Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics

Aerial view of an ash plume rising from Mount Cleveland volcano, which has snow on its upper slopes.

The Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics teaching resources support students in meeting the following middle school NGSS Performance Expectations.

Earth Science

MS-ESS2 Earth's Systems

MS-ESS2-2 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales
MS-ESS2-3 Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions

MS-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity

MS-ESS3-1 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes
MS-ESS3-2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects