Plate Tectonics Science Games

In this series of games, your students will learn about Earth’s geological history, the maps that scientists use to model it, and the evidence that helps them create those maps. The Plate Tectonics learning objective — based on NGSS and state standards — delivers improved student engagement and academic performance in your classroom, as demonstrated by research.

Scroll down for a preview of this learning objective’s games and the concepts they drive home.

Concepts Covered

Earth’s continents and ocean basins have changed a great deal over time. Geologists create historical maps to visualize this change.

Maps that depict the earth around 200 million years ago show the supercontinent Pangea, when all of Earth’s land masses were connected. Throughout the entire timeline of our planet, massive continents have split apart and smaller ones have shifted together, changing the shape of the land and ocean basins.

These maps explain why the continents today look like they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Scientists examine the way rocks formed, the environments in which fossils were created, and the locations of mountain ranges, using them as clues to create these historical geological maps.

A preview of each game in the learning objective is found below.

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