Susd5 student version of the continental drift activity. Students will write the theory of continental drift and list the evidence that supports it in their lab notebook. Each group will present what they found with their piece of evidence using a map or their continental cutouts to explain their information. The continents did not look the same on the pangea map. Students will defend their position on continental drift. This theory of plate tectonics replaced the previous one of continental drift, where it was thought that just the continents themselves drifted over the earths surface. You will be piecing together a puzzle of the supercontinent pangaea based on fossil and rock evidence on the presentday continents. A powerful literary classic from one of contemporary fictions most acclaimed and important writers, russell bankss continental drift is a masterful novel of hope lost and gained, and a gripping, indelible story of fragile lives uprooted and transformed by injustice, disappointment, and the seductions and realities of the american dream. Continental driftpangaea theory explained with pangea map. Maps showing the breakup of the pangea supercontinent. Continental drift interactive simulations edumedia. Starting with pangaea, draw how the continents would look, then as continental drift was in progress, then color in the present day world map. Most influential earth scientists were based in the northern hemisphere, whereas most of the conclusive data came from the southern hemisphere there were plausible alternative explanations to the distribution of fossils and glacial deposits the geophysisists could not think of a force strong. Freelooks like a great intro activity for continental drift theory this is a simple lesson, with a powerful understanding of alfred wegeners idea of continental drift.
Accordingly, there was a resurgence of interest in. This was developed in the early part of the 20th century, mostly by a single scientist, alfred. Hands on lesson that helps teach students about continental drift. On the puzzle pieces handout, assign a color to each type of fossil or mountain belt in the legend and color the areas on the landmasses. To start this activity the teacher will present background information on wegener. Plan your lesson in earth and space science and geology with helpful tips from teachers like you. Speed of the continental plates the physics factbook. Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologist s thought continent s moved over time. One of the reasons is that his theory had no credible mechanism. Students will understand what continental drift is, why it occurs, and how earthquakes occur because of it. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics. High school earth sciencecontinental drift wikibooks, open.
The idea was not quite correct compared to the plate tectonics theory of today but his thinking was on the proper track. Sep 30, 2014 travel through deep time with this interactive earth explore key moments in earths transformative history as continents drift and climate fluctuates over 4. Provide students with copies of map sheets figure 1 photocopied on heavy paper card stock, each with a number of frames f1 to f20. Continental drift lesson plan for 6th 8th grade lesson planet. The theory has caused a revolution in the way we think about the earth. Continental drift was a theory that explained how continents shift position on earths surface. Ywbat state wegeners theory of continental drift and list his supporting evidence. Jun 04, 2018 a number a geologists denounced his hypothesis after he published it in his book about the origin of oceans and continents in 1915. The four maps used show rock layers, fossils, mountains, and glaciers as they are distribu. Color the legend on the puzzle pieces handout according to the key. Seventh grade lesson in earth and space science continental drift. Continental drift, largescale horizontal movement of continents relative to one another and to the ocean basins during one or more episodes of geologic time. Wegeners evidence sheet, the student map of the world today reference.
Collaborative learners look for fossil evidence that supports the theory that one supercontinent divided into two. This continental drift lesson plan is suitable for 6th 8th grade. This activity is a kinesthetic activity where students will use logic and evidence to reconstruct the position of large islands and continents as they appeared 220 million years ago. Visualizing continental drift gplates is a 3d animation which shows how the earth has evolved over millions of years. Travel through deep time with this interactive earth explore key moments in earths transformative history as continents drift and climate fluctuates over 4. Since the development of the theory, geologists have had to reexamine almost every aspect of. Under each flap of the evidence foldable, explain how that evidence supports continental drift. In the early 20th century, wegener published a paper explaining. The map shows the earths shifting plate tectonics from 240 million years ago up until the present day.
Using teamwork, puzzle pieces and collecting scientific data, teaching continental drift to students becomes a fun, collaborative project. Lab based activity that allows students to observe all the supercontinents that have existed and how they changed over time. Map activity continental drift use the pieces that you have been provided to try to develop the same ideas as early explorers. Cut out each of the continents along the edge of the continental shelf the outermost dark line. The seven continents a short activity book on the continents to print for early readers. Next, fill out the evidence foldable with four pieces of evidence. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the earth move and deform. Kit comes complete with eight brightly colored posters four sets of five different continents and the mystery of the farflung fossils lab activity book, which contains reproducible student handouts and teacher. Another problem with wegeners proposal was the fact that he stated that the velocity of continental drift was 8. This activity is a slight variation on an original activity, discovering plate boundaries, developed by dale sawyer at rice university. It is a relatively slow movement, driven by thermal convection currents and other geological activity originating deep within the earths mantle. Next, fill out the evidence foldable with four pieces of evidence mentioned in the reading passage. Hammers, field bags, hand lenses, maps, books, hardness picks, gold pans. I made different maps, including more detail in all of the datasets, and used a different map projection, but otherwise the general progression of the activity is the same.
This book extends our vision to take in the greatest geological cycle of. Find continental drift lesson plans and worksheets. Better yet, use a map where the edges of the continents show the continental shelf. Plate tectonics and continental drift legacy high school. Fun and educational activity for kids, it introduces art and geography and encourages collaboration. Continental drift timeline activity sheet continental drift. Geography balloon globes world maps have a blast while learning with this hands on. The east coast of south america was adjacent to west coast of africa. Tell students they are going to use the evidence symbols on the continents and islands to reconstruct pangaea, the supercontinent. This lesson uses a book called solving the puzzle under the sea, written by. Pangea continent map continental drift supercontinent. Voyage throupangaeagh time a continental drift flipbook objective. Pangea flip book and continental drift scientific theory info. Jul 24, 2019 continental drift was a revolutionary scientific theory developed in the years 19081912 by alfred wegener 18801930, a german meteorologist, climatologist, and geophysicist, that put forth the hypothesis that the continents had all originally been a part of one enormous landmass or supercontinent about 240 million years ago before breaking apart and drifting to their current locations.
First, we need to know who alfred wegener is and what his hypothesis, continental drift is all about. Weve all heard of continental drift by now, with the different land masses wandering all over the globe. Even though the theory of continental drift was proposed in 1912 by alfred wegener, the idea of moving continents wasnt generally accepted until the early 1960s. Please wash your hands and practise social distancing. A plate tectonic puzzle introduction the earths crust is not a solid shell. It also includes controls which allow you to adjust the speed of the animation playback.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. His ideas centered around continents moving across the face of the earth. Oct 11, 2015 kate ravilous on the scepticism that greeted the first geophysicist to hypothesise about continental drift a theory only accepted 60 years ago. An important piece of plate tectonic theory is the continental drift idea.
The us research vessel explorer towed a magnetometer to map fields over the sea floor in 1960. The concept was independently and more fully developed by alfred wegener in 1912, but his theory was rejected by many for. Continental drift and plate tectonics theory for kids. Be sure to come prepared to discuss the theory of pangaea and the two supercontinents, laurasia and gondwanaland.
But now satellites can actually measure the movement. Feb 01, 1985 continental drift by russell banks great book that almost made it into my all time favorites, but then it turned out to be less positive than this panglossian reader likes his reads to be there are two small chapters to this note. The evolution of our world from the origins of life to the far future ince, martin on. Working in pairs, students think like engineers and connect what they understand about the theory of plate tectonics to the design of structures for earthquakeresistance. Wegeners fossil evidence continental drift continents with fossils on them to cut out and piece together. A number a geologists denounced his hypothesis after he published it in his book about the origin of oceans and continents in 1915. Evidence of continental drift assignment mapping alfred. There is also much climate evidence supporting continental drift, most notable of which is glacial activity.
Continental drift is the theory that the earths continents have moved over geologic time relative to each other, thus appearing to have drifted across the ocean bed. Continental drift was a revolutionary scientific theory developed in the years 19081912 by alfred wegener 18801930, a german meteorologist, climatologist, and geophysicist, that put forth the hypothesis that the continents had all originally been a part of one enormous landmass or supercontinent about 240 million years ago before breaking apart and drifting to their current locations. Plate tectonics earth science activities, earth, space science, plate. Introduce students to the concept of continental movement and plate tectonics. Continental drift wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Using the online resources at the earthquakes living lab, students examine information and gather evidence supporting the theory. Continental drift if you have ever looked at a map of the atlantic ocean 1, you have probably noticed that the coastlines of africa and south america 2 seem to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
On average its about 15 millimetres a year, or about the speed that your fingernails grow. Plate tectonics latitude and longitude activity use world map. The speculation that continents might have drifted was first put forward by abraham ortelius in 1596. The moving story of plate tectonics science the guardian. By the time german geophysicist alfred wegener proposed continental drift in 1912, palaeontologists. If you want an idea about how the rifts in plate tectonics and continental drift has effected the earths continents then you should also check out what did the world look like.
Oceans, a book outlining wegeners theory, was published. The red lines on this map of the world represent the largest plate boundaries. Outline map printout an outline map of world latitudes and longitudes to print. A symposium on the origin and movement of land masses both. In this continental drift and fossils worksheet, students complete a puzzle of the continents and they answer questions about fossils, the layers of the earths crust, wegeners continental drift theory and the major plates.
