Chapter 7.1
Plate Tectonics: How Earth's Crust Shapes Our World
Discover how the movement of tectonic plates creates mountains, ocean trenches, volcanoes, and earthquakes that define Earth's dynamic surface.
What You'll Learn
Tectonic plates move and interact at convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.
Seafloor spreading at mid-ocean ridges continuously creates new oceanic crust.
Subduction zones form deep ocean trenches where denser plates sink beneath others.
Fossil evidence and rock formations support the theory of continental drift.
What You'll Practice
1
Students identify geological features formed at each type of plate boundary.
2
Learners analyze evidence supporting continental drift through fossil distribution patterns.
3
Practice questions test understanding of subduction, seafloor spreading, and transform faults.
Why This Matters
Understanding plate tectonics equips students to explain earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain formation, connecting Earth science concepts to real-world natural events and hazards.
This Unit Includes
Practice exercises
Learning resources
Skills
Plate Boundaries
Subduction
Seafloor Spreading
Continental Drift
Tectonic Plates
OH Curriculum Aligned
