This document describes an activity to model different types of plate boundaries using clay and sandpaper. It provides procedures to model a divergent boundary by pulling sheets apart and observing changes in clay, a convergent boundary by pushing sheets together, and a transform boundary by moving sheets in opposite directions and noting observations. The objective is to describe features formed at each type of plate boundary.

1. ACTIVITY 3
PLATE BOUNDARY MODEL

2. OBJECTIVE
1. Describe the different types
of plate boundaries.
2. Identify geologic features
formed by each type of plate
boundary.

3. PROCEDURE
A. Divergent Boundary
1. Get a small piece of clay and roll it into
a ball the size of a marble.
2. Press the clay ball onto the boundary
between the two sheets and flatten it.
3. Slowly move the sheets away from each
other. Watch out for any changes in the
clay. Stop the moment you see something
happen.

4. PROCEDURE
B. Convergent Boundary
1. Take the two sandpaper sheets and place
them on the table roughly half a centimetre
away from each other.
2. Get a piece of clay and roll it into
marble-sized ball.
3. Press the clay ball on the boundary
between the two sheets.
4. Slowly move the sheets towards each
other.

5. PROCEDURE
C. Transform Boundary
1. Place the sandpaper sheets side by side
on the table.
2. Make a clay ball and flatten it along the
boundary of the two sheets.
3. Get some clay of another color and make
three thin stripes. Press this on the surface
of the flatten clay.
4. Slowly move one of the sandpaper sheets
towards you, and the other away from you.

6. Type of Plate Boundary Observation/Description Geologic Features formed
A.
B.
C.
OBSERVATION