Unit 6: Plate Tectonics

The last unit in the Geology: Structure of the Earth series, produced by Northumberland County Council, pulls together all that students have learned from Units 1 to 5, relating the different features of the Earth's structure to each other and developing further the theory of plate tectonics. The unit investigates the history of the theory of plate tectonics and its importance in explaining most geological features, putting the features studied in previous units into context.

As in previous units, Unit 6 contains a variety of activities, experiments and questions, including essay questions and a self-assessment section. At the end of this unit, and the topic as a whole, students should be able to recognise that their learning and scientific skills have developed, and they can search for geological information independently, analyse what they find and make clear and structured notes, summaries and essays.

A computer marked assessment (CMA) was made available for testing students at the end of this topic but this is no longer available.