Science 10

Science – Grade 10
Quarter 1 – Module 7: Describe the Different Types of Plate Boundaries.
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education Division of Pasig City

Development Team of the Self-Learning Module

Writer: Janice D. Balcoba
Editor: Rosalina B. Piamonte
Reviewers: Rosalina B. Piamonte, Cathy S. Seron
Illustrator:
Layout Artist: Mark Kihm G. Lara
Management Team: Ma. Evalou Concepcion A. Agustin
OIC-Schools Division Superintendent
Aurelio G. Alfonso EdD
OIC-Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
Victor M. Javeña EdD
Chief, School Governance and Operations Division and
OIC-Chief, Curriculum Implementation Division

Education Program Supervisors

Librada L. Agon EdD (EPP/TLE/TVL/TVE)

Liza A. Alvarez (Science/STEM/SSP)
Bernard R. Balitao (AP/HUMSS)
Joselito E. Calios (English/SPFL/GAS)
Norlyn D. Conde EdD (MAPEH/SPA/SPS/HOPE/A&D/Sports)
Wilma Q. Del Rosario (LRMS/ADM)
Ma. Teresita E. Herrera EdD (Filipino/GAS/Piling Larang)
Perlita M. Ignacio PhD (EsP)
Dulce O. Santos PhD (Kindergarten/MTB-MLE)
Teresita P. Tagulao EdD (Mathematics/ABM)

Printed in the Philippines by Department of Education – Schools Division of

Pasig City
Science 10
Quarter 1
Self-Learning Module 7
Describe the Different Types of Plate
Boundaries.
Introductory Message

For the Facilitator:

Welcome to the (Science Grade 10) Self-Learning Module on (Plate

Boundaries)!

This Self-Learning Module was collaboratively designed, developed and

reviewed by educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its
Officer-in-Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A.
Agustin, in partnership with the City Government of Pasig through its mayor,
Honorable Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum using the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) in
developing this instructional resource.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs, namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
For the learner:

Welcome to the (Science) Self-Learning Module on (Plate Boundaries)!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning material while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills

that you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson

at hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts

and skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

application of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest - This measures how much you have learned from the
entire module.
EXPECTATIONS

This module is designed and written to help you master the lesson about plate
boundaries. It was prepared to provide different activities for you to master the given
topic. The skills in this module is included in the most essential learning
competencies in the list issued by the Department of Education.
This module is about the different types of plate boundaries.
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. identify the three types of plate boundaries;
2. describe each kind of plate boundaries;
3. illustrate the three kinds of plate boundaries; and
4. realize the effect of the changes on Earth’s lithosphere.

PRETEST

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the letter of your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following is believed to be the cause of plate movements?
A. the Earth’s rotation.
B. convection in the mantle.
C. the gravitational pull of the Earth.
D. the revolution of the Earth around the sun.

2. What kind of plate boundary is shown on the figure?

A. convergent plate boundary

B. conservative plate boundary
C. divergent plate boundary
D. transform plate boundary

3. Which of the following is also known as constructive plate boundary?

A. convergent plate boundary
B. divergent plate boundary
C. oceanic-continental convergent plate boundary
D. transform plate boundary

4. Which causes subduction?

A. convergent plate boundary
B. constructive plate boundary
C. divergent plate boundary
D. transform plate boundary
5. If the Atlantic Ocean is widening at a rate of 3cm per year, what type of plate
boundary is happening at Atlantic Ocean?
A. continental-continental convergent plate boundary
B. divergent plate boundary
C. oceanic-continental plate boundary
D. transform plate boundary

RECAP

Do you still remember the Taal Volcano eruption early this year? If you are a
resident near the volcano what are the precautionary measures that you should do?

LESSON

Plate boundaries are the edges or regions where plates meet. How the plates
move determines what happens at plate boundaries. You have learned on your
previous lesson about continental drift theory, where continents shift positions on
Earth’s surface. Look at the image of Earth 225 million years ago, what can you say
about the Earth’s lithosphere? Is it the same with the Earth’s lithosphere today?

