The Earth is Moving
6th Grade Earth Science Module Overview
Topic: Plate Tectonics
Grade Level: 6th grade
Course: Earth Science Critical Thinking
Time Allotted: 11 days
Prior Knowledge: This module assumes minimal background knowledge. It would be helpful if the
students knew the basic rock types and the differences between continental and oceanic crust, but
those can also be introduced during the course of the module.
Overview: This module is dedicated to understanding the various lines of evidence that support the
theory of plate tectonics. Students will be introduced to a spectrum of different data sets that were and
are used in support of the theory. Finally, the module will address the nature of plate boundaries and
how the plates have changed their positions through time.
Vocabulary
Continental Crust: The thicker, light part of Earth’s crust that underlies the continents. The crust is
chemically distinct from the underlying mantle.
Earthquake: The result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves.
Also known as a quake, tremor, temblor or seismic activity
Gondwana: A former supercontinent that contained most of the land in the present-day southern
hemisphere
Laurasia: A former supercontinent that contained most of the land in the present-day northern
hemisphere
Oceanic Crust: The thinner, denser part of Earth’s crust that underlies the oceans. The crust is
chemically distinct from the underlying mantle.
Paleomagnetism: the study of the record of Earth's magnetic field, preserved in various magnetic
minerals through time
Pangaea: Also spelled Pangea, it was the supercontinent that existed during the Late Paleozoic and
Early Mesozoic eras and encompassed all the Earth’s major land masses.
Plate Margins, Convergent: Active margins where two plates slide towards each other, commonly
forming either a subduction zone (if one plate moves underneath the other) or a continental
collision (if the two plates contain continental crust)
Plate Margins, Divergent: Active margins where two plates slide apart from each other, such as midocean ridges
6th Grade “The Earth is Moving” Module Overview Page 1
Plate Margins, Passive: Found at every ocean and continent boundary that is not marked by a strikeslip fault or a subduction zone
Subduction Zone: The area where one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate, sinking into
the Earth's crust, as the plates converge
Materials
DAY 1
Outline of the world map
Colored Pencils
Scissors
Glue stick
Additional paper
DAY 2
Computers
Map of the world (WorldMap_with fossils)
Colored pencils
Scissors
Glue stick
Additional paper
DAYS 3-5
Computers
DAYS 6-7
Blocks of wood cut in half with an angled cut
DAYS 8-11
Computers
Science Standards
Big Idea 1: The Practice of Science
Big Idea 2: The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge
Big Idea 3: The Role of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models
SC.6.N.3.1 Recognize and explain that a scientific theory is a well-supported and widely accepted
explanation of nature and is not simply a claim posed by an individual. Thus, the use of the
term theory in science is very different than how it is used in everyday life.
SC.6.N.3.2 Recognize and explain that a scientific law is a description of a specific relationship under
given conditions in the natural world. Thus, scientific laws are different from societal laws.
SC.6.N.3.4 Identify the role of models in the context of the sixth grade science benchmarks.
Big Idea 6: Earth Structures
SC.6.E.6.1 Describe and give examples of ways in which Earth's surface is built up and torn down by
physical and chemical weathering, erosion, and deposition.
SC.6.E.6.2 Recognize that there are a variety of different landforms on Earth's surface such as
coastlines, dunes, rivers, mountains, glaciers, deltas, and lakes and relate these landforms
as they apply to Florida.
Big Idea 15: Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms
SC.6.L.15.1 Analyze and describe how and why organisms are classified according to shared
characteristics with emphasis on the Linnaean system combined with the concept of
Domains.
6th Grade “The Earth is Moving” Module Overview Page 2
Math Standards
Big Idea 3: Write, interpret, and use mathematical expressions and equations
MA.6.A.3.6 Construct and analyze tables, graphs, and equations to describe linear functions and other
simple relations using both common language and algebraic notation.
Supporting Idea 5: Number and Operations
Supporting Idea 6: Data Analysis
References
Additional Plate Boundary Resources
http://terra.rice.edu/plateboundary/tg.html
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/geophysics/visualizations/PTMovements.html
African Animals.ppt
teacher created
Age of Ocean Floor Data
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/fliers/96mgg04.html
Basic Plate Boundaries movie
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/geo/egeo/flash/2_6.swf
Earthquake Topics – on-line books
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/
EarthPoint – tools for Google Earth Activity
http://www.earthpoint.us/ExcelToKml.aspx
FaultTypes.pdf
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2009/11/FaultTypesLG.jpg
Global Earthquake Search - Activity
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/epic/epic_global.php
Global volcano data
http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/globallists.cfm?listpage=geog
GlobalTectonicActivty.pdf
http://denali.gsfc.nasa.gov/dtam/gtam/
History Of Wegener Theory.pdf
http://science.jrank.org/pages/1748/Continental-Drift-History-Wegener-s-theory.html
Importing Spreadsheet Data Into Google Earth.pdf
http://freegeographytools.com/2007/importing-spreadsheet-data-into-google-earth
List of mammals by region
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_mammals_by_region#Europe
Map of the World Continents and Regions
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/continents_map.htm
6th Grade “The Earth is Moving” Module Overview Page 3
Mountain Maker Animations
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics/crush.html
Outline of World Map
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/world_outline_map.htm
Paleomar Project Activity
http://www.scotese.com/earth.htm
Plate Boundaries Automations
http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/plate4.htm
Plate Boundaries.pdf
http://www.platetectonics.com/book/page_5.asp
PLATES_atlas.pdf
PLATES 2004 Atlas of Plate Reconstructions (750 Ma to Present Day)
Seismic Data
http://denali.gsfc.nasa.gov/dtam/seismic/
SpreadsheetTemplate_GoogleEarth.xls
teacher created
Tectonic Rock Cycle.pdf
http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/Fichter/Wilson/Wilson.html
The Science of Earthquakes.pdf
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php
This Dynamic Earth – on-line book
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/dynamic.html
TriassicAnimals.ppt
teacher created
USGSplate boundaries.pdf
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/Vigil.html
What is a tectonic plate.pdf
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/tectonic.html
WorldMap.jpg, WorldMap_withcuts.jpg, WorldMap_withfossils.jpg
teacher created
Writing Rubric.pdf
teacher created
6th Grade “The Earth is Moving” Module Overview Page 4