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Major Tectonic Plates Inquiry Lab

Middle School Inquiry Lab on Major Tectonic Plates

In this lab, students will label the continents on their world map, then create a simulation to show how convection currents cause tectonic plates to shift and rise.

Each inquiry lab will contain an essential question that will drive the lessons and make students think. For this lesson, the essential question is:

  • What are the major tectonic plates found on Earth and how do they move?
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND MATERIALS LIST:

Students will begin the lab by reading the essential question and background information. This can be done individually, as lab groups, or as a whole class. Personally, I would do it in lab groups and then do some whole class formative checks before digging into the lab.

Materials List:

  • 4 cups of milk
  • 2 cups chocolate drink powder
  • 1 quart clear, heat-proof container
  • heat source
  • timer
  • thermometer
  • major tectonics worksheet
  • safety equipment (goggles, heat resistant gloves)
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PROCEDURE:

In this lab, students will simulate how the tectonic plates move, via convection currents. Students will begin by heating up the milk solution and cover the surface with power. Once the milk has reached a certain temperature, students will gently place model plates onto the powder layer and the convection will start to move these plates.

Students will have to make a series of observations, especially as the temperature of the milk continues to rise. There are certain checkpoints along the way that will require students to document their observations on their lab sheet.

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING:

At this point in the lab, students will be checked for understanding by answering questions about their findings. Here are a few that come with the lab:

  • Why is the Earth’s crust affected by the magma under it?
  • What happens when plates move against each other?

CONCLUSION

Students will go back to the essential question and write a CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) to conclude the lab. Once completed, students will reflect back on their learning by answering the following questions:

  1. What is the plate tectonic theory?
  2. What causes convection currents?
  3. Why do you think earthquakes and volcanoes are found at plate boundaries?

MODIFIED AND INDEPENDENT INQUIRY VERSIONS

All of the Kesler Science inquiry labs come with three different modification levels. Each lab is differentiated using the icons below.

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STANDARDS ALIGNMENT

TEKS: 6.10C – Identify the major tectonic plates, including Eurasian, African, Indo-Australian, Pacific, North American, and South American.

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