Topics-+Plate+Tectonics

Topic: Plate Tectonics
Below is a list of key ideas related to Plate Tectonics. For each key idea, you will find a list of sub-ideas, a list of items, results from our field testing, and a list of student misconceptions. After clicking on a tab, click on it again to close the tab.

The outer layer of the earth – including the continents and the ocean basins - consists of separate plates.
//Students are expected to know that:// //Boundaries//:
 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]
 * 1) The rock layer beneath the surface of the earth is divided into massive sections of solid rock, called “plates.” The plates fit closely together such that all of the edges of a plate touch the plate next to it.
 * 2) Plates are miles thick.
 * 3) The continents and ocean basins are part of the plates. The exposed solid rock of mountains is an example of plate material that is visible when it is not covered by water, soil, or loose rock such as sand.
 * 4) There are about 12-15 very large plates, each of which encompasses large areas of the earth’s outer layer (e.g., an entire continent plus adjoining ocean floor, or a large part of an entire ocean basin). Together these very large plates make up most of the entire outer layer of the earth. The rest of the outer layer is made up some additional smaller plates.
 * 5) The boundaries of continents and oceans are not necessarily the same as the boundaries of plates. Some boundaries between plates are found on continents, some on ocean floors, and some in places where oceans and continents meet.
 * 1) Students are not expected to know the terms bedrock, lithosphere, crust, or mantle.
 * 2) Students are not expected to know the names of specific plates, the size of the smaller plates, or how many small plates there are.
 * 3) Students are not expected to know that the term “plates” refers to the lithosphere, or that two components (crust and upper mantle) make up the plates.
 * 4) Students are not expected to know that the plates are not uniform in composition or thickness.

Percent of students answering correctly (click on the item ID number to view the item and additional data)||~ Item ID Number ||~ Knowledge Being Assessed 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 ||~ Select This Item for My Item Bank ||
 * ~ Grades
 * [|PT005001] || [|Both ocean basins and continents are part of earth's plates.] || 63% || 67% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1757"]] ||
 * [|PT008001] || [|A plate can be as big as an ocean.] || 56% || 62% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1762"]] ||
 * [|PT007001] || [|The earth's plates fit closely together with each plate touching all of the plates around it.] || 52% || 56% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1761"]] ||
 * [|PT014001] || [|Plate boundaries can occur anywhere in an ocean basin or a continent.] || 51% || 55% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1771"]] ||
 * [|PT013001] || [|The edges of each of earth's plates abut the edges of all of the surrounding plates] || 46% || N/A || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1770"]] ||
 * [|PT015001] || [|Continents are part of earth's plates.] || 42% || 44% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1772"]] ||
 * [|PT012001] || [|Earth's plates are miles thick.] || 39% || 47% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1768"]] ||
 * [|PT006002] || [|The earth has twelve to fifteen very large plates.] || 38% || 43% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1830"]] ||
 * [|PT013002] || [|The edges of each of earth's plates abut the edges of all of the surrounding plates.] || 32% || 43% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/3341"]] ||
 * [|PT011002] || [|The solid rock of a cliff is part of earth's plates.] || 28% || 27% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/2131"]] ||
 * [|PT009001] || [|Earth's plates are made of solid rock, and they can be seen where they are not covered by soil, loose rocks, or water.] || 23% || 26% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1763"]] ||

