Unit 5 Geology Day 8 Tectonic Plates

Big Idea

·      Plate tectonics__________ is the theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates or parts____ that glide over the mantle.

·      Earth’s solid lithosphere_________ is broken into pieces known as tectonic plates___________.

·      The major plates_______ are the: African plate, Antarctic plate______, Eurasian plate, Indo-Australian plate, North American plate_______, South American plate, Nazca plate, and Pacific plate_______.

·      In addition to a major landmass, most plates also include parts of ocean basins. For example, the Eurasian plate includes the Europe and Asian continents, but also includes parts of the Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea.

·      These plates act like separate puzzle pieces, slowly moving_______ in different directions on top of Earth’s softer, more plastic asthenosphere__________. Plate movement is driven by slow churning motions_______ in the hot asthenosphere.

How? – Mapping Tectonic Plates

1. Look at how the map is oriented
2. Label the continents. 
3. Match the name of the continents to the corresponding plate. 

Try On Your Own - Reflection Questions

1. What are the major tectonic plates?

2. Which layer of Earth is semi-plastic, flows, and carries the lithosphere of Earth?

3. Explain the “Ring of Fire” that you learned about in Humanities class with Ms. Carawan.