Each inb activity is designed to help students compartmentalize information for a greater understanding of the concept. Today, the theory of continental drift has been replaced by the science of plate tectonics. Call on pairs to discuss how they reconstructed the. Call on volunteers to tell what they know about plate tectonics. Set in the early 1980s, it follows two plots, through which banks explores the relationship between apparently distant people drawn together in the world under globalization, which banks compares to the geologic phenomena of continental drift.
Nov 29, 2012 a brief introduction to alfred wegeners theory of continental drift, which would lay the groundwork for the development of plate tectonic theory, which essentially explains the geology of the earth. Why can paper cutouts of the continents including the continental margins be pieced together to form a single whole. To view the breakup of the supercontinent over the past 190 million years, chart the subsequent movement of landmasses, and to better understand plate tectonics. To understand continental drift and plate tectonics, the shifting and collisions that make. Before the 1800s there once was a theory of how all of our landmasses ended up in their current locations. Maps, animals, science, activities and other information on oceans. The continental drift theory inb template allows students to focus their notes on alfred wegener, continental drift theory, pangaea, and the 3 pieces of evidence. This activity has 7 matching and 2 short answer questions. The evolution of our world from the origins of life to the far future. Continental drift germantown municipal school district.
Set forth in 1912 by alfred wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist. In the early 20th century, wegener published a paper explaining his theory that the continental landmasses were drifting across the earth, sometimes plowing through oceans and into each other. The plate tectonics learning objective based on ngss and state standards delivers improved student engagement and academic performance in your classroom, as. Fossil evidence of continental drift key and puzzle work sheets hyper linked fig some of the landmasses of the ancient supercontinent gondwanaland show selected geological and fossil evidence. Continental drift pangaea posters, flip book, interactive flap book. The supercontinent pangaea, with its connected south america and africa, broke apart 200 million years ago. The discovery of apparent polar wander renewed scientists interest in continental drift. Tcss earth systems unit 2 plate tectonics information. How can the locations where ancient fossils are found be used as evidence for continental drift. Ywbat use evidence to make a hypothesis about the earths history. This concept was an important precursor to the development of the theory of plate tectonics, which incorporates it. Mar 18, 2017 continental drift timeline activity sheet continental drift, timeline, activity, sheet, worksheet. Voyage through time a plate tectonics page 2 of 16 procedure.
Alfred wegener investigated this field and found an anomaly in the permocarboniferous. These frames are reconstructed maps of the landmasses that existed on. The heat from inside the earth causes the material of the mantle to permanently rise up along the ocean ridges, resulting in the formation of a dense basaltic crust which slowly rolls away from the ridge, much like a rug being rolled up. The continental drift concept map is copied onto a separate piece of paper and missing. Continental drift timeline activity sheet continental. Continental drift and mountain building on free shipping on qualified orders. In this assignment students will be analyzing four different maps displaying evidences used by alfred wegener to support his hypothesis of continental drift and then transferring that data to a map of pangaea. These frames are reconstructed maps of the landmasses that existed on earth at a specific time. In addition, a variant spelling of pangaea is pangea.
Your job is to write down observations in your lab notebook about what you see when dealing with these different pieces. Aug 01, 2016 gplates includes an option to view the same animation on top of a 2d map. This activity is a teacherled demonstration of continental drift and includes a math worksheet for students involving the calculation of continental drift over time. Travel through deep time with this interactive earth. Alfred wegeners fossil evidence for continental drift is shown on the cutouts. Continental drift is a 1985 novel by russell banks. Each team should have an empty map and key sheet and a puzzle piece sheet printed out from the pangaea activity link. In this series of games, your students will learn about earths geological history, the maps that scientists use to model it, and the evidence that helps them create those maps. Students will plot on a world map volcanic eruptions and.
Alfred proposed that the continents that look like this now. The continental drift theory states that the continents have moved and are still. Students will draw contour lines based on noaa soundings on a nautical chart. You will be piecing together a puzzle of the supercontinent pangea based on fossil and rock evidence on the present day continents.
Use those same colors to color each type of fossil or mountain belt according to your legend. In the early 1900s, alfred wegener proposed the idea of continental drift. Student questions challenge them to analyze the connections among the continents and the theory of continental drift and evolution. Oct 09, 2015 this animation shows the plate tectonic evolution of the earth from the time of pangea, 240 million years ago, to the formation of pangea proxima, 250 million years in the future. Continental drift earth science simple book production. For the first time in history, the theories of continental drift, supercontinent, and pangaea came into being. Importantly, his second famous book principles of physical geology did not follow the traditional viewpoints and concluded with a chapter describing continental drift. Cut out the squares and create a flip book by stacking them in order and stapling them together. When students have completed the activity, have them compare their world maps. Continental drift plates in the crust of the earth, according to the plate tectonics theory from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia continental drift is the movement of the earths continents relative to each other. Plate tectonics use the socrative site room 68277 to take a practice test on plate tectonics.
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