E A RT H S C I E N C E : C H A P T E R 1

C O N TI N E N TAL
D R I FT T H E O RY

B Y : M S PA U L A M A R I E M L L I D O
 ALFRED WEGENER
• German meteorologist;
proposed the Continental
Drift Theory
• Observation: Jigsaw Puzzle
• Continents were once a
one large landmass 200 mya
– PANGAEA
“All earth/land.”
•Hypothesis:
the continents
have moved
slowly to their
current
locations
 EVIDENCE FOR
CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY
Experimentation/ Investigation:
•Rock Formation
•Fossils
•Climate
PA N G E A P U Z Z L E
ACTIVITY
GROUP CLEANERS
10 MINUTES
• You will be piecing together a puzzle of the
supercontinent Pangea based on fossil and rock
evidence on the present day continents.
• 1. On the puzzle pieces handout, assign a color to each
type of fossil or mountain belt in the legend and color
the areas on the landmasses according to the legend.
• 2. Use scissors to cut along the borders of the
continents. These are the
• approximate shape of the continents after Pangea broke
up.
• 3. Place the continents on a piece of construction
paper and move them
• around using the fossil and mountain chain evidence
to match the continents together in the position
they were in when they were part of
• Pangea. The pieces may not fit together exactly!
• 4. When you have assembled Pangea based on the
fossil and rock locations, glue the continents onto
your construction paper in the shape of
• the supercontinent. Glue the legend to your puzzle.
GUIDE
QUESTIONS
1. What is the idea of
continental drift?
2. Which 2 continents have
the most obvious fit of the
coastlines?
3. How were the fossil
symbols and mountain belts
helpful in deciding where
to move the continents?
4. Why don’t the present
shapes of the continents fit
perfectly into a
supercontinent?
5. Which fossil occurs on the
most landmasses? what does
this suggest about when
these par ticular continents
broke up?
 EVIDENCE:
ROCK FORMATION
•US
Appalachian
Mountains
similar to rock in
Greenland and
Europe
EVIDENCE:
FOSSILS
 EVIDENCE: ANIMAL FOSSILS
•Fossils of the reptile Mesosaurus have
been found in South America and Africa.
EVIDENCE: PLANT FOSSILS
•Glossopteris fern -
found on 5 separate
land masses
(Africa, Australia, India,
South America, and
Antarctica).
 EVIDENCE: CLIMATE
•The appearance of Glossopteris plant
on so many different continents also
support Wegener’s idea that were once
connected and had similar climates
Glacial deposits and rock surfaces scoured and
polished by glaciers are found in several land masses.
(South America, Africa, India, and Australia)
IF YOU LIVED
DURING
WEGENER’S TIME,
WILL YOU
BELIEVE HIM?
A CONTROVERSIAL IDEA
WHY?
•“How did the
continents drift
apart?” = REJECTED
•Theory: moved by the
spin of the Earth.
•Not enough evidence
 EXIT SLIP
1. Who was the person who came up with the
hypothesis of Continental Drift?

2. What was the large landmass called?

3. Name three main types of

evidence that supports Continental Drift.

4. Why was the theory controversial in its time?