In the early 20th century, wegener published a paper explaining. Seventh grade lesson in earth and space science continental drift. It provides a useful introduction to more technical. Today, the theory of continental drift has been replaced by the science of plate tectonics. Continental drift lesson plan for 6th 8th grade lesson. What is the evidence that the continents have moved. Continental drift activity packet name instructions. They use a diagram of the earths continents that show plate tectonics. Activitymeasuring continental drift between north america. That the continents were formed together at one time and are spread by tectonic plates.
Some intellectuals suggested that perhaps the continents might have been connected at one time, but few accepted this. Continental drift activity packet flashcards quizlet. A theory proposed by alfred wegner that said all continents were once joined 300 million years ago in a single land mass called pangaea. To start this activity the teacher will present background information on wegener.
Continental drift and plate tectonics f you look closely at a world map, you might notice something about the coastlines of south america and africa. Alfred wegener was a german scientist trained in astronomy, but he had a strong interest in geology as well. A continental divide is a naturally occurring boundary or ridge separating a continents river systems. Cut out each of the continents along the edge of the continental shelf the outermost dark line. Alfred wegeners fossil evidence for continental drift is shown on the cutouts. After completing their continental puzzle and before moving on to the next activity, the teacher should explain that what they created is a supercontinent called pangaea. Continental drift wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. See more ideas about earth science, plate tectonics and 6th grade science. 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. In this activity, you will examine more evidence for this movement of continents.
Continental drift theory continental drift is the hypothesis that all the continents had once been joined together in a single landmass. Suggested answers to the discussion activity pages onscreen resources are in a separate file in the folder for this topic. The continental drift hypothesis states that the position of the continents on the. In this continental drift activity, 7th graders answer 7 questions about wegeners theory of continental drift. Wegeners continental drift lesson plan the coldstones cut. Over time, pangaea started breaking apart, and the continents started moving to where they are now. Collaborative learners look for fossil evidence that supports the theory that one supercontinent divided into two. For nearly half a century, from the 1920s to the 1960s, most scientists paid little attention to the idea of continental drift. 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. You will be asked about continental drift evidence, signs of continental drift on. Your job is to write down observations in your lab notebook about what you see when dealing with these different pieces. This engineering curriculum meets next generation science standards.
Then, students will watch a short video showing an artists conception of how the continents once fit together and how they moved over the course of hundreds of millions of years to end up at their current locations. List and describe some of the evidence for the theory of continental drift. 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. It is made up of thick, interconnecting pieces called tectonic plates that fit together like a puzzle. Discuss the idea of plate tectonics and continental drift to set the scene. Continental drift theory station lab students will love you for providing them with a handson experience when learning about the continental drift theory. 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. Map activity continental drift use the pieces that you have been provided to try to develop the same ideas as early explorers. As more and more magma emerges and hardens, a mountain chain forms on the ocean. The viewpoint includes a description of the theory, the evidence to support it, and reasons why some people did not support it. Continental drift, largescale horizontal movements of continents relative to one another and to the ocean basins during one or more episodes of geologic time.
You should also be able to identify several pieces of evidence that support the theory of plate tectonics and continental drift. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office. Starting with pangaea, draw how the continents would look, then as continental drift was in progress, then color in the present day world map. Curriculum science understanding strand b biological sciences c chemical sciences. A plate tectonic puzzle introduction the earths crust is not a solid shell. A viewpoint on the theory of continental drift, developed by alfred wagener. Measuring the continental drift between europe and north. Much of it centered on the implications of isostasy. When people made the first maps of the new world, the puzzlelike fit of the american and the europeanafrican coastlines seemed more than a coincidence.
Drifting continents math extension worksheet with your calculator, calculate the distance, given the speed and time. Then new evidence about earths structure led scientists to reconsider wegeners. Ywbat state wegeners theory of continental drift and list his supporting evidence. Students will submit their labs for a grade and be documented in accordance with new york state laws and mandates pertaining to the earth science curriculum. Continental drift germantown municipal school district. Continental drift an overview sciencedirect topics. Use those same colors to color each type of fossil or mountain belt according to your legend. Use the following formulas to find out how far these continents will travel in 100 years. You will be piecing together a puzzle of the supercontinent pangea based on fossil and. Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologist s thought continent s moved over time. Continental drift read and apply ngss msess23 aligned aligns with ngss standard msess23 under earths systemscontinental drift a reading comprehension practice activity that focuses on alfred wegeners theory of pangaea and the evidence that supports his theory. Smithsonian institution produced the third edition of this dynamic planet. Under each flap of the evidence foldable, explain how that evidence supports continental drift. Each river system feeds into a distinct ocean basin, bay, or sea.
Continental drift lesson plan for 6th 8th grade lesson planet. Terms in this set 5 what is the idea of continental drift. The german scientist alfred wegener studied whether earths continents move. This activity is a teacherled demonstration of continental drift and includes a math worksheet for students involving the calculation of continental drift over time. Try to have enough students in each group so that each student controls one continent or.
Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office at 26 red lion square london wc1r 4hq. Like its two previous editions 1989 and 1994, this mapthe alltime bestselling map of the usgsremains exceptionally popular and widely distributed. The theory of continental drift is most associated with the scientist alfred wegener. This continental drift lesson plan is suitable for 6th 8th grade. Continental divides are broad, continent wide example of drainage divides, sometimes just called divide s. Scientists have been taking vlbi measurements for around 25 years to determine. Jul 05, 20 this website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. For this activity, you will need a full set of poster board sized continents for each group. My friends and i are here to present my theory of continental drift, which i published in the year 1915. Measuring the continental drift between europe and. Plan your lesson in earth and space science and geology with helpful tips from teachers like you.
Continental drift is connected to other changes on. 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 according to the legend. A world map of volcanoes, earthquakes, and plate tectonics. This activity allows discussion of continental drift theory, which is now regarded as part of the overarching theory of plate tectonics. Pdf styles of thought on the continental drift debate. Wegener proposed that all continents were once part of a single supercontinent called pangaea. 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. Divides are boundaries that separate drainage basin s or watershed. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The continental drift theory station lab is a plug and play unit that is meant to accompany my free mad science station lab series. The continental drift theory helps us understand why and how the continents on earth have moved over time. The concept was independently and more fully developed by alfred wegener in 1912, but his theory was rejected by many for.
Continental drift activity packet questions 7th grade. Wegener said that continents move around on earths surface and that they were once joined together as a single supercontinent. The continents are embedded within the lithospheric plates that comprises the upper 80100 km of the earth, and are carried along with the plates as they migrate at average rates of 310 centimeters per year. Then new evidence about earths structure led scientists to reconsider wegeners bold theory. By the end of the pdf, you should be able to describe the theory of continental drift, and explain how it is similar and different from the theory of plate tectonics. Description continental drift activity including pangea puzzle and worksheets. Next, fill out the evidence foldable with four pieces of evidence mentioned in the reading passage.
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. Continental drift is now explained as a consequence of moving plates. Students will exhibit an understanding of continental drift and the geological process that govern the positional changes of the earths tectonic plates. Alfred wegener developed the modern theory of continental drift. Measuring the continental drift between europe and north america scientists have been taking vlbi measurements for around 25 years to determine the distance between the westford, massachusetts radio telescope and the one in wettzell, germany. Continental drift introduction lesson with images earth. The speculation that continents might have drifted was first put forward by abraham ortelius in 1596. This instructional activity has 7 matching and 2 short answer questions. Then, there will be a short guided reading activity used to explain the historical development of the theory of continental drift. You will be piecing together a puzzle of the supercontinent pangaea based on fossil and rock evidence on the presentday continents. You will be piecing together a puzzle of the supercontinent pangea based on fossil and rock evidence on the present day continents. The continental drift hypothesis was developed in the early part of the 20 th century, mostly by alfred wegener.
The continental jigsaw puzzle can you reassemble a super. The strategy presented in this paper was constructed by four studentteachers. While wegener was alive, scientists did not believe that the. They move atop the underlying mantle, a really thick layer of hot flowing rock. Continental drift lesson grades 68 geology unit plan. Long ago there was a super continent called pangaea. Start studying continental drift activity packet questions 7th grade science. A plate tectonic puzzle american museum of natural history. This was the time when reptiles and winged insects first appeared. Color the legend on the puzzle pieces handout according to the key. Continental drift and plate tectonics university of iceland. This is a lesson aimed at helping students to develop their understanding of.
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