Figure 1: Image of Earth’s lithosphere

The upwelling of magma due to convection current results to divergent plate
boundary also known as constructive plate boundary because as the two plates
are moving away from each other, they leave a gap in-between, and this gap can be
filled by the magma from below. The gap filled by the magma is the new ocean floor
formed. As the plate separates, the upwelled magma creates a series of volcanoes all
the way along the boundary. It also causes shallow earthquakes at mid-ocean ridges.

Figure 3. Divergent plate boundary

Example of this type of plate boundary is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that separates
Iceland caused by the movement of the North American and Eurasian plate.

Figure 4. Iceland showing divergent plate boundary

Another example is the East African Rift Valley. It was formed around 25 to
30 million years ago where the African plate is pulling away from the Arabian plate.
It is one of the geologic wonders of the world, a place where the earth’s tectonic forces
are presently trying to create new plates by splitting apart old ones.

Figure 5. East African Rift Valley showing divergent plate boundary

On the other hand, convergent plate boundary is also known as destructive
plate boundary. On this type of plate boundary, one plate is destroyed due to the
friction that causes melting of the plate.
There are three types of convergent plate boundary, namely; a. oceanic-
continental boundary, b. continental-continental boundary and c. oceanic-
oceanic boundary.
In oceanic-continental boundary, the oceanic crust converges with
continental crust, the denser oceanic plate moves beneath the continental plate. This
process is called subduction that occurs at the oceanic trenches. Trench is a type of
excavation or depression in the ground. The subduction zones have a lot of intense
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The subducting plate causes melting in the
mantle above the plate. The magma rises and erupts, creating volcanoes. These
coastal volcanic mountains are found in a line above the subducting plate. The
volcanoes are known as a volcanic arc. The deepest part of the subducting plate
breaks into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces become locked in place for long
periods of time before moving suddenly and generating large earthquakes.

Figure 6. Oceanic-continental convergent boundary

On the Island of Luzon here in the Philippines lies the volcano that is Mount
Pinatubo. It is located at the plate boundary between the continental Eurasian and
oceanic Philippine Plate. It is one of a chain of volcanoes known as the Luzon volcanic
arc, which is the result of the oceanic Philippine plate being subducted under the
lighter continental Eurasian plate. The volcano is slightly offset from the plate
boundary as, when the oceanic plate is subducted it is melted and forced away as
molten magma by the high pressures exerted on it. It then resurfaces as the density
of the molten magma becomes lower than that of the rock, and so it pushes it up
through the small cracks and explodes out through a volcano.
Figure 7. Mt. Pinatubo lying at the plate boundary between continental Eurasian plate and oceanic
Philippine plate

When two continents meet head on, neither is subducted because the continental
rocks are relatively light, and like two colliding ice bergs resist downward motion. No
subductcion happen. Instead, the crust tends to buckle and be pushed upward or
sideways. As a result, mountain ranges are formed. This type of convergent boundary
is called continental-continental convergent plate boundary .

Figure 8. Continental-continental convergent plate boundary

Example is the collision of India into Asia 50 million years ago caused the
Euarasian Plate to crumple up and override to Indian Plate. After the collision, the
slow continuous convergence of the two plates over millions of years pushed up the
Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau to their present heights. It is where the Mt Everest
is located.

Figure 10.Eurasian plate and Indian plate converge each other forming the Himalaya
Mountain Rang
In oceanic-oceanic convergent plate boundary, two oceanic plates converge
forming deep trenches. When two oceanic plates converge one is usually subducted
under the other and in the process a deep oceanic trench is formed. The older, more
dense oceanic crust subducts under younger oceanic crust. This results into
formation of trenches.

Figure 11. Oceanic-oceanic convergent plate boundary

The Marianas trench for example, is a deep trench created as a result of the
Philippine plate subducting under the Pacific plate. This convergent boundary also
results in the formation of undersea volcanoes. Over millions of years, however the
erupted lava and volcanic debris pile up in the ocean floor until a submarine volcano
rises above sea level to form an island volcano. Such volcanoes are typically strung
out in chains called island arcs.

