LESSON 1:

PLATE TECTONICS – CONTINENTAL CRUST AND

OCEANIC CRUST

PREPARED BY:
RACHEL D. CADIZ
SCIENCE TEACHER
LOOK AT THE FIGURE OF THE EARTH

❑ The ________ is the layer that you live on, and it is the
most widely studied and understood.

❑ The _________is much hotter, has the largest mass, and

several layers (uppermost/rigid mantle, asthenosphere,
lower mantle).
❑ The _________ and __________are even hotter with
pressures so great you would be squeezed into a ball smaller
than a marble if you were able to go to the center of the
Earth!
IF THE EARTH IS AN APPLE, WHAT PART IS THE CRUST?
WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FIGURE?

?????????//?////
/
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SEE?
OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON

◼Identify landforms as continental and oceanic crust;

◼Give the characteristics of continental crust and oceanic
crust

Note:
The activities will be presented (one activity per group.)
Students will be given a short time to prepare since they have answered the module already.
GROUP ACTIVITY #1

DIRECTIONS:
1. In your group, list different landforms found in your municipality,
province and region.
2. Tell what human activity and natural activity can be possible in each
given landform or feature.
3. Identify the type of crust they belong. (continental 0r oceanic crust.
4. Be ready to present your list.
GROUP ACTIVITY #1

LANDFORMS OR FEATURES TYPE OF EARTH’S CRUST ACTIVITY

 ACTIVITY #2 – TELL ME

Direction: Study the figure below. 1. Which crust is thicker?

2. Which crust is thinner?
3. What are found at the
continental crust?
4. Give descriptions of the
oceanic crust as shown in
the picture.
5. Give descriptions of the
continental crust as
shown in the picture?
 ACTIVITY #3
Direction: Differentiate continental crust from oceanic crust. Fill in the table with the
correct answer.
OCEANIC CRUST CONTINENTAL CRUST

1. Thickness

2. Age of Rock

3. Type of Rocks Found

4. Density
 ACTIVITY #4
Direction:
Consider the given statement;
tell whether the description is
suited for continental crust
or oceanic crust.
 ACTIVITY #5

Direction: Complete the Venn diagram below with the appropriate descriptions about the
division of the Earth’s crust.

Oceanic Crust
Continental Crust
Continental &
Oceanic Crust
PRESENTATION
BY GROUP
BASED ON THE ACTIVITIES, WHAT ARE
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
CONTINENTAL & OCEANIC CRUST?
WHAT IS THE CRUST?

⮚ The thinnest layer of the earth.

⮚ The outermost layer of the earth.
⮚ It extends from the surface to about
32 km below.
⮚ Underneath mountains, the crust thickness extends to 72 km.
WHAT DO YOU SEE?

◼The crust has 2 types:

1. oceanic crust 2. continental crust
CONTINENTAL CRUST

❑The average thickness is about 35 km to 40 km.

❑Older (up to 4 billion years old).
❑Less dense than oceanic crust . (2.7 gram per cubic centimeter)
❑Varied composition (made up of silicon, oxygen, aluminum, calcium,
sodium and potassium.
❑Made up of granite rocks.
❑Makes up the continent.
❑Thick in volume but less dense.
❑Mineral Composition: granitic (felsic) rocks such as granodiorite and
granite enriched in Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Aluminum (Al) and
 OCEANIC CRUST

❑The average thickness is about 7 to 10 km.

❑Is found under the ocean floor. (ocean basin)
❑Is denser than continental crust. (2.9 gram/centimeter cubed)
❑Made up of basalt rocks.
❑Made of relatively younger rocks.
❑Relatively denser but thin layer.
❑Mineral Composition: mafic rocks such as basalt and gabbro enriched in
Magnesium (Mg) and Iron (Fe)
WHY ARE CONTINENTS AT HIGHER ELEVATION THAN THE
OCEAN FLOOR?

◼Because continental crust is less dense than oceanic crust

it floats higher on the mantle, just like a piece of
Styrofoam floats higher on water than a piece of wood
does. 
SHORT QUIZ

◼This will be given later in their google

classroom.
ELABORATE (VIDEO CLIP)
ASSIGNMENT

1. Name the different tectonic plates.

2. Describe the movement of plate using plate tectonic plate.