Investigating Plate Tectonics for iOS

Investigations include:

using the known ages of microfossils to help determine ocean floor ages,

determining the location of an earthquake epicenter,

showing how the depth and location of earthquakes are related to plate boundary types,

seeing how hot spots are used to track the speed and direction of plate movement,

measuring the velocity of plate movement over the Hawaiian hot spot,

examining how Earths internal forces drive the movement of tectonic plates,

observing how the supercontinent cycle explains the past and future arrangement of Earths continents.

Plate tectonics is helpful in explaining the large-scale geologic processes operating on Earth.

Throughout the app, students are encouraged to answer essay questions that involve critical thinking skills. The students answers are saved (in a notebook) and these entries may be shared. Quiz questions are used to assess student understanding; quiz answers and scores may also be shared.

NGSS:

ESS2.B Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions

ESS3.B Natural Hazards