They also learned about the different types of faults (plate interactions):
- Transform - place where plates slide past each other. For example the San Andreas fault. This can cause earthquakes.
- Divergent - when two tectonic plates pull apart - example Iceland
- Convergent - when two tectonic plates move towards each other and collide.
- If they are of unequal density then subduction occurs. The less dense Continental Crust will go over the Oceanic Crust) - example Indonesia. Subduction zones have a high rate of volcanoes and earthquakes.
- If they are of equal density then they push up against each other and form mountains - example the Himalayan Mountains.
They did a fun Plate Tectonics Experiment where they floated styrofoam tectonic plates in a pie pan filled with water. They experimented by moving tectonic plates apart (divergent), together (convergent), and past each other (transform). Then the students tested each others knowledge by doing one of the actions and seeing if the other student could provide the right answer.
Then they learned about convection - the engine of plate tectonics. Here is an example of how it works: