Draw an elongated oval across a large-sized piece of cardboard. This will represent the Earth, spread out onto a two-dimensional flat surface. Use the side of a moving or electronics box for an environmentally friendly material option. The overall oval should be at least 1 foot wide by 6 inches tall. You may choose a more specific size to fit your needs or the rules of an assignment.
Draw each of the plate markings on the oval with a marker. Use an illustration from a science text book or from a website such as Enchanted Learning or geology.com for reference.
Choose a few different colors of modeling clay so that no two plates that lie next to each other look the same. Use your fists and palms to spread out the modeling clay. A rolling pin or other clay tool may be helpful to make the material flatter. Press the spread, flattened clay onto the cardboard oval Earth. Shape the clay with your fingertips to fit the marker plate outline. Finalize the shape and press the clay onto the surface to make it stick. Use a craft stick or other clay tool to push one plate slightly away from the other for differentiation.
Cut rectangle-shaped labels for each plate. Write the names of the plates such as the Australian Plate, Pacific Plate, Philippine Plate or Cocos Plate onto the label with a marker. Glue the label to the center of the corresponding plate.