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Name: _____________________________________
Computer Simulations: Plate Motion
Date: _____________
Period: _______
EQ: What happens when the earth’s plates move apart, collide, or slide past each other over time?
Warm-Up Review: Go to
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es0804/es0804page01.cfm?
chapter_no=visualization Click on all 3 of the animations and watch.
Part I: Chart Boundary 1
1. Go to
http://www.sepuplhs.org/middle/iaes/students/simulations/sepup_plate_motion.html
2. Follow the procedures: Chart Boundary 1
a. Set the direction for Plate 1 to move by clicking on the arrow pointing left
b. Record the direction of Plate1 and Plate 2 on the Chart labeled “Chart Boundary 1: Plate
Observations”
c. Label the type of plate boundary you are going to observe.
d. Click on the SEE PLATES OVER TIME button at the bottom of the screen. You should now see a
LEGEND on the bottom left of the screen. Read the legend so that you know what each symbol
means.
e. Use the PICK TIME button to set the simulation to run for 10 years.
f. Click on the RUN button to begin the simulation and then carefully observe what happens.
g. Record what changes you see happening to the land and then record what changes you notice to
the water.
h. Reset the screen by clicking on the RESET TIME button.
i. Repeat Steps d-g, but run your simulation for 100 years.
j. Repeat Steps d-g, but run your simulation for 1,000 years.
k. Repeat Steps d-g, but run your simulation for 1 million years.
l. Repeat Steps d-g, but run your simulation for 5 million years.
m. Repeat Steps d-g, but run your simulation for 20 million years.
n. Answer questions #1 and #2 underneath the chart based on the simulations you just observed.
o. Click on the HOME button. It will reset the simulation page for the next type of boundary.
Part II: Chart Boundary 2
Follow the procedures:
a. Set the direction for Plate 1 to move by clicking on the arrow pointing upward
b. Record the direction of Plate1 and Plate 2 on the Chart labeled “Chart Boundary 2: Plate
Observations”
c. Label the type of plate boundary you are going to observe.
d. Click on the SEE PLATES OVER TIME button at the bottom of the screen. You should now see a
LEGEND on the bottom left of the screen. Read the legend so that you know what each symbol
means.
e. Use the PICK TIME button to set the simulation to run for 20 million years.
f. Click on the RUN button to begin the simulation and then carefully observe what happens.
g. Record what changes you see happening to the land and then record what changes you notice to
the water.
h. Answer questions #1 and #2 underneath the chart based on the simulations you just observed.
i. Click on the HOME button. It will reset the simulation page for the next type of boundary.
Part III: Chart Boundary 3
Follow the procedures:
a. Set the direction for Plate 1 to move by clicking on the arrow pointing right
b. Record the direction of Plate1 and Plate 2 on the Chart labeled “Chart Boundary 3: Plate
Observations”
c. Label the type of plate boundary you are going to observe. Also write “Continental Crust and
Continental Crust” on the line also.
d. Click on the SEE PLATES OVER TIME button at the bottom of the screen. You should now see
a LEGEND on the bottom left of the screen. Read the legend so that you know what each
symbol means.
e. Use the PICK TIME button to set the simulation to run for 20 million years.
f. Click on the RUN button to begin the simulation and then carefully observe what happens.
g. DO NOT CLICK OFF THIS SCREEN! (A new button will pop up that you will use for
Chart Boundary #4.
h. Record what changes you see happening to the land and then record what changes you notice to
the water.
i. Answer questions #1 underneath the chart based on the simulations you just observed.
Part IV: Chart Boundary 4
Follow the procedures:
a. Click on the WHAT IF TWO OCEANIC PLATES COLLIDE? button.
b. Record the direction of Plate1 and Plate 2 on the Chart labeled “Chart Boundary 4: Plate
Observations”
c. Label the type of plate boundary you are going to observe. Also write “Oceanic Crust and
Oceanic Crust” on the line also.
d. Use the PICK TIME button to set the simulation to run for 20 million years.
e. Click on the RUN button to begin the simulation and then carefully observe what happens.
f. Record what changes you see happening to the land and then record what changes you notice to
the water.
a. Answer questions #1 underneath the chart based on the simulations you just observed.
b. Click on the HOME button. It will reset the simulation page for the next type of boundary.
Part V: Go to http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/
a. Click on “Slip, Slide, Collide” found at the top of the screen. Scroll down and click on the
animations as you move through this section of the website.
b. Next, click on “Test Skills” found at the top of the screen. Do your personal best.
Part VI: Go to http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/plate4.htm Click “Play” to run the 4
simulations.
Part VII: Go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/tectonics/intro.html Watch the
animations by clicking on the different types of boundaries.
Name: _____________________________________
Date: _____________
Computer Simulations: Plate Motion
Period: _______
EQ: What happens when the earth’s plates move apart, collide, or slide past each other over time?
Chart Boundary 1: PLATE OBSERVATIONS
Direction of Plate Movement (circle one arrow for each plate)
Plate 1
Plate 2
Type of Plate Boundary: ____________________________________
Period of
Time
Changes to land, such as:





Earthquakes
volcanoes
mountains
valleys
lithosphere
Changes to water, such as:



appearance of water
formation of oceans or lakes
changes in direction of rivers
10
years
100
years
1,000
years
1 million
years
5 million
years
20 million
years
Questions:
1. List at least 3 things that happen as plates spread apart. _____________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. In the simulation, how many years passed before you observed MAJOR changes to the
earth’s surface? What were these major changes?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Chart Boundary 2: PLATE OBSERVATIONS
Direction of Plate Movement (circle one arrow for each plate)
Plate 1
Plate 2
Type of Plate Boundary: ____________________________________
Period of Time
Changes to land, such as:
earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, valleys,
lithosphere
Changes to water, such as:
appearance of water, formation of oceans or
lakes, changes in direction of rivers
20 million
years
Questions:
1. What occurs at boundaries that slide past each other? ______________________________
2. In the simulation, what happened to the first river that was there? _____________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Chart Boundary 3: PLATE OBSERVATIONS
Direction of Plate Movement (circle one arrow for each plate)
Plate 1
Plate 2
Type of Plate Boundary: ____________________________________
Period of Time
Changes to land, such as:
earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, valleys,
lithosphere
Changes to water, such as:
appearance of water, formation of oceans or
lakes, changes in direction of rivers
20 million
years
Question:
What can happen when two continental plates collide? _______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Chart Boundary 4: PLATE OBSERVATIONS
Direction of Plate Movement (circle one arrow for each plate)
Plate 1
Plate 2
Type of Plate Boundary: ____________________________________
Period of Time
Changes to land, such as:
earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, valleys,
lithosphere
Changes to water, such as:
appearance of water, formation of oceans or
lakes, changes in direction of rivers
20 million
years
Question:
What can happen when two oceanic plates collide? ________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________