Plate Tectonics - FREE Video Worksheet - Middle School Science

Why do earthquakes happen? How do mountains form? Why are there volcanoes along the Pacific Ocean's edges? The answer is plate tectonics - the theory that Earth's rigid outer shell is broken into massive plates that slowly move, collide, and pull apart, driven by heat from Earth's interior!

[Preview this free video here on YouTube]

Standards:

Perfect for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students studying Earth's systems, geology, and natural hazards. This video aligns with NGSS standard MS-ESS2-2, exploring how Earth's internal processes drive plate movements that shape the planet's surface.

TEKS Addressed: 
🎯 Middle School Science: 7.10.B - The student is expected to describe how plate tectonics causes ocean basin formation, earthquakes, mountain building, and volcanic eruptions, including supervolcanoes and hot spots.

⭐ What's Covered?:

✅ Earth's internal structure: crust, mantle, outer core, inner core 
✅ What tectonic plates are and why they move 
✅ How convection in the mantle drives plate motion 
✅ Three types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform 
✅ How plate boundaries create earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains 
✅ Evidence for plate tectonics: matching fossils, rock types, and continents 
✅ Real examples: Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Himalayan Mountains, San Andreas Fault

What will the students be doing?

● Students will be given either a printed or digital handout to record answers on.

● Either individually or as a class watch the video

● Then, they will use the video and their own knowledge to answer the questions.

● Use questions to spark discussions and apply information beyond the page!