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Year 8 - Geography

The movement of tectonic plates

Tectonic hazards: Why is Earth restless?

Unit Summary

This unit teaches pupils about the physical processes that lead to tectonic hazards and investigates the geographical pattern of hazards across the world. Pupils will also learn how tectonic hazards affect people in different places and how people seek to manage hazards.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use evidence to show that the continents have moved and explain how tectonic plate movement happens.

Key Notes

  • The theory of continental drift suggests that Earth's continents were once joined together and later drifted apart.
  • Evidence for continental drift includes continents' jigsaw like shape, rock type and fossils matching across continents.
  • There are two types of crust; oceanic and continental crust.
  • Oceanic crust is dense but thin and continental crust is thicker and less dense.
  • Plates move by the processes of slab pull and ridge push.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • continent: a large landmass on Earth. There are seven: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania
  • tectonic plate: large sections of the lithosphere that are on the move
  • density: the mass of something compared to its volume

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • South America and the South American plate are the same thing.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.

The theory of continental drift suggests that Earth's continents were once joined together and later drifted apart. Evidence for continental drift includes continents' jigsaw like shape, rock type and fossils matching across continents.

2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'continent'

a large landmass on Earth. There are seven: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania.

3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.

Mistake: South America and the South American plate are the same thing. Correction: South America is a continent (land), whereas the South American plate also includes part of the Atlantic ocean.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 Geography guide library.