Learning Focus: What are tectonic plates? Learning Outcomes What: Learn how the earth’s crust is split up into tectonic plates How: Create a model of the worlds tectonic plates Why: To be able to explain why plates move KEY WORDS Tectonic Plates
Continental Drift
Convection Currents
Ask 5 Geographical questions about this picture • Who? • What? • Where? • When? • Why? • How? EXTENSION Try to answer 2 of your questions
As we have seen in previous lessons the earth is made up of different layers. The crust is the outer most layer and sits on top of the mantle, which is a liquid made up of molten rock. The crust is broken up into plates, which float on the mantle.
Outer core Crust Mantle Inner core
North American
Eurasian Pacific
Pacific African Nazca
South American
Indo-Australian Plate Antarctic
Task: Cut out the pieces of the jigsaw to put the world back together again.
Crust Convention Currents
Mantle
The movement of the convection currents within the mantle results in the plates moving in different directions.
Task: Copy the following passage using the words in the box to fill in the blanks. tectonic The earth’s crust is split up into _________ plates, that move mantle around on top of the _____________. Due to the heat convection currents are generated in created by the core ___________
the liquid mantle. This slow movement has resulted in the moving plates __________ around.
changing The position of the plates is ever ___________ and the world we see today will be very different in a million years time.
changing
tectonic moving
convection mantle
Look back at the picture from the start of the lesson.
Can you answer any of the questions you asked at the start of the lesson?
Extension: What other questions might you want to ask?
Learning Focus: What are tectonic plates? Learning Outcomes What: Learn how the earth’s crust is split up into tectonic plates How: Create a model of the worlds tectonic plates Why: To be able to explain why plates move KEY WORDS Tectonic Plates
Continental Drift
Convection Currents