Instructions: Examine the world plate map below. Using the numbers 1 through 15 located across the continents and ocean basins, identify each tectonic plate, identify its primary crust composition (Oceanic or Continental), and state the main type of boundary that borders it.
| # | Tectonic Plate Name | Primary Crust Type | Drift Speed | Primary Boundary Interaction |
|---|
Lesson Ideas & Curriculum Tips for Teachers
Live Seismology Cross-Check: Have students open our Interactive 3D Map alongside this worksheet. Ask them to count how many earthquakes in the past 24 hours occurred along plate #1 (Pacific Plate) compared to plate #5 (Antarctic Plate). This illustrates why subduction zones generate the overwhelming majority of global tremors.
Plate Speed Calculations: Challenge students to calculate how many meters the Pacific Plate will travel over 10,000 years at its current speed of 8.1 cm per year (810 meters).