Expect students to be convinced of the theory of plate tectonics, but it is okay for them to disagree, as long as they have good reasons. This evidence led to the theory of plate tectonics, which is a fundamental principle in modern geology. This classroom activity can be used to introduce or expand plate tectonics for elementary, secondary, middle school, and university level students. Displaying all worksheets related to continental drift theory and modern plate tectonics. Mar 18, 2017 continental drift timeline activity sheet continental drift, timeline, activity, sheet, worksheet. Concerning the theory of plate tectonics, i am more knowledgeable than the average person on the street, but i am greatly humbled by the vast expanse of what plate tectonics involves and the depth of knowledge that geologist have attained. I made different maps, including more detail in all of the datasets, and used a different map projection, but otherwise the general progression of the activity is the same. Alfred wegeners fossil evidence for continental drift is shown on the cutouts. Building on what we already know make connections to prior knowledge. The moving of one plate under the other is known as subduction. We now know that, directly or indirectly, plate tectonics influences nearly all geologic processes, past and present.
Over time the continents moved to their present day locations. Plate tectonics describes the distribution and motion of the plates. To view the breakup of the supercontinent pangea over the past 190 million years and chart the subsequent movement of landmasses, and to better understand plate tectonics. A good way to have a variety of lessonrelated activities in groups. Create a song or rap to explain continental drift and evidence that supports it.
Display and discuss slides 1618 of the natural disasters powerpoint. Plate tectonics activities by sarahs stem stuff tpt. Have students use the living lab resources to complete the worksheet research, filling in the graphic organizer chart and sketching future continental movement. Continental drift video clip notice how fossils lined up across continents. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the earths lithosphere is broken into distinct plates which are. The lithosphere is divided into moving segments that change. In it, wegener said that the continents were not fixed in place.
Continental drift theory continental drift is the hypothesis that all the continents had once been joined together in a single landmass. This is a unit study on plate tectonics in geology or earth science subject. The grade 6 earth science unit on plate tectonics is presented to students through a series of investigations using indirect evidence models and direct evidence, experiments, active learning experiences, researching using a variety of sources, questions, and assessments. Continental drift and plate tectonics are two theories explaining the geological evolution of the earth, specifically its crust. By the 1960s the building blocks were in place to support a new hypothesis, seafloor spreading, that would provide the mechanism for continental drift. Never before has there been a powerpoint about continental drift and plate tectonics that is so straightforward and engaging, with dozens of original animations and illustrations, smooth transitions, and a healthy dose of humor scattered. Subduction zone oceanic crust is heavier than continental crust. In addition to accounting for earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, and oceanic ridges as well as the geographic fit of continental margins, plate tectonics and continental drift have. Plate tectonics has revolutionized virtually every discipline of the earth sciences since the late.
Like the scientists before us, we will now merge the ideas of continental drift and seafloor spreading into the theory of plate tectonics. Layers of learning has engaging printables in every unit of this family friendly curriculum. Plate tectonics this is the plate tectonics differentiation stations. Looking at the information you compiled in your chart above, explain one way the theory of plate tectonics can relate to engineering. During wegeners time, the idea was met with hostility. Plate tectonics theres a continent called pangaea well, there once was. Plate tectonics discussion if you finish your discussion you may scroll down to the bottom of this page and watch the video natural disaster historys most destructive volcanoes national geographic documentary. Dec 17, 2019 plate tectonics it was from the continental drift theory, convection current theory and the theory of seafloor spreading, the theory of plate tectonics was formulated. The following activities allow students to experience the differences of speeds at which s. Plate tectonics and continental drift infographic live. He published his observations in a geological comparison of south america with south africa1927, and later he developed his ideas in our wandering continents 1937. The theory has caused a revolution in the way we think about the earth. Continental drift and plate tectonics kaiserscience.
Animation of sea floor spreading worldwide earthquake patterns help us know where the edges of plates are located the earths plates earthobservatory. What is the name of the scientist that proposed the theory of continental drift. When the concept of seafloor spreading came along, scientists recognized that it was the mechanism to explain how continents could move around earths surface. Since the development of the theory, geologists have had to reexamine almost every. At the end of this continental drift theory lesson plan, students will be able to describe the historical developments that support the plate tectonic theory. Create your own kahoot from the information you have learned about plate tectonics and the continental drift theory. I have copied the picture and information for continental drift front to back used in this section, and the picture and information for plate tectonics front to back used in the next section. Scribble notes are found in plate tectonics cut, color and organize. The following post will walk you through each of the steps and activities from. Worksheets are science understanding strand year 9 earth space sciences, chapter 8 plate tectonics, continental drift and plate tectonics, plate tectonics, plate tectonics, continental drift and plate tectonics, continental drift sea floor spreading. Whats the difference between continental drift and plate tectonics. Cut out each of the continents along the edge of the continental shelf the outermost dark line. Continental drift and plate tectonics science with mrs. Alfred wegener was the first to offer a comprehensive theory about continental drift but failed to provide a feasible explanation about how continents actually.
Sara schroeder, classical charter school, appleton, wisconsin lori morris, crestview academy, eau claire, wisconsin length of unit. The hypothesis of continental drift led to plate tectonicsa theory that explains many processes in earth. The difference between continental drift and plate. Use the interactive continental drift map to watch the change in the earths landforms over millions of years. Introduction plate tectonics describes seismic activity.
Some life rode on diverging plates, became isolated, and evolved into new species. Science classroom plate tectonics 27 ideas for 2019 browse over educational resources created by the stem center in the official teachers pay teachers store. They make a slight crack in a hard boiled egg and manipulate the egg to. Plate tectonics theory the upper most mantle, along with overlying crust, behaves as a strong, rigid layer. Nov 29, 2012 a brief introduction to alfred wegeners theory of continental drift, which would lay the groundwork for the development of plate tectonic theory, which essentially explains the geology of the. Include at least 6 imagesdiagramspictures and explain each picture in a 56 sentence paragraph. Covers earths interior, continental drift, and plate tectonics. Tuzo wilson offered a fundamental reinterpretation of wegeners continental drift theory and became the first person to use the term plates to describe the division and pattern of relative movement between different regions of the earths surface i.
This took a loooong time to make, but it was totally worth it. The contribution of hess hess measured the oceans to the deepest points to date, 10. Discuss the answers of the cloze activity with the students. Plate tectonics is the grand, unifying theory of earth sciences, combining the concepts of continental drift and seafloor spreading into one holistic theory that explains many of. During the 20th century, a major scientific concepttheory of plate tectonics emerged to. Tectonic plates move atop the underlying mantle, a really thick layer of hot flowing rock. The plate tectonics printables are an earth science exploration that pairs with unit 47 about the plates that make up the earths crust and how they move, plate tectonics.
Activities about earths continental plates and crust an interactive quiz about plate tectonics a quiz about continental drift and plate tectonics label the outer layers of the earth label seafloor spreading plate divergence label the growth of new oceanic crust as two plates diverge. Students will defend their position on continental drift. Plate tectonics discussion if you finish your discussion you may scroll down to the bottom of this page and watch the video natural disaster historys most. Continental drift and plate tectonics webquest dublin city schools. This unit is a great way to get your students actively involved in learning about plate tectonics with graphic notes and 4 easy to use hands on activities. My friends and i are here to present my theory of continental drift, which i published in the year. Watch this video about continental drift and the mechanism of seafloor spreading create plate tectonics. He also proposed a tectonic cycle the wilson cycle. In the early 20th century, wegener published a paper explaining. But after his death, a large body of evidence showed that continents do indeed move. Continental drift timeline activity sheet continental. A similar flipbook is presented in tremor troop 2000. A theory proposed by alfred wegner that said all continents were once joined 300 million years ago in a single land mass called pangaea. The theory of plate tectonics activityworksheet 3 volcanoes 8.
Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the earth move and deform. The tharpheezen map illustrated the geological features that characterize the seafloor and became a crucial factor in the acceptance of the theories of plate tectonics and continental drift. Earthguide plate tectonics seafloor spreading animation. Today, the theory of continental drift has been replaced by the science of plate tectonics. It covers the entire section of plate tectonics in the core knowledge sequence. The evidence for tectonic plate motion was radical in the early and midtwentieth century. Continental drift is a theory first presented by abraham ortelius abraham ortels in 1596. In this set of activities, students will learn how earths surface is changed. In 1967, mckenzie and parker suggested the theory of plate tectonics. Bookmark file pdf plates tectonics and continental drift answer key plates tectonics and continental drift answer key continental drift and plate tectonics continental drift and plate tectonics. Together these concepts would become the theory of plate tectonics. Hundreds of millions of years ago, earth looked completely different. According to the theory of continental drift, the world was made up of a single continent through most of geologic time. Earthquakes, faults, hot spots, etc plate tectonics.
This unit in the form of pdf file includes engaging, colorful, informative, visuall. Looking for an easy way to teach continental drift and handson plate tectonics. The difference between continental drift and plate tectonic theory. You will love this simple and tasty earth science demonstration using cake. Continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics. In this theory he observed that the continents appear to fit together with each other like a puzzle. Evidence from fossils, glaciers, and complementary coastlines helps reveal how the plates once fit together. Additional information on plate tectonics and continental drift can be found in bolt. Earthguide plate tectonics seafloor spreading animation source. About 100 years ago, in 1915, wegener proposed his theory of continental drift. Foam model plate tectonics this lesson plan gives students a demonstration to visualize the concept of plate tectonics. Students will examine plate boundaries, continents, and oceans on a globe.
