Continental Drift Literacy

Which scientist is credited with the Theory of Continental Drift?

• Isaac Newton

• Albert Einstein

• Alfred Wegener

• Luis Alvarez

How do Earth’s landforms support the Theory of Continental Drift?

• They show evidence of rock formation through volcanoes.

• They indicate weathering and drifting processes like rivers.

• They match up with other landforms on other continents that seem to fit together.

• They show identical climate patterns.

Why would there be fossils of sea creatures in a desert?

• Someone brought the fossils to the desert.

• Wind and weathering carried the fossils to the desert.

• Some sea creatures used to be able to survive in the desert.

• The desert was an ocean floor millions of years ago.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which of the following is an example of how climate might have changed in a region?

• Tropical plant fossils in Antarctica indicate it used to be located closer to the equator.

• Freshwater animal fossils found in North America suggest that it used to be closer to the poles.

• Mountain ranges across continents match up like a puzzle.

• The plates are still moving at a rate of 2.5 centimeters a year.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

True or False: The plates are no longer moving and the continents are now in their permanent configuration.

• True

• False

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

At first, most scientists did not agree with Wegener because he couldn’t explain the _______.

(a)  

• driving force
• fossils
• land masses
• gravity

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

300 million years ago all the continents were together in one large landmass called (a)   .

Evidence of glaciers would indicate that an area had a (a)   climate.

The process that drives the motion of the continents is referred to as (a)   .

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Categorize Wegener’s 3 forms of evidence for Continental Drift.

Groups:

(a) Landforms

,

(b) Fossils

,

(c) Climate

• Fossils of Mesosaurus and Lystrosaurus have been found on continents

  separated by saltwater ocean

• Had a much colder climate

• Glacial scratches have been found in Africa which suggests it used to be located more south

• Africa and South America looked as though they

  could fit together like puzzle pieces.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2