GRAHAM SLAM TECTONIC PLATE LAB
PROBLEM:
How does movement in tectonic plates affect land formations?
RESEARCH:
View video demo of plate tectonic movements
http://sv3.berkeley.edu/SEPUP/tectonics
Materials:
6 graham crackers
2 pieces wax paper
one thin cracker
cake frosting
1 paper plate for trash
knife
HYPOTHESIS I think that the movement in tectonic plates causes
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PROCEDURES
Part 1
1. You should have six pieces of graham crackers THAT ALL LOOK THE SAME.
2. Spread a 3 mm layer of cake frosting on the wax paper.
4. Place two graham crackers on the frosting and firmly but gently press down on the crackers.
4. Carefully move the crackers AWAY from each other.
5. Make observations in the results chart for part 1.
6. Put used graham crackers on paper plate.
Part 2
7. Get two new graham crackers.
8. Spread a new layer of cake frosting on the wax paper.
9. Place the graham crackers on the frosting so that they are touching.
10. Bring the graham crackers together and move the pieces IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS back and
forth. Slowly increase the pressure of the graham crackers against each other. If the graham cracker
breaks, don’t worry about it.
11. Make observations in the results chart for part 2.
12. Put used graham crackers on paper plates.
Part 3
13. Get two new graham crackers.
14. Spread a new layer of cake frosting on the wax paper.
15. Place the graham crackers on top of the frosting. Be sure and leave a gap between the two crackers.
Move the crackers toward each other.
16. Next, remove one graham cracker and replace it with the thinner cracker. Move the graham cracker
toward the thinner cracker.
17. Make observations in the results chart for part 3.
RESULTS
Direction of
movement
Part 1
Observations – Draw & Label
Possible occurrence on earth
Pulling apart
Part 2
Pushing in opposite
direction.
Part 3
Pushing together
Discussion Questions
1. What type of plate behavior is represented by Part 1?
2. What landform is created by what happened in Part 1?
3. What happens to the frosting when you move the crackers away from each other?
4. What do the graham crackers represent?
5. What does the frosting under the crackers represent?
6. What does the frosting between the crackers represent?
7. What type of plate behavior is represented by Part 2?
8. What landform is created by what happened in Part 2?
9. What kind of plate movement do we call what is described in Part 2?
10. Why do you suppose the cracker broke?
11. Where in the United States do we find a plate boundary like this?
12. What happens when the crackers move toward each other?
13. What landforms or events may occur during this type of plate behavior?
14. What happens when one of the crackers (plates) is thinner than the other?