Lesson 45 of 84 · Earth's History
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🌋 Rock RealmPlate Tectonics: Moving Continents (Part 2)
Earth's History.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Today's mountain was yesterday's ocean floor.
Mind = Blown
🪨 Every grain of sand on every beach used to be a mountain.
Make a hypothesis first
Guess: where will the water go first?
What You'll Learn
Tectonic plates are huge slabs of Earth's crust that float on the mantle. Where plates meet, earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building occur.
Key Words
- barometer
- anemometer
- rock cycle
Materials Needed
- clear container
- rocks
- sand
Safety First
- Work in a well-ventilated area when using vinegar or other strong-smelling substances.
- Dispose of materials properly after the experiment.
Steps
Study the diagram and label the parts you recognize.
Create a model of the water cycle in a bowl: place warm water in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, put ice on top, and observe condensation and precipitation.
Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.
Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What forms when tectonic plates collide?
Where you see this in real life
Today's weather, tomorrow's beach, next century's coastline — all this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Look at the sky for 5 minutes and try to predict tomorrow's weather.
For the dinner table
“What's the slowest change you can think of?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
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Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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