Tectonic Plates
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http://www.eoascientific.com/campus/earth Name: Internet
Campus This site is divided into 4 main sections: Earth, Ocean, Atmosphere, and Space. Within each section, the site presents the concepts and exercises related to that section. The site is suitable for beginning studies in Earth Sciences with basic concepts such as tectonic plates and earthquakes, but also contains many advanced concepts that are also suitable for older students such as hydrological cycles and the Coriolis Effect. This site introduces all its concepts and then follows up with interactive exercises and games. This is a very interactive site (Shockwave required). It is an excellent site for hands-on and visual students. The text is easy to understand and important terms and concepts are bolded. Accompanying the text explanations are interactive displays, exercises, and games that will help students apply the concepts presented to them in the text, which can then potentially extend into in-class activities. This site is suitable for use by both teachers and all students. |
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http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/Continents.shtml
Name: Enchanted
Learning – Earth’s Continental Plates This colourful site starts off with an examination of Earth’s crust before proceeding to a very detailed discussion of tectonic plates. Plates are defined and Earth’s major plates are identified. The site then vividly examines different types of plate movements and then finishes off with an examination of the continental drift theory. The site offers interactive quizzes and exercises at the end of its presentation and then lists a number of links to other resources specifically on tectonic plates. This is a beautiful and colourful site. All pictures are large and in full colour with some that are even animated. Particularly neat is the animated image illustrating the continental drift over millions of years. Fonts are large and bolded for an easy read and the information is easy to understand. All pictures are laid out nicely in combination with the text. What’s even more useful is that several of the images can be clicked on to bring you to a more detailed look at that image with further information behind it. This is a very nice site for both teachers and all students to use. |
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Name:
PBS
Online News Hour – Predicting Earthquakes This beautiful site contains 4 main sections. It starts off with an examination of why earthquakes occur. It discusses how faults are involved in earthquakes, different types of seismic activities created by earthquakes, and the kinds of damage and after-effects caused by earthquakes. The next section contains an interactive map showing current major tectonic plates and a number of smaller plates. Users can click on the map to view details on some of the world’s most seismically active regions. The third section gives users a very detailed look at one of the most active faults...California’s San Andreas Fault. It explains how scientists are currently using the San Andreas Fault to unravel earthquake mysteries. The site’s final section contains an in-depth look at new technologies in the creation of quake-proof buildings. There’s also a separate section on the site giving users useful earthquake facts, figures, and trivia. This is a very beautiful and professional-looking site. Because it contains advanced language and explanations while lacking cute graphics, the site is clearly geared towards older students. The pictures and photographs are clear and colourful. Some of the photographs in particular help viewers visualize the potential destruction that earthquakes can cause. The interactive tectonic plate map is very impressive and informative. The always-present menu makes it very easy to navigate the site. And finally there are plenty of links to other earthquake resources. This is a very nice site for both teachers and older students to use. Younger students may be put off by the advanced vocabulary and explanations, but will likely appreciate the site’s pictures and interactive portions. |
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Name:
Plate
Tectonics This site is actually a smaller portion of a larger site that was apparently built for an Astronomy class. Consequently, if you surf around on this site you will stumble upon many other concepts, including the solar system, the planets, and comets. But I will describe only the section on plate tectonics because it’s actually quite good. This section is contained within 3 linked pages. The first page starts with an examination of tectonic plates, continental drift, origin of plate tectonics, and convection currents. The user is greeted immediately with a large animation of the continental plates over the last 750 million years. The second page outlines interesting and current evidence for plate tectonics and continental drift theory. The third page describes the effects and consequences of plate tectonics, as well as offers predictions on future events due to plate tectonics. This site is relatively plain, but the absolutely large images make up for this. All the images are colourful and link well with the text explanations. Some images can be clicked on to view full-screen versions, which are perfect for cut and paste work. The explanations themselves are straight to the point with minimal elaboration. The vocabulary is clearly geared towards older students. Younger students probably won’t get much from this site. The always-present menu is strangely located at the bottom of all the pages and is too simplistic, offering only Next, Back, Top, and Home. However, clicking on Home takes users to a very detailed table of contents where any section of the whole website can be accessed. Don’t let this site’s plainness fool you. The information is good and the images are amazing. This is a very nice site for both teachers and older students to use. |
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Name:
Fundamentals of Physical Geography – Mountain Building This is a very simple and colourful website whose information is contained in a single page. It begins with a definition of mountains and describes types of mountains. This first section also talks about some well-known mountain ranges and describes how orogeny and erosion have shaped these ranges throughout time. The second section examines the evolution of mountains with more detailed discussions of orogenesis, erosion, and weathering. It also outlines the roles that plate tectonics and volcanoes played in mountain formation. At the end of the site, users can make use of a study guide complete with useful questions, problems, and exercises. This website contains all of its useful information and images on one page, so navigation is a non-issue. Fonts are nice, large, and bolded for easy reading. Important terms and concepts are further hyperlinked to a glossary of terms. Images are large, colourful, and are accompanied by detailed descriptions. All images help enhance the text descriptions and explanations. The available study guide, problems, and exercises are good bonuses. This is a very nice site for both teachers and all students to use. |
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Name:
DiscoverySchool.com This site contains complete lesson plans for studying Earth Sciences at any level from K-12, including objectives and suggestions for evaluation in each lesson plan. Teachers can look forward to lesson plans on Earth’s surface, geological phenomena, oceans, weather, and tectonic plates, but this is by no means a complete list of lesson plans that can be found on this site. If that wasn’t good enough, many of the lesson plans even contain suggestions for adapting the lesson for different grade levels. This is hands-down one of the best resources for all teachers, and not just Science teachers. The site is colourful and well laid out. All sections of the site are accessible from the always-present menu. Some of the important concepts even have sound files attached to them so that you can listen to its pronunciation. This site is mainly geared towards teachers. |
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Name:
The
Geological Society of America This site contains complete lesson plans for studying Earth Sciences at any level from K-12, including any required worksheets. Lesson plans are organized by specific topics in Earth Sciences. The section on rocks and minerals is impressive on its own. Lessons for each topic are also further subdivided by grade level. Most lessons appear to be lab-based and very hands-on. Finally, there are literally tons of links to other educational resources within each topic. This is another amazing resource for teachers, but definitely geared towards Science teachers only. The site is colourful and well laid out. There are so many lesson plans and resources that are listed that the site even provides a handy function to sort by topic or age group. If that wasn’t enough, the site also provides suggestions for readings and class discussions of critical issues. This site is mainly geared towards teachers. |