Honors Plate Tectonic Project
2nd Quarter 2013
This project will be due on: _____________________
*No credit will be given after: _________________
Important Dates
Project Assigned: December 3-4
Maps Due: December 11-12 (10pts)
Peer Review/ Outline Due: December 19-20 (15pts)
*If you will be absent this day a copy MUST be emailed to
your teacher by or before the due date in order to receive
credit.
Resources Required:
Project Instructions
Plate Tectonics Data Set 1
This Dynamic Planet Map (View online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/imap/2800/TDPfront-screen.pdf )
Plate Tectonics Project Map #1
Plate Tectonics Project Map #2
Essential Questions:
What can we do to find out if there is a pattern to Earthquake occurrence?
Do earthquakes occur randomly across the Earth?
What are the basic characteristics of the Earth that we need to understand about the Earth to understand volcanoes and
earthquakes?
What layers of Earth should we focus on?
How has Earth’s crust changed over time?
Are the changes still occurring?
What evidence is there to support such a claim?
Students will:
 Develop background knowledge of plate tectonics
 Identify patterns emerging from data, and identify possible explanations in relation to plate tectonics.
 Analyze data and apply their understanding of Plate Tectonics to explain the observations
 Use observed patterns to predict what should happen if the explanation is correct, and what data or
observations would tend to refute their proposed explanation.
As a final product, students will prepare a written paper detailing their methods, reasoning, proposed explanations and
conclusions. Listed below you will find the minimum requirements for this paper. These minimums should not be
considered the goals for the paper, but are the bare minimum of what will be considered an acceptable final product.
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Minimum 1-2 page, not including works cited, maps or other backup information. (Maximum 4 pages of text.)
Paper will have 1” margins, be double-spaced, and be printed in 12 point Times New Roman Font. The
expectation is that students will deliver a minimum of one full page of text- no headings. The student’s name, block
number and date of printing should be printed in the top right corner of the paper, and should take up only three
single-spaced lines. (A title page is optional, but can be used instead of a heading at the top of the page.
Works Cited should be listed on a separate page in APA format. (See Purdue OWL for APA format rules.)
Images or diagrams may be used to illustrate concepts in the text, but any figures should be printed (and cited) on a
separate page, not integrated into the text.
Use correct grammar with appropriate spelling and punctuation. Students are expected to proofread their work, or
have someone else proofread a draft before the paper is submitted. When you think you are done, do one more
round of proofreading and editing. There is always something you could improve.
The paper should be written in a technical style- avoid emotional or casual writing. Stick to the facts.
No contractions (don’t, cant, won’t, etc.) should appear in technical writing.
No personal pronouns (I, me, you, we, our) will be used in this paper. Limited use of passive voice is acceptable if it
allows you to avoid personal pronouns. (Example: instead of “I collected the data using the USGS website.” write
“Earthquake data was collected from the USGS website.”)
Any outside resources not listed above (i.e. textbook, journal articles, internet sources) will be properly documented
in a Works Cited list in proper APA format. Any information from outside sources used in the paper must be
properly cited with in-text citations in correct APA format. Information used without appropriate citation is
academically unethical, and may be considered plagiarism. Anything that is not coming from your own brain, and
your own expert experience, needs to be appropriately cited.
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All explanations and conclusions developed from this assignment should come from the student. Quotes from
outside resources may be used to support points made by the student, but should never replace the student’s own
reasoning. Information obtained from notes provided in class may be used as “common knowledge” without
citation.
Procedure:
The guiding questions in bullet points below should not be the only content in your paper, but are intended
to provide you with some ideas for some of the major points you may want to cover. The questions listed
here are a jumping-off point, not the final destination.
Step 1: Use the “Plate Tectonics Data Set” to plot the locations of all earthquakes with magnitude greater than 2.5 for
the given study period (November 1, 2011 to November 7, 2011) on Project Maps #1 and #2. Project Map #1 should be
color-coded by magnitude as directed in the legend on that map. Project Map #2 should be color coded by depth, as
directed in the legend on that map. All earthquakes listed in the data set should be correctly plotted on both maps. (As
an alternative, students may opt to plot the earthquake locations electronically using MS Word or another computer
program. As long as it looks good and all data is plotted correctly, this is acceptable.)
Step 2: Based on the plotted locations of earthquakes around the world over the period covered by the data set, draw
lines along areas that appear to have unusually high concentrations of earthquakes. Your paper should include answers
to the following questions:
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Describe the methods used to analyze the raw data. Be as detailed as you can.
Is Earthquake distribution random around the world? If a pattern is observed, describe it.
Are there some earthquakes that do not appear to follow the general pattern? What is a potential explanation
for these “outlier” earthquakes that do not match the general trend?
Step 3: Review the entire “This Dynamic Earth” poster online. (Do not bother to print it out- the poster is big, and you
will not be able to read the details on a 8.5”x11” page.) This poster includes the locations of volcanoes around the
world. Review the locations of volcanoes and compare their locations to the earthquake maps you produced.
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How do the locations of the volcanoes compare to the locations of the Earthquakes plotted? Are volcanoes
randomly distributed? If not, describe patterns you see in the distribution.
Step 4: The “This Dynamic Earth” poster includes a small map showing the direction of movement for most major crust
plates. (The “Interpretive Map of Plate Tectonics”) Review this map and compare it to the two maps you produced by
plotting earthquake locations.
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Is there a connection between the type of plate boundary (convergent, divergent or transform) and the depth of
earthquakes from the data set? Is there a connection between the type of plate boundary and the magnitude of
earthquakes? What patterns emerge from the data?
Describe the relationship, and provide a proposed explanation (a hypothesis) for the observations. What
evidence supports your explanation? What information would refute your hypothesis if it was discovered?
What additional research or information would help to prove (or disprove) your proposed hypothesis?
Project Rubrics: 25 points available for style/tone/formatting,
60 points for content, 15 points for punctuality.
1
2
3
Grammar &
Spelling
Poor
grammar/many
errors
Several grammar
mistakes/sloppy
writing
Few grammar
mistakes
Format
(Font,
margins, line
spacing, etc.)
Tone
Does not meet
minimum
requirements.
Some formatting
errors
Few formatting
errors
Very Casual,
Emotional, or
Unprofessional
writing style
½ page of text or
less
Citations are not in
APA format, or
works cited is
missing
A lot of casual
and/or emotional
language
Some casual/
emotional
language used
Paper Length
APA
Formatted
Citations (In
text and
Works Cited)
3
Map Plotting
(Step 1)
Earthquake
Location
Discussion
(Step 2)
Volcano
Pattern
Discussion
(Step 3)
Earthquake
Depth/Plate
Boundary
Discussion
(Step 4)
Maps are very
sloppy with
obviously missing
many data points
Many errors in
theory or logic,
poorly supported
ideas, poorly
organized.
Many errors in
theory or logic,
poorly supported
ideas, poorly
organized.
Many errors in
theory or logic,
poorly supported
ideas, poorly
organized.
4
5
No significant
grammar errors,
some awkward
writing
All but one
formatting
requirements
satisfied.
Tone and language
are appropriate
Well written with
no grammar errors
¾ page of text
Well written with
Scientific/
Technical Tone
Meets minimum 1
full page of text
All citations are in
proper APA format
Some errors in
either in-text
citations or works
cited list
6
9
12
Map missing some
data points and/or
poor quality work
Map may be
missing some data
and/or looks
somewhat careless
Some errors in
fact, theory or
logic. Some
problems with
organization.
Some errors in
fact, theory or
logic. Some
problems with
organization.
Some errors in
fact, theory or
logic. Some
problems with
organization.
Maps are neatly
presented with
only minor errors
in data.
Very few errors in
fact, theory or
logic. Ideas are
well organized.
Many errors in
fact, theory or
logic. Some
problems with
organization.
Many errors in
fact, theory or
logic. Some
problems with
organization.
Many errors in
fact, theory or
logic. Some
problems with
organization.
All requirements
satisfied
15
Very few errors in
fact, theory or
logic. Ideas are
well organized.
Maps are neatly
done, all data
appears plotted
correctly
All information is
correct, well
organized, and
logically
presented.
All information is
correct, and
logically
presented.
Very few errors in
fact, theory or
logic. Ideas are
well organized.
All information is
correct, and
logically
presented.
Paper completed and turned in on time: 15 points.
Paper must be brought to class in HARDCOPY form, to be collected at the beginning of class on the due
date. Any paper not ready to be turned in (including printing it out in class) at the start of class on the day it
is due will be considered late. No late projects will be accepted more than one (1) class period late.
Plate Tectonics Project Map #1: Earthquake Locations/Magnitudes
Magnitude
2.0-2.9
3.0-3.9
4.0-4.9
5.0-5.9
>6.0
Color
Purple
Blue
Green
Orange
Red
Plate Tectonics Project Map #2: Earthquake Locations/Depths
Depth
Classification
0-70 km
Shallow Focus
71-300km
Medium Focus
300km or more Deep Focus
Color
Red
Green
Blue