Continental Drift

The Appalachian Mountains in the U.S. match up with a similar mountain ranges in northern Europe. How does this support Wegener's theory of Continental Drift?

• The mountains were formed after tectonic plates had moved away from each other

• The similarities provide evidence North America & Europe were connected when the mountains formed.

• Similar rock samples were found on the ocean floor and at the two mountain ranges indicating that they both formed around the same time.

• This evidence does not support the theory of continental drift.

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

Alfred Wegener used all of the following for evidence of his idea EXCEPT...

• The shapes of the continents fitting together like a puzzle

• Similar fossils on different continents

• Comparable modern weather patterns on different continents

• Similar rock formations on different continents

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According to the continental drift hypothesis, the presence of similar fossils in South America and Africa supports which scientific idea?

• Animals easily and frequently travel from Africa to South America.

• Species of animals probably traveled between continents on natural rafts (such as trees destroyed in tsunamis).

• Land bridges once existed that connected the continents.

• South America and Africa were once connected together.

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

NGSS.HS-LS4-1

Why did no one believe Wegener's ideas about continental drift? (Choose 2)

• He could not successfully explain HOW the continents moved

• He didn't have evidence that supported his ideas that the continents had once been connected

• They were biased against his ideas because he was German and a meteorologist

• He didn't use the right technology to gather data

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

What type of evidence was used by Alfred Wegener to support his continental drift hypothesis? (Select 3)

• evidence from landforms / geology

• evidence from fossils

• evidence from human remains

• evidence from climate

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

Which of the following best describes Wegener's continental drift ideas?

• Hypothesis: There was data to support the idea but more information was needed to build it into a scientific theory.

• Theory: It was an early idea of Wegener's but it didn't yet have any evidence to support it.

• Theory: It was a well supported idea that explained many things. No additional information was needed (it just needed time for people to accept it).

• Hypothesis: It was an educated guess that Wegener made based on maps, but he hadn't yet collected experimental data.

What is this a picture of?

• plate tectonics

• continental drift

• pangea

• glacier scaring

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Who is the person credited with developing the theory of continental drift?

• Harry Hess

• Galileo

• Alfred Wegener

• Newton

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

The theory of continental drift named a key part of this idea Pangaea. What is Pangaea?

• One of the ancient animals that helped Wegener prove that fossils from different continents originally came from the same location

•  supercontinent that existed in Earth's distant past

• The underwater ocean range in the middle of the ocean

• The hot spot which gave rise to the Hawaiian Islands, among others

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

NGSS.HS-ESS2-1

The Theory of Continental Drift states that Pangaea broke apart and the continents "drifted" away from each other

• True

• False

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5