Mapping the Plates!
Part ONE:
Step 1: Complete the Anticipation Guide: “Mapping Plates” Step 2: Choose two different colored pens or colored pencils to use for this activity. Use a dark-­‐colored pencil to trace the dashed plate boundary lines on your map. **The dark lines show the major plates. But if you look carefully, you will notice that the boundaries of the South American plate are missing! Step 3: To find the missing eastern boundary of the South American plate, plot the locations of the earthquakes and volcanoes listed in table 1 below: Step 4: Complete this missing eastern boundary by using a dark-­‐colored pencil to draw a line connecting the earthquakes and volcanoes you have plotted. Hint: Work from top to bottom. Part TWO:
Step 5: Find the missing western boundary of the South American plate! Plot the locations of earthquakes and volcanoes listed in Table 2 (on the back): Mapping the Plates!
Step 6: Complete this missing western boundary using a dark-­‐colored marker to draw a line connecting the earthquakes and volcanoes you have plotted. Hint: Work from top to bottom and left to right. Step 7: Discuss with your partner how the shapes of the continents compare with the shapes of the plates. Step 8: Use Table 3 to help you label some of the plates with their proper names. Step 9: Use the information in Table 3 to draw an arrow on each of these plates showing the general direction of its movement. Mapping Plates Questions: Answer the following in your science notebook!
1. Are the sizes and shapes of the continents the same as the sizes and shapes of the plates? Support your answer with a specific example. 2. Look again at Table 2, “Some Major Earthquakes and Volcanoes in Central and South America.” Would you consider these volcanoes and earthquakes to have occurred recently or a long time ago? Explain. 3. What is the relationship between earthquakes, volcanoes, and plate boundaries?