CRITICAL THINKING REQUIRED! In this plate tectonics group activity, student groups are challenged to DESIGN A MODEL of plate tectonics. Because they are only designing the model and not building it, the possible materials are only limited by their imagination!
Groups will discuss:
- The best types of materials to use to represent Earth’s layers, plate tectonics, and related landforms.
- How they would physically represent each feature.
- How the model would be constructed.
While this sounds a bit challenging for middle school students, this resource makes it very straightforward. This worksheet leads students step-by-step through the process of designing the model. It guides them to think about each section individually, so the process is not as overwhelming as it may sound. Students simply follow the steps one after the other in order to design their model.
NGSS Standards Addressed:
- MS-ESS2-1
- MS-ESS2-2
- Developing and Using Models
Teacher Notes:
- Get everything you need to teach this topic in my Plate Tectonics Unit!
- Because the range of student imagination is so huge, this document does not contain an answer key.
- Please note: This plate tectonics group activity is NOT editable.
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Related Standards:
- NGSS MS-ESS2-1: Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
- NGSS MS-ESS2-2: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales.