Frequency of selecting a misconception||~ Misconception ID Number 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 || Frequency of selecting a misconception was calculated by dividing the total number of times a misconception was chosen by the number of times it could have been chosen, averaged over the number of students answering the questions within this particular idea.
 * ~ Student Misconception ||~ Grades
 * [|PTM104] || [|Earth's plates are located deep within the earth and are not exposed at the earth's surface (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 53% || 52% ||
 * [|PTM013] || [|Plates are feet thick (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 49% || 43% ||
 * [|PTM011] || [|Plates are made of melted rock (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 40% || 39% ||
 * [|PTM078] || [|Earth's plates are separated by empty gaps (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 29% || 40% ||
 * [|PTM103] || [|The solid rock of a cliff is not a part of a plate (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 31% || 30% ||
 * [|PTM096] || [|The earth has seven plates (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 31% || 28% ||
 * [|PTM010] || [|There is one continent on each plate (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 31% || 28% ||
 * [|PTM005] || [|Plates are arranged like a stack of layers in the earth. (Libarkin et al., 2005; Marques and Thomson, 1997; Ford and Taylor, 2006; AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 28% || N/A ||
 * [|PTM101] || [|Earth's plates are piled on top of each other (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 27% || 29% ||
 * [|PTM094] || [|Ocean basins are not part of earth's plates (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 25% || 23% ||
 * [|PTM110] || [|Continents sit on top of a layer of water, and the water is above a plate (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 25% || 21% ||
 * [|PTM015] || [|The earth has about one hundred plates (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 23% || 22% ||
 * [|PTM105] || [|Plate boundaries only occur where continents meet ocean basins (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 22% || 24% ||
 * [|PTM109] || [|Continents are on top of plates but are not part of plates (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 22% || 24% ||
 * [|PTM099] || [|Earth's plates are not in contact with each other (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 24% || 20% ||
 * [|PTM095] || [|Continents are not part of earth's plates (Ford and Taylor, 2006; AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 20% || 18% ||
 * [|PTM098] || [|Earth's plates are separated from each other by oceans (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 15% || 16% ||
 * [|PTM106] || [|Plate boundaries are always found in the middle of ocean basins (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 16% || 12% ||
 * [|PTM100] || [|Earth's plates are surrounded by melted rock so that the plates are not touching each other (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 15% || 11% ||
 * [|PTM108] || [|Continents are next to plates but are not part of plates (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 12% || 11% ||
 * [|PTM012] || [|Plates are several inches thick (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 12% || 10% ||
 * [|PTM107] || [|Plate boundaries cannot occur within a continent (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 11% || 9% ||
 * [|PTM102] || [|Earth's plates are made of sand (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 10% || 8% ||
 * [|PTM097] || [|The earth has one very large plate (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 7% || 7% ||

The earth's plates sit on a hot, slightly softened layer of the earth.
//Students are expected to know that:// //Boundaries://
 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]
 * 1) Rocks can be solid, liquid, or in a slightly softened form.
 * 2) The layer beneath earth’s plates is made of rock that is hotter and less rigid than the plates.
 * 3) The layer beneath earth’s plates is just slightly softened (just as wax and metal become softened when heated but not yet melted).
 * 4) The layer beneath earth’s plates moves very slowly and in different directions in different locations around the earth.
 * 1) Students are not expected to know that the layer beneath the plates is called the asthenosphere, or that this layer has the properties it does because of pressure being applied to it in addition to the high temperature inside the earth.
 * 2) Students are not expected to know that the asthenosphere is not uniform and that liquid magma flows through parts of the asthenosphere.
 * 3) Students are not expected to know how the earth behaves beneath this layer.

Percent of students answering correctly (click on the item ID number to view the item and additional data)||~ Item ID Number ||~ Knowledge Being Assessed 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 ||~ Select This Item for My Item Bank ||
 * ~ Grades
 * [|PT017001] || [|The layer beneath earth's plates slowly moves in different directions in different places around the earth.] || 47% || 53% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1774"]] ||
 * [|PT018001] || [|Rocks can be solid, liquid, or in a slightly softened form.] || 27% || 31% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1775"]] ||
 * [|PT016001] || [|The layer beneath earth's plates mostly consists of slightly softened rock.] || 17% || 13% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1773"]] ||

Frequency of selecting a misconception||~ Misconception ID Number 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 || Frequency of selecting a misconception was calculated by dividing the total number of times a misconception was chosen by the number of times it could have been chosen, averaged over the number of students answering the questions within this particular idea.
 * ~ Student Misconception ||~ Grades
 * [|PTM116] || [|Rocks are always solid (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 36% || 32% ||
 * [|PTM113] || [|The layer beneath earth's plates mostly consists of liquid rock material (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 30% || 38% ||
 * [|PTM111] || [|The layer beneath earth's plates mostly consists of solid rock material (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 32% || 30% ||
 * [|PTM115] || [|The entire layer beneath the earth's plates moves in one direction (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 23% || 19% ||
 * [|PTM112] || [|The layer beneath the earth's plates mostly consists of a combination of liquid and solid rock (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 21% || 18% ||
 * [|PTM085] || [|The layer below the earth's plates does not move (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 16% || 12% ||
 * [|PTM114] || [|The layer beneath the earth's plates moves very rapidly (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 14% || 15% ||

