Warm UpIn complete sentences answer:How could an animal that couldn’t flyor swim cross the ocean?
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Your Goals for TodayWe will be able to explain:
•What continental drift is.
•Why Alfred Wegener’s theory ofcontinental drift was rejected.
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
The Theory of Continental Drift
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Pangaea
•The single landmass that broke apart200 million years ago and gave therise to today’s continents
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Continental Drift
•A hypothesis that the continentsslowly move across Earth’s surface
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Did you know?
2 Observations scientists made:
•A mountain range in South Africa lines upidentical with mountain ranges in Argentina(South America)
•Brazilian coal fields match up identical withcoal fields in South Africa
•WHAT COULD YOU INFER FROM THIS?
•“The evidence ____________ suggests _________because _______”
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
More Observing: Don’t some ofthe coastlines seem to match uplike jig-saw puzzle?“The evidence above suggests _________ because _______”
•The continents of Africaand South America bestmatch up like jigsaw-puzzlepieces
•This suggests that thesecontinents were oncejoined as a single continent,which Wegener calledPangaea.
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Inferring: According to Wegener’stheory, what does the presence ofsimilar mountain ranges in Africaand South America indicate?The similar mountain ranges in Africa and SAsuggest that _______.
•The presence ofsimilar mountainranges indicatesthat Africa andSouth Americawere once joined.
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Evidence From Fossils
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Fossil
•Fossil: A trace of an organism thathas been preserved in rock
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Glossopteris fossils have been found in rocksin Africa, South America, Australia, India,and Antarctica unexpectedlyHOW MIGHT THIS SUPPORT WEGENER’STHEORY?
Answer: Seeds could nothave travel that farover the oceans toreach other continents
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Evidence From Climate
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Some more evidence: Climatediscoveries Wegener cited:
1.The Island of Spitsbergen(Artic Ocean) has evidenceof tropical plants
2.Deep scratches in rockswere found in South Africa
•These scratchessupport evidence ofglaciers
The island of Spitsbergentoday (not so tropical…)
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Checkpoint: What were thethree types of evidenceWegner used to support histheory of continental drift?
•Landforms
•Fossils
•Climate
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Scientists RejectWegener’sTheoryList 5 reasonswhy you mightstill rejectWegener’sTheory
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Why was Alfred Wegener’stheory rejected?
•Wegener could not provide asatisfactory explanation for theforce that pushes or pulls thecontinents
•He could not identify thecause of continental drift
•Geologists needed moreevidence of how thecontinents and mountainswere formed
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Make a Study Guide
Landforms
Fossils
Climate
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Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.
Exit Tickets!
Answer in complete sentences:
1. What was Pangaea?
2. Give 2-3 reasons that Wegener used to justifyhis theory of plate tectonics.
3. Give 2 reasons why Wegener’s theory wasstill rejected, despite his evidence.
Objective: SWBAT explain what continental drift is, what AlfredWegener’s theory of continental drift was, and why it was rejectedrejected.