Plate Tectonics

The Earth's thin outer shell is broken into big pieces called _________________.

• Continents

• Oceans

• Tectonic Plates

• Mountains

Tectonic plates float on Earth's _______________, a really thick layer of hot flowing rock.

• crust

• mantle

• core

• lithosphere

When the edges of plates meet, four things can happen: _______________, _______________, _______________, and _______________.

• earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain formation, and oceanic trench formation

• erosion, sedimentation, folding, and faulting

• subduction, divergence, convergence, and transform boundaries

• melting, solidification, metamorphism, and deformation

Even though plates move very slowly, their motion, called _______________ _______________, has a huge impact on the Earth.

Plate tectonics form the _______________ _______________, and _______________. It also helps us understand why and where events like earthquakes occur and volcanoes erupt.

• mountains, valleys, and plains

• oceans, seas, and lakes

• continents, ocean basins, and mountain ranges

• rivers, forests, and deserts

Which of the following are true about the crust?

• It is the outermost layer of the Earth.

• It consists mainly of oxygen and silicon.

• It is the thickest layer of the Earth.

• It is primarily composed of liquid magma.

Which of the following is a fact about the mantle?

• It is the Earth's thickest layer.

• It is entirely liquid.

• It is cooler than the crust.

• It is made of cheese.

List 2 facts about the core.

• It is the innermost layer of the Earth and is composed primarily of iron and nickel.

• The core is divided into two parts: the solid inner core and the liquid outer core.

• The core's temperature is similar to the surface of the sun.

• The core does not influence the Earth's magnetic field.

About _______________ million years ago, all the continents on the Earth were actually one huge _______________ surrounded by one enormous ocean. This gigantic continent, called _______________, slowly broke apart and spread out to form the continents we know today.

Believe it or not, the _______________ have come together and spread apart at least _______________ times before.

• continents, 3

• oceans, 5

• continents, 5

• mountain ranges, 2