The earth's plates move very slowly, pressing against one another in some places and pulling apart in other places.
//Students are expected to know that:// //Boundaries//:
 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]
 * 1) The earth’s plates move continuously and very slowly (several inches per year) along with the slightly softened layer of rock beneath them.
 * 2) The motion of the plates results in the motion of all things that are part of the plates (e.g., continents, ocean basins, mountain ranges) and all things that sit on top of the plates (e.g., soil, ocean sediment, living things, and buildings).
 * 3) Because the slow motion of plates is continuous, it can result in plates moving great distances across the surface of the earth over very long periods of time.
 * 4) The direction of motion is different for different plates, and the direction of motion of a plate can change over time so that where a plate once pushed into another plate, it can later pull away from that plate.
 * 5) Because different plates move in different directions, plates can press together, move away from each other, and move alongside (parallel to) each other.
 * 6) It is possible to measure the rate of motion and direction of motion of a plate.
 * 1) Students are not expected to know the terms that describe the different ways plates interact with each other at plate boundaries (e.g., convergent, divergent, transform).
 * 2) Students are not expected to know the forces that act on plates to cause them to move in one direction or another or that plates do not always move as a uniform block (i.e., that different parts of a single plate can move at different rates and in different directions).
 * 3) Students are not expected to know how the rate of motion of plates is measured.

Percent of students answering correctly (click on the item ID number to view the item and additional data)||~ Item ID Number ||~ Knowledge Being Assessed 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 ||~ Select This Item for My Item Bank ||
 * ~ Grades
 * [|PT020001] || [|As plates move, the continents that are part of the plates move along with them.] || 66% || 75% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1777"]] ||
 * [|PT019001] || [|Earth's plates move several inches each year.] || 62% || 68% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1776"]] ||
 * [|PT024001] || [|Both continents and ocean basins move.] || 50% || 51% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1781"]] ||
 * [|PT021001] || [|As plates move, the ocean basins that are part of the plates move along with them.] || 42% || 47% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1778"]] ||
 * [|PT023001] || [|Mountains on two different plates would move many miles apart over one million years.] || 40% || 41% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1780"]] ||
 * [|PT022001] || [|A continent would move about 10 feet in 100 years.] || 38% || 38% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1779"]] ||
 * [|PT025001] || [|Earth's plates move along with the slightly softened rock material below them.] || 38% || 36% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1782"]] ||

Frequency of selecting a misconception||~ Misconception ID Number 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 || Frequency of selecting a misconception was calculated by dividing the total number of times a misconception was chosen by the number of times it could have been chosen, averaged over the number of students answering the questions within this particular idea.
 * ~ Student Misconception ||~ Grades
 * [|PTM123] || [|Continents only move inches over hundreds of years, not feet or miles (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 34% || 39% ||
 * [|PTM084] || [|Continents and ocean basins move, but so slowly that they will barely have moved after hundreds of years (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 34% || 39% ||
 * [|PTM128] || [|Earth's plates move by floating on a layer of melted rock (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 33% || 38% ||
 * [|PTM127] || [|Continents would only move inches over millions of years, not feet or miles (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 31% || 33% ||
 * [|PTM083] || [|Ocean basins do not move (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 29% || 30% ||
 * [|PTM122] || [|Ocean basins move separately from earth's plates (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 27% || 25% ||
 * [|PTM032] || [|Plates move when the layer below them temporarily melts and moves (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 22% || 21% ||
 * [|PTM126] || [|Continents move so slowly that even after millions of years the distance they moved cannot be measured (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 17% || 17% ||
 * [|PTM117] || [|Earth's plates move several feet per year (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 18% || 14% ||
 * [|PTM124] || [|Continents move miles over hundreds of years (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 19% || 14% ||
 * [|PTM119] || [|Continents move separately from earth's plates (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 15% || 14% ||
 * [|PTM031] || [|Continents do not move (Ford and Taylor, 2006; AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 13% || 10% ||
 * [|PTM118] || [|Earth's plates move several miles per year (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 11% || 10% ||
 * [|PTM125] || [|A continent would not move at all over 100 years (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 10% || 9% ||
 * [|PTM120] || [|Continents moved in the past, but they are no longer moving (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 11% || 5% ||
 * [|PTM121] || [|Ocean basins moved in the past, but they are no longer moving (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 10% || 6% ||
 * [|PTM082] || [|Earth's plates do not move (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 8% || 8% ||
 * [|PTM035] || [|The plates do not move because they sit on a layer of solid rock (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 6% || 5% ||

