HS-ESS1-5 | Plate Tectonics and Crustal Ages
Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on the ability of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. Examples include evidence of the ages of oceanic crust increasing with distance from mid-ocean ridges as a result of plate spreading and that the North American continental crust contains a much older central ancient core compared to the surrounding continental crust as a result of complex and numerous plate interactions.
Reference Tables
Relevant reference tables:
Assessment
What assessment of HS-ESS1-5 might look like on a NY state exam.
Performance Level Descriptions
PLDs communicate the knowledge and skills expected of students to demonstrate proficiency in each Learning Standard. NYS assessments classify student performance into one of five levels.
Vocabulary
Terms from the Earth & Space Science Glossary that come from this standard or from the released exam questions that assess it.
- argument
- central ancient core
- continental crust
- continental rocks
- crustal rocks
- Earth
- Earth’s surface
- exponential decay law
- geologic history
- half-life
- mid-ocean ridges
- North American continental crust
- ocean floor
- oceanic crust
- plate interaction
- plate spreading
- plate tectonics
- radioactive decay
- radiometric dating
- relative ages
- unifying theory
- crust – June 2025, Sample 2024
- fracture zone – June 2026
- geologic time – Sample 2024
- island arc – June 2026
- magnetic polarity – Sample 2024
- microplate – June 2026
- model – June 2026, Sample 2024
- motion – June 2025
- mountain – Sample 2024
- ocean – June 2026, June 2025, Sample 2024
- rift zone – June 2026
- volcanism – June 2026
- volcano – June 2026
NGSS Dimensions
Performance expectation HS-ESS1-5 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
- Engaging in Argument from Evidence
- Evaluate evidence behind currently accepted explanations or solutions to determine the merits of arguments.
- ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
- Continental rocks, which can be older than 4 billion years, are generally much older than the rocks of the ocean floor, which are less than 200 million years old.
- ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions
- Plate tectonics is the unifying theory that explains the past and current movements of the rocks at Earth's surface and provides a framework for understanding its geologic history. (secondary to HS-ESS1-5)
- PS1.C: Nuclear Processes
- (NYSED) Spontaneous radioactive decay follows a characteristic exponential decay law allowing an element's half-life to be used for radiometric dating of rocks and other materials. (secondary to HS-ESS1-5)
- Patterns
- Empirical evidence is needed to identify patterns.