Plate Kinematics

Students will understand:

• The dynamic, "conveyor-belt" nature of plate movement.
• How oceans are formed during continental rifting.
• The relationship between plate features and tectonic data (earthquakes, heat flow, and volcanoes)

This model works best during a unit on plate tectonics. It can be used at the beginning of the unit as an inquiry tool where students piece together the evidence for plate tectonics and explore how plate movements correspond to the data. Alternatively, this model can be used at the end of a unit as a summative review of has already been learned. The model can be used in a variety of instructional settings including large lecture classes and small laboratory classes. Student manipulation of the model requires more than one person, thus it works best when students are grouped together.

Each student model consists of the following materials:

• One laminated piece of card stock
• Two strips of paper made from a legal (8.5" x 14") sized sheet of paper and labeled "Oceanic"
• Two strips of paper made from a legal (8.5" x 14") sized sheet of paper containing both "Oceanic" and "Continental" regions.
• At least one overhead marker

Plate Kinematics Model Templates (Acrobat (PDF) 52kB Apr29 08)

During a lecture, have the students assemble the model and move the strips to observe the basic kinematics of plate movement. Students also plot the locations of volcanoes, earthquakes, and high heat flow on the cardstock and observe the relationship between plate geometry and the data. By using the strips with continental lithosphere, students can model the breakup of a continent and formation of a new ocean.

Several different assessment techniques can be used depending on time and the needs of your class.

• If you have a personal response system, you can ask conceptest questions that focus on characteristics of plate boundaries and motions. (See Reference and Resource section for conceptest questions that assess this model.)
• By walking around the class, the instructor can observe how well the groups comprehend the underlying concepts and ask individual students to explain their conceptual understanding
• A short quiz could be given at the end of the class.
• Students could complete a worksheet containing questions about subduction zone earthquakes.
• Students could write a 'minute paper' explaining the distribution of subduction zone earthquakes.

ConcepTest questions used with this model:

• Cross-Sections of Plate Boundaries
• Characteristics of the Ocean Floor
• Divergent Boundary Sketch
• Oldest Oceanic Crust
• Relative Plate Motion