Plate Tectonics Inquiry Lab - MS 6-8 Science

Students will create tectonic plates and observe the results from each activity. They will be asked why the location of the activity affects the types of formations found. Students will model transform, convergent, and divergent plate tectonics and build earthquakes, rift valleys, mid-ocean ridges, and mountain ranges. They will also learn about subduction.

This product contains three complete labs that are differentiated for all of your students. All labs have comprehension questions, Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (C.E.R.) prompts, and a reflection section.

What's Included?

• Teacher resource pages, including prep time, standards/objectives, teacher directions, materials, and additional resources
• Answer keys - suggested answer keys for the labs
• CER conclusion and reflection questions - Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning statements along with 3 reflection questions per lab
• Fully editable files

3 Differentiated Labs:

• Dependent Student Lab - A complete lab. This level is written with a combination of procedural instructions and inquiry questions. They are moderately student-centered with guided inquiry questions throughout the lab. Suggested for on-level learners.
• Modified Student Lab - A complete lab. This level provides the most structured lab experience. The lessons may eliminate parts of the lab and change the questioning to include sentence stems or multiple choice questions. Suggested for learners who may benefit from modifications.
• Independent Student Lab - A complete lab. This level is the most student-centered experience. Suggestions are made for the students to get started, but most of the decisions will be student-generated. The students will be responsible for most aspects of the lab and will have the least guidance. Suggested for advanced learners.

Materials Needed per Group:

• Gray clay (1” diameter ball, about the size of a grape)
• Sheet of wax paper
• Plastic knife
• One whole graham cracker
• One tub of frosting
• One red Fruit Roll-Ups© snack
• Cup of water

Save Time and Buy Now!

Save precious prep time and get back to teaching. All of the hard work has been done for you. Go have some fun with those students!

This is a finished product; it will be updated with formatting or corrections as needed. Future improvements and new features will be sold as a separate product.