Crustal Clash Slides 6th Grade Earth Science 30-Minute Core Lesson
CRUSTAL CLASH
How Earth's colossal puzzle pieces shift, smash, and reshape our living planet.
Convergent
Plates collide
Divergent
Plates pull apart
Transform
Plates slide past
Fundamental Concept
Earth is a Cracked Eggshell
Lithosphere
The rigid outer layer composed of the crust and topmost solid mantle, broken into massive fragments called tectonic plates.
Asthenosphere & Convection
Hot mantle rock slowly churns in convection currents like boiling soup, dragging the overlying plates along at 2 to 10 cm per year.
Think About It
Tectonic plates move at approximately the same rate your fingernails grow! It seems slow, but across millions of years, it opens oceans and builds mountains.
Action Point: Where two plates meet is called a plate boundary.
Next: What happens when these colossal plates meet?
Boundary Type 1 Motion: Colliding (→ ←)
Convergent Boundaries: Smashing Together
Continental vs. Continental
Both plates are thick and buoyant. Neither sinks! They crumple and buckle upward into giant mountain belts.
Real Example: The Himalayas
Indian Plate crashing into Eurasian Plate
Oceanic vs. Continental
The denser oceanic plate dives under the continental plate into the mantle. This process is called subduction.
Creates: Deep Trenches & Volcanoes
Pacific Ring of Fire & Andes Mountains
Key Takeaway Convergent boundaries DESTROY old crust or BUILD mountain ranges!
Boundary Type 2 Motion: Dividing (← →)
Divergent Boundaries: Pulling Apart
Under the Oceans
As oceanic plates pull apart, magma wells up from the mantle, cools on the seafloor, and forms brand-new oceanic crust.
Feature: Mid-Ocean Ridges
Example: Mid-Atlantic Ridge (longest mountain chain)
On the Continents
When a continental plate tears in two, the land drops into a steep canyon called a rift valley that eventually fills with water to become a new sea.
Feature: Continental Rifts
Example: East African Rift Valley
Key Takeaway Divergent boundaries CREATE new crust through seafloor spreading!
Boundary Type 3 Motion: Sliding (↑ ↓)
Transform Boundaries: Sliding Past
Friction & Sudden Snap
Plates don't slide smoothly. Their jagged rocky edges catch and lock in place while the mantle continues pushing.
Stress builds up over decades or centuries until the rock suddenly breaks and snaps forward, releasing massive waves of energy.
Earthquake Alley
Crust is neither created nor destroyed here. No volcanoes are formed, but intense, shallow earthquakes occur frequently.
Famous Example: San Andreas Fault
Pacific Plate sliding northwest past North American Plate
Key Takeaway Transform boundaries CONSERVE crust and unleash powerful earthquakes!
Quick Reference
The Big Three: Memory Cheat Sheet
CONVERGENT → ←
Plates Collide
Pushed together by mantle currents.
Features: Fold mountains, trenches, volcanoes.
Memory word: CRASH
DIVERGENT ← →
Plates Divide
Pulled apart, new magma cools.
Features: Mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys.
Memory word: DIVIDE
TRANSFORM ↑ ↓
Plates Slide
Grind horizontally past each other.
Features: Fault lines, severe earthquakes.
Memory word: SLIDE
Practice Time: Grab your Crustal Clash Worksheet!
10 Minutes Independent Work
Crustal Clash Worksheet 6th Grade Earth Science Guided Practice • 30-Min Lesson
CRUSTAL CLASH: Plate Boundaries
Name:
Date:
Period:
Word Bank:
Boundaries: Convergent, Divergent, Transform • Motions: Collide, Divide, Slide
1
Part 1: Boundary Diagram Clues
Look at the motion arrows. Use the Word Bank to write the Boundary Type , circle the Motion , and pick the Landform .
DIAGRAM A
Plate → • ← Plate
Boundary Type:
Motion: Collide / Divide / Slide
Feature Formed: Mountains / Rift Valley / Fault
DIAGRAM B
← Plate • Plate →
Boundary Type:
Motion: Collide / Divide / Slide
Feature Formed: Mountains / Ocean Ridge / Fault
DIAGRAM C
Plate ↑ • ↓ Plate
Boundary Type:
Motion: Collide / Divide / Slide
Feature Formed: Mid-Ocean Ridge / Fault Line
2
Part 2: Real-World Case Studies
Read the clue in bold. Circle the Boundary Type and what happens to the crust.
A. Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge
Two oceanic plates pull apart . Magma rises and cools into fresh seabed rock.
Convergent / Divergent / Transform Crust Created / Crust Destroyed
B. San Andreas Fault (California)
Two continental plates grind past each other sideways , snapping into earthquakes.
Convergent / Divergent / Transform Crust Conserved (Neither)
C. Himalayan Mountains
The Indian Plate crashes head-on into Eurasia, crumpling upward into high peaks.
Convergent / Divergent / Transform Crust Crumpled / Lifted Up
3
Part 3: Guided Detective Challenge
Investigation: Why does the Atlantic Ocean widen by 3 cm every year?
Word Bank: convection • divergent • ocean crust
1. The plates in the Atlantic Ocean are pulling apart at a
boundary.
2. Deep inside the mantle, heat creates churning
currents.
3. As magma rises and cools, it forms brand-new
on the seafloor.
Crustal Clash • Grade 6 Earth Science • Scaffolded Edition Total: 15 Points
Crustal Clash Teacher Guide Teacher Guide & Key 6th Grade Earth Science • 30 Minutes
CRUSTAL CLASH: Facilitation & Key
Target Time: 30 Min
Focus: NGSS MS-ESS2-1 / MS-ESS2-2
30-Minute Pacing Architecture
0:00 - 0:05 (5 MIN)
Hook & Engagement
Display Slide 1 & 2. Ask: "If plates move at fingernail speed, why do we get massive earthquakes?"
0:05 - 0:17 (12 MIN)
Direct Instruction
Slides 3-6. Teach the 3 C-D-S verbs: Collide (convergent), Divide (divergent), Slide (transform).
0:17 - 0:27 (10 MIN)
Independent Practice
Distribute Worksheet. Students complete Parts 1-3. Circulate and check Diagram arrows.
0:27 - 0:30 (3 MIN)
Exit Check
Rapid callout of Part 3 answers. Collect worksheets for a quick 15-point formative check.
Worksheet Answer Key & Scoring Matrix
Total: 15 Points
Part 1: Diagram Identification (9 pts • 1 pt per blank)
Diagram A:
Type: Convergent
Motion: Collide / Push together
Feature: Mountains, volcanoes, trenches
Diagram B:
Type: Divergent
Motion: Divide / Pull apart
Feature: Mid-ocean ridge, rift valley
Diagram C:
Type: Transform
Motion: Slide / Grind past
Feature: Fault lines, earthquakes
Part 2: Real-World Case Studies (3 pts • 1 pt each)
A. Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Divergent • Created
B. San Andreas Fault: Transform • Conserved
C. Himalayas: Convergent • Destroyed/Crumpled
Part 3: Detective Challenge (3 pts)
Exemplary Response: The boundary in the center of the Atlantic Ocean is a divergent boundary (1 pt). Deep in the mantle, convection currents push magma upward between the plates (1 pt). As plates separate, the magma cools to form brand-new ocean floor, widening the basin (1 pt).
Misconception Alert
"Plates leave big empty holes when they separate": Clarify that rising magma immediately wells up to fill the gap, creating fresh seafloor.
