What You'll Practice

Students identify plate boundary types and their distinct geological features.

Learners analyze seafloor spreading evidence including magnetic stripe patterns.

Questions test knowledge of Pangaea, subduction, and global earthquake patterns.

Why This Matters

Understanding plate tectonics equips students to explain earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the formation of major landforms, connecting geology to real-world natural events and scientific inquiry.

This Unit Includes

1 Video lesson

Practice exercises

Learning resources

Skills

Plate Tectonics

Seafloor Spreading

Plate Boundaries

Continental Drift

Subduction

NC Curriculum Aligned