Theories of earth and plate

tectonics
 Objectives
All: explain what is meant by a
tectonic plate

Most: link tectonic plates with

earthquakes and volcanoes

Some: describe the different beliefs

regarding the creation of the
earth
 Tectonic plates
• The Earth's surface is made up of a series of large plates
(like pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle).

• These plates are in constant motion travelling at a few

centimetres per year.

• The ocean floors are continually moving, spreading from

the centre and sinking at the edges.

• Convection currents beneath the plates move the

plates in different directions.
 Demo

• A demonstration of a plate tectonics and

convection current with syrup and a biscuit
• Divide your piece of paper into four

• Label the sections as follows

– Creation
– Catastrophe
– Uniformity
– Modern

• Draw a picture and write one sentence in

summary for each of the four sections
 Creation
• Many religions believe that Earth
was made by a god or gods

• To test this idea you predict all

rocks to be the same age

• Scientists have proved the age

of rocks to vary from 1 year to
3800 million

• Most scientists do not believe in

creation
Catastrophe
• This suggests that the
surface of the Earth
was formed by a
series of sudden
catastrophes

• These catastrophes
were things like
earthquakes, floods
or volcanic eruptions
 Uniformity
• This suggests that
changes to our
landscape take
thousands or millions
of years
• James Hutton
suggested studying
rock processes to find
out about the origin of
the Earth
 Modern

• Scientists and geologists today accept

uniformity is basically correct, but that there are
catastrophic events that shape the Earth too
• Write the story of the journey of a piece of
magma as it travels from the liquid outer
core of the earth to the surface and
becomes cooling lava.
 Objectives
All: explain what is meant by a
tectonic plate

Most: link tectonic plates with

earthquakes and volcanoes

Some: describe the different beliefs

regarding the creation of the
earth