wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Continental Drift Theory

Total questions: 31

Worksheet time: 31mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Who is the person credited with developing the theory of continental drift?
a)
Harry Hess
b)
Galileo
c)
Alfred Wegener
d)
Newton
2.
As you travel from the crust to the inner core, how would temperature, pressure and density of the material change?
a)
The would all increase
b)
The would all decrease.
c)
They would stay the same.  
d)
Temperature would decrease, but pressure and density would increase. 
3.
Was continental drift accepted in Wegener's lifetime? 
a)
Yes
b)
No
4.
Why did no one believe Wegener's theory?
a)
He could not explain HOW the continents moved.
b)
He was a meteorologist and not a geologist.
c)
His evidence was not supporting the hypothesis.
d)
He didn't use the right technology to gather data.
5.
This is a picture of glacier scars found in Africa.  What are these evidence for?
a)
Africa has always been near the equator
b)
Africa was once in an area of the Earth that had a very cold climate
c)
The continents have not moved
d)
sea floor spreading
6.

It is the southern part of Pangaea.

a)

Laurasia

b)

Gondwana

c)

South America

d)

South Africa

7.

What do you call the northern part of Pangaea after it moved million years ago?

a)

Russia

b)

Asia

c)

Laurasia

d)

Gondwana

8.
Of the following statements, which best supports the continental drift theory?
a)
All oceans are salty
b)
Igneous rocks are found on all continents 
c)
Fossils of the same species of extinct land plants have been found in both South America and Africa
d)
Early humans migrated to North America over a land bridge from eastern Asia
9.

Mesosaurus fossils are found between where?

a)

Africa and India

b)

Africa and South America

c)

Antarctica and Australia

d)

India and Antarctica

10.

Glossopteris fossils are found between where?

a)

South America and Africa

b)

Antarctica and Australia

c)

Africa and India

d)

All of them

11.
What is this a picture of?
a)
plate tectonics
b)
continental drift
c)
pangea
d)
glacier scaring
12.
True or false. Coal found in colder climates indicate that the land used to be in a warmer climate.
a)
True
b)
False
13.
The Theory of Continental Drift states that Pangaea broke apart and the continents "drifted" away from each other
a)
True
b)
False
14.

What does Pangaea mean?

a)

It means an all black panda bear

b)

It means all the universe

c)

It means all earth or entire earth

d)

It means all rock

15.

Which two continents are the most notable of Wegeners idea that the coast lines of certain continents match up.

a)

Indian and North America

b)

Australia and North America

c)

Europe and Australia

d)

South America and Africa

16.

Why couldn't the Mesosaurus swim to the other continents?

a)

It didn't have a map

b)

It was too far to swim

c)

The ocean was covered in ice

d)

It didn't know the way

17.

Alfred Wagner thought the continents looked like a puzzle. Why?

a)

The continents look like the fit together

b)

The continents looked like a painting

c)

The continents are the same color

18.

What did Alfred Wagner observe when he studied rock layers, mountain ranges, and fossils?


He noticed that the rock layers, the mountain ranges, and the fossils all.....

4 lines
19.

Fossil records indicate that the continents were once connected. How do fossil records support this claim?

a)

We have been able to transport the same types of fossils from one continent to another.

b)

Fossils of the same organism that are chemically and physically similar have been found on continents that are now separated by oceans.

c)

Some continents contain fossils of many different types of organisms.

20.

One piece of evidence for Plate Tectonics is that--

a)

some continents appear to fit together like a puzzle.

b)

we have video footage of the plates actually moving.

c)

all continents have formed from volcanic eruptions.

d)

the continents are no longer moving.

21.

Which of the following occurs because of convection currents?

a)

Pressure in the crust decreases.

b)

The mantle increases in size.

c)

Pressure in the crust increases.

d)

Pieces of the crust, known as tectonic plates, move.

22.

At first, a lack of evidence for continental drift prevented many scientists from believing a single supercontinent called _________ existed.

a)

Glossopteris

b)

Pangaea

c)

Gondwanaland

d)

Mesosaurus

23.
Who is the scientist who proposed Continental Drift Theory?
a)
Albert Einstein
b)
Alfred Wegener
c)
Isaac Newton
d)
John Dalton
24.

Wegener found fossils of ancient ferns on Antarctica, this shows

a)

That some ferns can survive temperatures well below freezing

b)

That humans put ferns on Antarctica millions of years ago

c)

That Antarctica drifted from a warmer climate where plants could grow

d)

That fossils can be formed in cold climates

25.

Which fossil occurs on most land masses?

a)

Cynognathus

b)

Lystrosaurus

c)

Mesosaurus

d)

Glossopteris

26.

What was the name of Alfred Wegeners Theory?

a)

Seafloor Spreading Theory

b)

Pangaea Theory

c)

Plate Tectonics Theory

d)

Continental Drift Theory

27.

How was Wegener's theory received by other scientists at the time?

a)

They thought it was great

b)

They did not accept it

28.

Wegener observed scratches from glaciers in Africa and India where it is currently too hot for glaciers to form. This is considered...

a)

Fossil Evidence

b)

Rock Formation Evidence

c)

Climate Evidence

d)

Objective Evidence

29.

Wegener found fossils of land reptiles on two different continents. This was important because

a)

Land reptiles are often found all over the world, showing that they can survive in most climates

b)

Land reptiles cannot swim, so the continents must have been connected for them to get across

c)

Land reptiles are never moved around the Earth by humans, so they must have travels to these continents by themselves

d)

Land reptiles fossilized much better than other animal species

30.

What causes the continents to move?

a)

The bass in Mrs. Bailey's car

b)

Plate Tectonics

c)

Jackhammer

d)

Fossils

31.

What are the 3 types of evidence that supports Alfred Wegener's Theory?

a)

Fossils, Fish, and Land

b)

Sedimentary, Magma, and Climate

c)

Fossils, Land forms, and Climate

d)

Climate, Land forms, and Metamorphic rock