Original Project
Plate Tectonics
The outer layer of the earth – including the continents and the ocean basins - consists of separate plates.
Item PT013002: The edges of each of earth's plates abut the edges of all of the surrounding plates.
Which of the following represents how three of earth’s plates fit together?
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 986 | 2478 | 40% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 258 | 808 | 32% |
| 9–12 | 714 | 1648 | 43% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 514 | 1190 | 43% |
| Female | 455 | 1254 | 36% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 904 | 2236 | 40% |
| Other | 61 | 181 | 34% |
- NRC Framework
- ESS2.B The plates move across Earth’s surface, carrying the continents…
- Notes
- An evidence statement for NGSS performance expectation MS-ESS2-3 says: The shapes of continents, which roughly fit together (like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle), suggest that those land masses were once joined and have since separated.