GRAHAMCRACKERPLATETECTONICDIRECTIONS

PART1:DIVERGENTBOUNDARY
1. 1.WritedownadefinitionofdivergentboundaryonyourNerdWordssheetintheMeaning
box:

Adivergentboundaryiswheretwotectonicsplatesaremoving
awayfromoneanother.

2. Breakawholegrahamcrackerinhalf(twosquarepieces)by
followingtheperforationsonthecracker.

3. Usingthefork,spreadathinlayerofcoolwhipinthecenterofthepaperplate.

4. Laythetwopiecesofthegrahamcrackersidebysideontopofthecoolwhip.

5. Toimitateadivergentboundary,pressdownlightlyonthecrackersasyouslowlythem
apartinoppositedirections.Donotpushthecrackersmorethan1centimeterapart!

6. Carefullyremovethegrahamcrackersfromthecoolwhip.

7. IntheDrawbox,drawapictureofwhathappened.

8. Lookattheimagesbelow.IntheExample/Componentsbox,listexamplesofthetypesof
geologicfeaturesthatcanbefoundatadivergentboundary.

SeafloorSpreading

9. Howarethegrahamcrackersandcoolwhiplikeadivergentboundary?Answerthis
questioninacompletesentenceintheSentenceboxonyourNerdWordsSheet.

PART2:CONVERGENTBOUNDARY

1. WritedownadefinitionofconvergentboundaryonyourNerdWordssheetintheMeaning
box:

Aconvergentboundaryiswheretwotectonicsplatesaremovingtowardsoneanother
andcollide.

2. Readthetextandlookattheimagesbelow.IntheExample/Componentsbox,list
examplesofthetypesofgeologicfeaturesthatcanbefoundateachofthetwotypesof
convergentboundaries.

Convergentboundariesformedbyanoceanicplatecollidingwithacontinentalplatetoforma
subductionzone.Thisoccursbecausetheoceanicplateismoredenseandsinksbelow
thecontinentalplate.Subductionzoneshavevolcanoesandtrenches.

Convergentboundariesformedbyacontinentalplatecollidingwithanothercontinentalplate
formmountains.Thisoccursbecausethecontinentalplateshavethesamedensity.



Procedure:Oceanic/ContinentalConvergentBoundaries
3. LayaWHOLEofgrahamcrackerandthefoamboardendtoend(againsteachother)ontopof
thecoolwhip.

4. Pushthetwoplatemodelsslowlytowardeachotherandobservewhichplateridesupoverthe
other.

5. IntheDrawbox,drawalinedownthemiddle.LabelonehalfOceanic/Continentaland
drawapictureofwhathappenedinthathalf.

Procedure:ContinentalConvergentBoundaries
6. Reusethegrahamcrackerusedaboveforthisactivity.Breakthegrahamcrackerintofour
piecesuseonlytwoandsavetheremainingtwopiecesofgrahamcrackerforthenext
section.Eachpieceofgrahamcrackerrepresentsacontinentalplate.

7. Diponeendofeachofthetwograhamcrackerstwocentimetersintoacupofwater.
IMMEDIATELYremovethecrackersandlaythemendtoendonthecoolwhipwiththewet
edgesnearlytouching.

8. Slowlypushthetwocrackerstogether.

9. IntheDrawbox,labeltheotherhalfContinental/Continentalanddrawapictureofwhat
happenedinthathalf.

10. Howarethegrahamcrackersandcoolwhiplikeaconvergentboundary?Answerthis
questioninacompletesentenceintheSentenceboxonyourNerdWordsSheet.

PART3:TRANSFORMBOUNDARY
1. WritedownadefinitionoftransformboundaryonyourNerdWordssheetintheMeaning
box:

Atransformboundaryiswheretwotectonicsplates
aremovingpastoneanother.

2. Usethetworemaininggrahamcrackerpiecesforthis
partofthelab.Fitthetwopiecestogethersidetosideon
topofthecoolwhiponthepaper.

3. Placeonehandoneachofthecrackerpiecesandpushthemtogetherbyapplyingsteady,
moderatepressure.Atthesametime,alsopushoneofthepiecesawayfromyouwhile
pullingtheothertowardyou.Ifyoudothiscorrectly,thecrackershouldholdwhileyou
increasethepushpullpressure,butwillfinallybreakfromtheoppositeforces.

4. IntheDrawbox,drawapictureofwhathappened.

5. Lookattheimagesbelow.IntheExample/Componentsbox,listexamplesofthetypesof
geologicfeaturesthatcanbefoundatatransformboundary.

TransformFault

6. Howarethegrahamcrackersandcoolwhiplikeatransformboundary?Answerthis
questioninacompletesentenceintheSentenceboxonyourNerdWordsSheet.