When continental plate material from one plate presses against another plate, the continental plate material is forced upward, forming mountains.
//Students are expected to know that:// //Boundaries//:
 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]
 * 1) Continental plate material makes up continents, oceanic plate material makes up ocean basins, and the top part of any plate can be made of either oceanic or continental plate material or continental plate material in some places and oceanic plate material in other places.
 * 2) Continental plate material is made of rock that is less dense and much thicker than oceanic plate material.
 * 3) When two plates press together, if one plate has plate material at its edge that is less dense than the edge of the other plate, the less dense plate material will crumple upward, creating a bend or fold in the plate material but not causing the plate to break into smaller pieces of rock. If the plate material is approximately the same density on both edges, the edges of both will crumple upward.
 * 4) When continental plate material from one plate presses against oceanic plate material from another plate, the continental plate material crumples up over the oceanic plate material.
 * 5) As continental plate material from one plate presses against continental plate material from another plate, the edges of both plates crumple up, creating a bend or fold in the plate material but not causing the plate to break into smaller pieces of rock.
 * 6) The result of a plate crumpling up is mountains, which are composed of the continental plate material that has been folded upward.
 * 7) The crumpling up of plate material reduces the area of the earth’s surface covered by a plate.
 * 8) New mountains have formed throughout earth’s history, and mountains continue to develop as plates move and press together.
 * 1) Students are not expected to know that continental plate material from one plate can sink under other continental plate material from another plate.
 * 2) Students are not expected to know that when two plates press together, plate material breaks (e.g., faults occur) as well as bends.

Percent of students answering correctly (click on the item ID number to view the item and additional data)||~ Item ID Number ||~ Knowledge Being Assessed 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 ||~ Select This Item for My Item Bank ||
 * ~ Grades
 * [|PT039001] || [|Mountains have been developing continuously throughout earth's history.] || 63% || 71% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1796"]] ||
 * [|PT029001] || [|When two plates push together and both plates have continental plate material where they meet, the edge of both plates will be pushed upward as they move.] || 54% || 56% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1786"]] ||
 * [|PT040002] || [|Mountains form when plate material slowly bends over time.] || 50% || 55% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/3090"]] ||
 * [|PT038001] || [|When two plates press together and one plate has continental plate material at its edge, the continental plate material is always pushed upward.] || 38% || 37% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1795"]] ||

Frequency of selecting a misconception||~ Misconception ID Number 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 || Frequency of selecting a misconception was calculated by dividing the total number of times a misconception was chosen by the number of times it could have been chosen, averaged over the number of students answering the questions within this particular idea.
 * ~ Student Misconception ||~ Grades
 * [|PTM146] || [|Earth's plates cannot bend (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 50% || 45% ||
 * [|PTM039] || [|Mountains form by the piling up of pieces of rock (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 50% || 45% ||
 * [|PTM140] || [|Continental plate material is only pushed upward when it pushes into continental plate material on another plate (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 37% || 35% ||
 * [|PTM133] || [|When two plates push together and continental plate material is at the edge of both plates, one plate will stop moving and the edge of the other plate will be pushed upward (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 22% || 23% ||
 * [|PTM142] || [|When a plate with continental plate material at its edge pushes into another plate, the continental plate material is always pushed downward (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 15% || 18% ||
 * [|PTM132] || [|When two plates push together and continental plate material makes up the edge of both plates, both plates will be pushed downward (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 15% || 13% ||
 * [|PTM144] || [|New mountains developed in the past, but no new mountains are developing today (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 13% || 12% ||
 * [|PTM145] || [|There have been times when mountains have developed in the past, but only occasionally (i.e., not continuously) (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 14% || 10% ||
 * [|PTM143] || [|All mountains that exist today formed when the earth first formed (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 10% || 7% ||
 * [|PTM130] || [|When two plates push into each other, both plates will stop moving (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 9% || 9% ||

