Download Milky Way Plate Boundary Simulation

R3
Milky Way Plate Boundary Simulation
The Earth’s surface is broken into several moving plates. These plates move relative to one
another on average about 10cm/year. Three types of movement are recognized at the
boundaries between plates: convergent, divergent, and transform.
Prep Directions:
1. Open a Milky Way and use the
wrapper as a place mat.
2. Make crustal plates by making
“cracks” in your Milky Way. To do
this, carefully press down on the
chocolate coating on the top. (You
only need a few cracks, so press
gently.)
To simulate the boundaries:
❃ To show convergent boundary: move two plates toward each other until they collide.
Where an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the oceanic plate tips down
and slides beneath the continental plate forming a deep ocean trench (a long, narrow,
deep basin). An example of this type of movement, called subduction, caused the big
earthquake, nuclear plant disaster, and devastating Japanese tsunami in 2011. Where
continental plates collide, they form major mountain systems such as the Himalayas
(where the Indian plate collided into the Eurasia plate).
❃ To show divergent boundary: Move two plates away from each other. Where plates
diverge (like at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) hot, molten rock rises and cools adding new
material to the edges of the oceanic plates. This process is known as seafloor spreading.
❃ To show transform boundary: move two plates horizontally past each other. The San
Andreas zone where we are in California is an example of this type of plate boundary.
At this boundary, the Pacific Plate (on which Los Angeles sits) is moving slowly
northwest relative to the North American plate (on which San Francisco sits).
Model: Use your chart paper to create three mini-models to show your understanding of the
three different plate boundaries (include diagram with labels, arrows to show movement and
rationale).
Once your team is done – you may choose how you would like to dispose of your model J
CA NGSS Roll Out #3: Tool E to 6-8 Learning Sequence