Science 7 Plate Tectonics Video Worksheet

When Alfred Wegener first noticed that the continents fit together like puzzle pieces, this was

• an idea

• a theory

• proof of continental drift

Which of the following is a piece of evidence that Alfred Wegener used to develop and support his ideas? (there may be more than one)

• Fossils of the lizard-like Mesosaurus were found in both Brazil and South Africa

• Maps of the continental shelf below the ocean's surface show how Africa and South America fit together

• There are glacier marks in South Africa

• Coal has been found on Arctic islands

Continental drift is the idea that...

• Earth's lithosphere has cooled and contracted over millions of years

• sections of Earth's lithosphere have collapsed underwater, leaving just the continents

• the continents were once part of a single landmass called Pangea

During World War II, what did scientists discover on the ocean floor?

• fossils

• volcanoes

• a new species of shark

Plate tectonics is the idea that...

• Earth's lithosphere is made of large pieces, called plates, that cannot move.

• Earth's lithosphere is made of large pieces, called plates, that have moved over time.

• the continents float on the oceans like pieces of wood float on water.

Which of the following statements about Earth's crust is true?

• Earth's lithosphere moves around but is never destroyed.

• Old lithosphere falls into the oceans and is destroyed by ocean currents.

• Old lithosphere is destroyed and new lithosphere is formed at plate boundaries.

Why are there so many earthquakes in the state of California?

• California is located in an area where two plates are sliding past each other.

• The ground in California contains a lot of sand and is very unstable.

• Large ocean currents sometimes collide with the coast of California.

T/F: The lithospheric plates keep moving and are still moving today.

• True

• False