When two plates are pulling apart, melted rock material rises up between the plates, creating new plate material.
//Students are expected to know that//: //Boundaries//:
 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]
 * 1) When two plates pull apart from each other, melted rock rises up between the plates.This rock solidifies as it cools, adding new oceanic plate material to the edges of both plates so that the plates are always in contact with each other and no space forms between them.
 * 2) The process of melted rock rising up between the plates can be gradual, with the melted rock material slowly welling up between the plates, and it can be sudden, with melted rock material suddenly projecting out from between the plates in volcanic eruptions.
 * 3) Melted rock can well up or erupt anywhere along the boundary where two plates are pulling apart.As the melted rock cools, it begins to form a row of mountains along the edges of both plates where they are pulling apart.
 * 4) When two plates move apart and split a continent in two, an ocean basin forms between them that widens over time.The ocean basin grows as new plate material is continuously added to the edge of the separating plates.
 * 5) At the same time that new plate material is being added as plates pull apart, other plate material is being folded upward or recycled into the interior of the earth so that the plate material that is lost in one place is balanced by the new plate material that is gained in another.
 * 1) Students are not expected to know why some oceanic plate material is denser than other oceanic plate material.

Percent of students answering correctly (click on the item ID number to view the item and additional data)||~ Item ID Number ||~ Knowledge Being Assessed 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 ||~ Select This Item for My Item Bank ||
 * ~ Grades
 * [|PT041001] || [|New plate material forms where two plates pull apart.] || 47% || 51% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1798"]] ||
 * [|PT033001] || [|The amount of new plate material that is added to a plate is balanced by the amount of plate material that is pushed into the earth's interior or is crumpled upward.] || 41% || 46% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1790"]] ||
 * [|PT032001] || [|As two plates move apart new plate material forms between them.] || 27% || 30% || [[image:http://assessment.aaas.org/img/star_16x16_grey.png link="http://assessment.aaas.org/users/itembank/add/1789"]] ||

Frequency of selecting a misconception||~ Misconception ID Number 6–8 ||~ Grades 9–12 || Frequency of selecting a misconception was calculated by dividing the total number of times a misconception was chosen by the number of times it could have been chosen, averaged over the number of students answering the questions within this particular idea.
 * ~ Student Misconception ||~ Grades
 * [|PTM135] || [|When two plates move away from each other, loose rock material fills the empty gap that forms between them (Libarkin et al., 2005; AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 28% || 25% ||
 * [|PTM137] || [|The amount of plate material that is added to the edge of a plate is balanced by the amount of plate material that is removed by being broken into pieces and carried away (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 27% || 24% ||
 * [|PTM134] || [|When two plates move away from each other, water fills the empty gap that forms between the plates (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 22% || 24% ||
 * [|PTM047] || [|When two plates move away from one another, an empty gap forms between them (Ford and Taylor, 2006; AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 23% || 21% ||
 * [|PTM050] || [|New plate material cannot be added to the edges of plates (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 20% || 19% ||
 * [|PTM147] || [|New plate material forms where continents meet ocean basins, not where two plates move apart (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 17% || 18% ||
 * [|PTM136] || [|Plate material does not get removed from the edges of plates (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).] || 12% || 11% ||

==== When continental plate material from one plate presses against another plate, the continental plate material is forced upward, forming mountains. -and- When oceanic plate material from one plate presses against another plate, it can slide under the other plate, sinking deep into the earth. ====
 * [|Sub-Ideas]
 * [|Items & Student Performance]
 * [|Misconceptions]