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Year 10
AQA

Plate tectonics theory

I can understand the theory of plate tectonics and the mechanisms involved in plate movement.

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New
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Year 10
AQA

Plate tectonics theory

I can understand the theory of plate tectonics and the mechanisms involved in plate movement.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Earth's outer layer (lithosphere) is divided into a number of plates.
  2. Gravitational sliding, involving the processes of 'ridge-push' and 'slab-pull', contributes towards plate movement.
  3. Earth's surface provides evidence for plate tectonics theory.

Keywords

  • Tectonic plate - a large, rigid slab of Earth's lithosphere (outer layer) that sits on the semi-solid asthenosphere beneath it

  • Asthenosphere - a semi-solid layer of Earth's upper mantle

  • Convection - the transfer of heat through the movement of fluids: warmer, less dense material rises and cooler, denser material sinks, creating a circular flow

Common misconception

Tectonic plates float like rafts on liquid magma.

The mantle is semi-solid rather than a sort of liquid sea of magma.


To help you plan your year 10 geography lesson on: Plate tectonics theory, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The Plate Boundaries layer on ESRI's Geography Visualiser is a great way to show the relationship between surface features and plate margins/boundaries.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
A is a natural event that has the potential to cause damage, loss of life or economic disruption.
Correct Answer: natural hazard
Q2.
Order the layers of Earth, starting from the outside and going towards its centre.
1 - crust
2 - mantle
3 - outer core
4 - inner core
Q3.
What is magma?
Correct answer: molten/semi-molten rock beneath Earth's surface
molten or partially molten rock that has been ejected by volcanoes
cooled and solidified rock
Q4.
Which of the following are geological hazards?
Correct answer: volcanoes
flooding
tropical storms
Correct answer: earthquakes
Q5.
Hazard is the probability that a natural hazard will affect a population.
Correct Answer: risk
Q6.
The is the outer layer of Earth. It is a thin layer between 0 - 60 km thick upon which we live.
Correct Answer: crust

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Order the layers of Earth, starting from the surface.
1 - crust
2 - mantle
3 - outer core
4 - inner core
Q2.
According to plate tectonic theory, the lithosphere is divided into a number of plates. These plates sit on top of a semi-solid layer of the upper mantle called the asthenosphere.
Correct Answer: tectonic
Q3.
What is the lithosphere?
Correct answer: the crust and most solid part of the mantle
the very centre of Earth
where an earthquake starts from
Q4.
What are characteristics of the asthenosphere?
Correct answer: semi-solid and ductile: bends, flows and stretches under stress
mostly made of crust: oceanic and continental crust
Correct answer: hot - from 1300oC to 1500oC
Correct answer: higher density
lower density as solid rocks are not compressed as much
Q5.
Put the convection current theory in the correct order.
1 - Heat rises: hot material from the lower mantle rises up towards the lithosphere.
2 - When the material cools, it sinks back down again.
3 - This rising and falling creates circular convection currents.
4 - The currents drag on the base of tectonic plates, which moves them.
Q6.
In 1912, Alfred Wegener published a theory that the continents had once been joined together and had since moved apart. This theory was known as drift.
Correct Answer: continental