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EMPACTS Lesson Plan
Plate Tectonics
-Grade 4
Team
-Kylie Ford
(Lesson Plan)
-Betty Szekely
(Power Point)
Instructor
-Professor Dianne Phillips
Honors Geology
Kylie Ford, Betty Szekely
EMPACTS Project, Honors Geology, Spring 2016
Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, Arkansas
EMPACTS Lesson Plan
Title:
Graham Cracker Plate Tectonics
Level:
4th grade
Time:
approximately1 hour
Materials:

One box of graham crackers
(depending on how many
students)

1 paper plate per group of
students (4 students each)

2 containers of cool whip

1 dot of red and yellow food
coloring in each container
(premixed before lesson)

1 cup of water per group

1 paperclip per group
Vocabulary:
-Earth’s mantle: the layer of the
-earthquake: a sudden and violent
shaking of the ground, as a result of
movements within the earth's crust
or volcanic action.
-Transform boundary: where two
plates grind past each other by
moving in opposite directions.
-divergent boundary: where two
plates move away from each other
-convergent boundary: where two
plates move towards each other,
either forming mountains or a
subduction zone.
-subduction zone: where a tectonic
plate moves beneath another.
Learning Objectives:



earth below the crust.
-Earths crust: The outer most layer is
hard and surrounds the Earth like a
shell.
-plate tectonics: The Earth’s crust is
cracked into big pieces called
tectonic plates. These plates fit
together like a puzzle surrounding
the Earth.

Students will learn about the
Earth’s surface – mantle and
crust, how mountains and
other landforms are created.
Students will learn how
earthquakes happen because
of plate tectonics and plate
boundaries.
Students will learn the
difference between the plate
boundaries and what they do
to the Earth and surface of the
Earth, and give examples of
landforms created.
Students will learn how plate
boundaries cause
earthquakes, volcanic activity,
and other changes to the
Earth’s surface.
Kylie Ford, Betty Szekely
EMPACTS Project, Honors Geology, Spring 2016
Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, Arkansas
EMPACTS Lesson Plan
Standards:
-ESS.9.4.1
Analyze changes to the Earth’s
surface:





erosion
glaciation
weathering
earthquakes
volcanic activity
Background:
Students should have a general
knowledge of the layers of the Earth,
but we will also be reviewing.
Preparation:
Approximately 10 mins
-make sure each group has a paper
plate with the cool whip mantle
spread on it - premixed with food
coloring - and 4 whole graham
crackers, broken in half (one for
each boundary), and a cup of
water.
-write the vocabulary words on the
board for later use.
Procedure:
Explain to the class that we will
be discussing plate tectonics and
boundaries. Explain that the Earth is
made of many different layers.
Say “the outer most layer of the
Earth is hard and surrounds the Earth
like a shell, called the Earth’s crust.
The crust is broken into pieces called
tectonic plates and they fit together
like a puzzle all around the Earth.”
Then go on to explain the
Earth’s mantle. Say “under the layer
of crust is the mantle and it can flow
like liquid when hot enough and with
enough pressure, causing the
tectonic plates to move, causing
mountains, volcanoes, and
earthquakes.”
Explain to the students that
they are going to do an activity
together. Explain that they will be
demonstrating how the plate
tectonics move, using graham
crackers as the crust and cool whip
as the mantle. Say “where the crusts
meet is called plate boundaries, and
that is what we will be demonstrating
today.”
Have them split into their
groups, asking them to not touch the
experiment materials until given
instructions. Tell the students that we
will be discussing four boundaries –
Transform, Divergent, Convergent,
and Subduction. Have each student
designate which boundary they
would like to demonstrate.
Explain that the first boundary
we will be discussing is a Transform
Boundary. Point to the definition on
the board and say “a Transform
Boundary occurs when two plate
boundaries grind each other,
Kylie Ford, Betty Szekely
EMPACTS Project, Honors Geology, Spring 2016
Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, Arkansas
EMPACTS Lesson Plan
moving in opposite directions.” Ask
the student that is demonstrating this
boundary to do it by gently push
their crackers together then slowly
slide one up and the other down.
Ask them to pay close attention to
how the plates feel against each
other. Have them repeat in the
opposite direction. Ask them to
explain what was happening to their
graham crackers.
Say “as pressure builds, the
plates slip, releasing energy and
causing an earthquake” Explain that
the San Andrea’s fault is an example
of a Transform Boundary.
Have the student doing
Divergent boundaries examine the
cracker, and if needed get a new
one. Explain that a Divergent
Boundary is where the two plates
move away from each other. Have
the student demonstrating gently
push down on each graham cracker
plate while pulling them apart. Ask
the student what happened?
Say “most active divergent
boundaries occur where two
oceanic plates move away from
each other. Hot magma (lava
underground) flows up where the
plates separate, forming large
underwater lava flows and creating
new sea floor and even volcanic
islands.”
occur when two plates move toward
each other causing them to collide,
forming mountains or a subduction
zone.” Explain that for this one, we
will be making them form
“mountains.” Have the student
demonstrating grab a new graham
cracker and soak the tips into water
for about 15 seconds before
demonstrating a convergent
boundary. Have the students place
the soggy ends facing one another,
then gently push the two plates
together. They should slowly fold up
on each other. Explain that this is
how the Himalayan Mountains were
formed.
Have the last student grab a
new graham cracker to
demonstrate a Subduction Zone. Say
“a Subduction Zone occurs when a
more dense oceanic plate is thrust
under a less dense continental plate.
Have the student gently press one
graham cracker down under the
other. To demonstrate volcanic
activity, the student can pike holes in
the less dense continental crust
parallel to the subduction zone,
using a paper clip. This should cause
the “magma” to ooze up through
the fissure, creating a volcanic
mountain range like the Cascade
Range.
Ask if the students have any
questions, and answer accordingly.
Next is Convergent
Boundaries. Say “Convergent are
the final type of boundary and they
Kylie Ford, Betty Szekely
EMPACTS Project, Honors Geology, Spring 2016
Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, Arkansas
EMPACTS Lesson Plan
Lesson Reflection:
Ask the students:
-which plate boundary causes the crust
to grind against each other as they
move past each other in opposite
directions?
(Transform)
-ask which plate boundary causes the
crust to move away from one another?
(Divergent)
-ask which plate boundary causes the
crust to collide, causing mountains to
form?
(Convergent)
-ask what happens in a Subduction
Zone?
(denser oceanic plates thrust under less
dense continental plate)
Assessment:
The foldable compares and
contrasts the three types of plate
boundaries: convergent, divergent,
and transform. Students cut out the
cover cards and glue them onto the
front of a three flap shutter fold
foldable. Then, students sort the
inside facts and glue them to the
appropriate category. The foldable
also includes space on the cover for
students to create their own
diagrams, as well as an illustration of
each plate boundary for the inside.
(assessment attached)
Resources:

Teachers Dictionary.com

PayTeachers.complaydoughtoPlato.
com
Kylie Ford, Betty Szekely
EMPACTS Project, Honors Geology, Spring 2016
Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, Arkansas