This was the time when reptiles and winged insects first appeared. Fossils tell us when and where plants and animals once existed. Continental drift, seafloor spreading and plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is the theory that explains how large pieces of the earths outermost layer, called tectonic plates, move and change shape. It is made up of thick, interconnecting pieces called tectonic plates that fit together like a puzzle.
Indeed, the notion that the entire earths surface is continually shifting has profoundly changed the way we view our world. Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologist s thought continent s moved over time. This activity is a slight variation on an original activity, discovering plate boundaries, developed by dale sawyer at rice university. Continental drift based on a theory written by a 20th century scientist, alfred wegner, we believe all seven of our continents were once connected. Provide the students with a copy of the plate tectonics cloze activity. Difference between continental drift and plate tectonics. There he argued for the separation of wegeners pangea into the two super continents, laurasia and gondwana. Abstract this is a unit written for sixth grade on plate tectonics. In 1977, after decades of tediously collecting and mapping ocean sonar data, scientists began to see a fairly accurate picture of the seafloor emerge. Plate tectonics should be required reading for all people because we live on a very dynamic planet. Students will examine one method for creating a twodimensional map of a spherical surface. Contindental drift and plate tectonics task cards and activities bundle.
Create a photo collage of at least 6 pictures portraying the theory of plate tectonics. The theory of continental drift is most associated with the scientist alfred wegener. This short video tells wegeners story using animated paper puppets and narrators. He said that all the continents had initially been one big landmass, which he called pangea. Plate tectonics is a theory developed in the late 1960s, to explain how the outer layers of the.
Both divergent and convergent boundaries can lead to volcanoes forming. The concept was independently developed by german geologist alfred wegener in 1912. As with any new theory or discovery, there are those who will resist it and those who embrace it. So whats the difference between continental drift and plate tectonics. But through wegeners persistence, perseverance, and openmindedness to the contributions of others, the theory of continental drift evolved into the widely accepted theory today of plate tectonics. Each lesson is designed using the 5e method of instruction to ensure maximum comprehension by the students.
Modern continents hold clues to their distant past. Fossils, puzzle fit, glacial grooves, rock strata, mountain belts. To learn about the continental drift theory and the evidence that supports it. This unit plan contains lesson plans and resources that are aimed at exploring the year 9 victorian curriculum earth science links. The presentation about plate tectonics is divided into 3 separate discussions. He discovered hundreds of flattopped mountains on the pacific floor. Since the development of the theory, geologists have had to reexamine almost every aspect of. The development of the theory is an excellent example of the cumulative nature of science and the scientifc. In simple terms, what causes the earths tectonic plates to move. A plate tectonic puzzle american museum of natural history. Many in the scientific community of the day criticized it, yet today it is the accepted view by mainstream science.
The theory of plate tectonics was first hypothesized by meteorologist alfred wegner in 1912, though he called it continental drift at the time. Continental drift pangea final pangea plate tectonics. A plate tectonic puzzle evidence for continental drift plate. Answer any questions, then monitor and support the students as they independently complete the worksheet. Continental drift timeline activity sheet continental drift. Additional materials homework lab activity scoring guide exit pass 9. In this series of games, your students will learn about earths geological history, the maps that scientists use to model it, and the evidence that helps them create those maps. The continental drift theory states that the continents were once parts of a supercontinent called pangea. As you watch the animation, record at least three examples of how the continents have changed. Attempt has been made to cover various points on different plate tectonics theories.
Plate tectonics it was from the continental drift theory, convection current theory and the theory of seafloor spreading, the theory of plate tectonics was formulated. You can get many promote and importances of reading. The theory of plate tectonics provides an example of the evolution of scientific thought. Plates are either just continental or just ocean crust. What are the earths crust and upper mantle broken into. The theory of plate tectonics geology lumen learning.
Students will create a model of the earth that they can hold and examine. This lesson plan was adapted from a similar activity by ford, 1994. There is evidence that some old plate fragments may have sunk almost to earths core. The plate tectonics learning objective based on ngss and state standards delivers improved student engagement and academic performance in your classroom, as. That continent eventually separated and drifted apart, forming into the seven. Continental drift theory and modern plate tectonics. In the early 1900s alfred wegener proposed the continents were drifting. This approach is meant to highlight the historical development of the theory of plate tectonics.
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