Title Page 8:Continental Drift
Warm-up
1. Make sure that your
layers of the earth
foldable is complete.
2. In which specific layer
does convection
occur?
3. How does this affect
Earth’s surface?
Lithosphere-the
uppermost part of the
mantle and the crust
(rocky/solid)
Asthenosphere-the
middle mantle
Moves like hot tar
Pangaea
• Long ago, all the Earth’s
continents were just
one giant continent
• This giant landmass that
broke into our present
day continents is called
PANGAEA
Continental Drift
• The theory that the
continents moved
across the Earth’s
surface
• Theory of Alfred
Wegener
• Very very very slow
• Inches a year
Have You Ever Noticed How Certain
Continents Seem to Fit Together?
• Look at this picture of the world. Which
continents do you think look like they could fit
together?
•Color the 4 different
areas, 4 different colors
•They do not have to be
the same color.
•Cut out each of the
tectonic plates
•Try to fit them
together like a puzzle,
matching the colors
Glue on pg. 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyT8Xs6Ab-k
Page A-14-A15 YELLOW
Evidence of Continental Drift (bottom of pg. 8)
Evidence Description
Fossils
Climate
Geology
Wegener found the same fossil from the same
animal in two separate continents. This indicated
that the continents were once connected.
There were tropical plant fossils found in
Antarctica, and fossils of ice sheets found in
Africa, indicating major climate changes
The same rock formations were found in North
America and Europe, and South America and Africa
suggesting the mountains split apart.