Most active divergent boundaries occur where two oceanic plates move away from each other. “Some of the mantle oozed up,” replied my 5 year-old. To mimic this, I had my kids gently press down on each graham cracker plate while pulling them apart. Divergent Boundariesĭivergent boundaries occur when two plates move away from each other. California’s San Andrea’s fault is a perfect example of a transform boundary. As pressure builds, the plates finally slip, releasing a jolt of energy that we feel as an earthquake. You could hear the plates grind past each other.Īt transform boundaries, plates move in opposite directions slowly grinding past each other, occasionally getting snagged on each other. I had them repeat the sliding in the opposite direction and listen. She was loving this plate tectonics activity! “It’s scratchy!” exclaimed my 3 year-old. I asked them to pay close attention to how it felt to slide their tectonic plates against each other. I had the kids gently push their crackers together then slowly slide one up and the other down. This type of boundary occurs when two plates grind past each other. The first boundary we recreated was a transform boundary. I also made a dish for myself so I could model what each boundary should look like for my kids. Where the two graham cracker plates meet is called a plate boundary and they are named by the way the plates move against each other. On top of the mantle, we placed two graham crackers to represent the cooler, rigid crust. I added a few drops of red and orange food coloring to make it match the fiery orange mantle in our books. I handed each of my kids a dish with solid but moveable Cool Whip mantle. Once my kids had an idea of how tectonic plates move, it was time to get our hands messy. This causes the big plates of crust to move and its the moving of these plates that causes mountains and volcanoes to form. The mantle can flow like a liquid if it’s hot enough and has enough pressure. Under these plates is a layer called the mantle. These plates fit together like a puzzle surrounding the Earth. Earth’s crust is cracked into big pieces called tectonic plates. The outermost layer is hard and surrounds the Earth like a shell. To simplify, I explained that the Earth was a made up of many layers. My kiddos and I looked through several geology books explaining the layers of the Earth. (If you don’t have Cool Whip on hand, you could use any soft food like frosting or peanut butter to mimic the Earth’s flowing mantle.) Explaining Plate Tectonics We were ready to make mountains with our tectonic plates! Our summer travels led us to several volcanoes, so naturally my kiddos were curious about how they were formed.įor this activity, I grabbed a box of graham crackers, some Cool Whip and a plate. Kids can’t get enough science!? Great! Check out our 30 Science Experiments in our shop and keep the learning going! You can also store your crust in the refrigerator for up to three days.This quick and tasty kids’ science activity gives little scientists a hands-on way to explore plate tectonics – the movement of the Earth’s crust that leads to the formation of volcanoes, mountains, and oceanic trenches. Just be sure to cool it completely before freezing.Ī frozen graham cracker crust that is well wrapped will keep in the freezer for up to three months. And it's easier to use for your pies and cheesecakes when the crust is already cooked. We recommend baking it first so that it holds its shape better during storage. Sure, you can freeze your graham cracker crust for future use. Just be sure to make sure the sides are high enough to hold the filling.Ĭan Graham Cracker Crusts Be Frozen for Later? If you're pressed for time, though, you can still pour your cheesecake filling directly onto an unbaked graham cracker crust. It also keeps the crust from getting soggy. Not only will it impart a toastier flavor, but the crust will stay together better to hold the cheesecake filling. If you're making this graham cracker crust for a cheesecake recipe, we recommend blind baking it first.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |