Original Project
Plate Tectonics
Item PT019001: Earth's plates move several inches each year.
Which of the following describes the movement of earth’s plates?
- The plates move several inches per year.
- The plates move several feet per year.
- The plates move several miles per year.
- The plates do not move.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2031 | 3168 | 64% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 1263 | 2041 | 62% |
| 9–12 | 760 | 1114 | 68% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 989 | 1508 | 66% |
| Female | 1013 | 1617 | 63% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1868 | 2883 | 65% |
| Other | 121 | 218 | 56% |
- Notes
- The rate of plate motion is not specified in NGSS, although an evidence statement for performance expectation MS-ESS2-3 says that students should "identify relationships (including relationships that can be used to infer numerical rates of change, such as patterns of age of seafloor) in the datasets about Earth features."