Figure 12. Philippine plate and Pacific plate converge forming Marianas Trench

The last type of plate boundary is the transform plate boundary also known
as conservative plate boundary. In this type of plate boundary, the lithosphere is
neither created nor destroyed. The plates are moving horizontally. As the plates rub
against each other, huge stresses are set up than can cause portions of the rocks to
break. Places where breaks occur are called faults that results to strong earthquakes.

Figure 13. Transform plate boundary

Example is the moving plates that meet in western California; the boundary
between them is the San Andreas fault. The Pacific plate (on the west) moves
northwestward relative to the North American plate (on the east), causing
earthquakes along the fault.

Figure 14. Pacific plate and North American plate slide past each other forming the San Andreas Fault

ACTIVITIES
To learn more about the different types of plate boundaries, let’s do Module 7-
Activity 1, entitled “Fill In and Connect” and Module 7-Activity 2 “Formation of
Philippine Archipelago”. You can find the activities uploaded by your Science
Teacher on your messenger group

WRAP-UP

Below are words related to the topic we discussed today. Unscramble each of
the clue words. Copy the letters in the numbered cells to other cells with the same
number.
VALUING

Plate boundaries cause deformations to our lithosphere. Not all deformations

are with negative effect among people.
To know more about this, do Module 7- Activity 3, entitled “Beautiful
Disasters”.
You can find this activity uploaded by your Science Teacher on your messenger
group.

POSTTEST

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the letter of your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following shows two plate boundaries that rub past each other
in opposite direction?
A. convergent plate boundary
B. divergent plate boundary
C. transform plate boundary
D. trench
2. The image shows convergent boundary that causes subduction. Which of the
two plates subducts and why?
A. Continental plate subducts because it is denser.
B. Continental plate subducts because it is less dense.
C. Oceanic plate subducts because it is less dense.
D. Oceanic plate subducts because it is denser.
3. What type of plate boundary is shown in the picture?
A. continental-continental convergent plate boundary
B. divergent plate boundary
C. oceanic-continental convergent plate boundary
D. transform plate boundary
4. Which of the following is the reason why divergent plate boundary happens?
A. Due to the subduction of oceanic plate.
B. Due to the movement of magma upward.
C. Due to the subduction of continental plate.
D. Due to the formation of trench underneath the ocean.
5. The West Valley fault that traverses some cities in Metro Manila including
Pasig City causes earthquake. Which of the following causes the formation of
fault?
A. continental- continental Convergent plate boundary
B. divergent plate boundary
C. oceanic-continental plate boundary
D. transform plate boundary
F.
1. oceanic plates
2. toward
3. subducted
4.trench
Pre-assessment
5. older
1. B
6. younger
2. A
7. Marianas Trench
3. B
Generalization
4. A
5. B
Recap
Answers may vary.
Activity 2 Guide Questions
a. 6 1. Convergent boundary. The
b. 1 subductions of plates.
c. 2 2. Pacific, Indo-Australian,
d. 5 Eurasian and Philippine Sea
e.4 plate.
f. 3 3. Mindoro and Palawan
Generalization
Philippine Archipelago was formed due to the
collision and subduction of plates.
Wrap-up
1. Convergent
2. Transform
3. Divergent
4. Subduction
5. Magma
Plate boundaries are the edges or regions where
plates meet.
Activity 3
Guide Questions
1. Answers may vary.
2. Answers may vary.
3. Answers may vary.
Generalization
Answers may vary.
Post-assessment
1. C
2. D
3. B
4. B
5. D
KEY TO CORRECTION
References
BOOKS

Acosta, Herma D., et al. (2015) Grade 10 Science Learner’s Material.

Rex Bookstore. Pasig City, Metro Manila. pp.6-31

Valdez, Meliza P. et.al., (2015) Science Links Worktext for Science and
Technological Literacy. Rex Bookstore Pasig City, Metro Manila. pp. 27-37

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