Fault Lines & Tectonic Plates

Book excerpt: The ground beneath your feet is solid, right? After all, how could we build houses and bridges on land if it was moving all the time? Actually, the ground beneath us really is moving all the time! In Fault Lines and Tectonic Plates: Discover What Happens When the Earth’s Crust Moves, readers ages 9 through 12 learn what exactly is going on under the dirt. The earth's crust is moving constantly, but usually it’s moving too slowly for us to notice it. In Fault Lines and Tectonic Plates, readers learn about Pangea, the giant landmass that scientists believe existed long ago, and the tectonic plates that Pangea broke into, which we know as continents. And what happens when these slowly drifting continents bump up against each other along fault lines? Earthquakes, volcanoes, and tidal waves! Readers learn the geological reasons behind earthquakes and also practical ways of behaving in those types of natural disasters. In addition to earthquakes, tectonic plates create the landscape of our world over time. Mountains and trenches are the results of the slow movement of the earth’s crust. With science-minded projects such as a homemade earthquake “shake table” and edible tectonic boundaries, the complex and fascinating topic of plate tectonics is made accessible for kids to grasp, helping to raise their awareness about this amazing planet we live on. Links to online primary sources and videos make concepts clear and encourage kids to maintain a healthy curiosity in the topic. Guided reading levels and Lexile measurements place this title with appropriate audiences.