1. DO NOW You need your Chromebook for class
Take out your activity worksheets and prepare for class discussion
Making Observations and Asking Questions (I notice, I wonder) for video clip: The Continent Fit of Africa and South America
Wegener Evidence Activity
Earth: 220 Million Years Ago Pangea simulation
Login to Schoology and open the Earth’s Interaction Summary Table assignment.
Make a copy of the Activity Summary Table

2. Continental Drift
I can review my initial learning about continental drift and identify key concepts from the associated activities.
I know I am successful when I …
Review
Making Observations and Asking Questions (I notice, I wonder) activity
Wegener Evidence activity
Earth: 220 Million Years Ago Pangea simulation
Share out and discuss learning from activities
Self-evaluate and correct/add to answers
Complete Activity Summary Table

3. The Continent Fit of Africa
and South America
Anchoring phenomenon
What did we observe/notice?

4. Wegener’s Evidence Activity
What did we observe/notice?
Continent shape – fit together like puzzle pieces
Same fossils found on east coast of S.A. and west coast of Africa
Geologist found rocks of identical type and same approximate age on coastlines of South America and Africa

5. Wegener’s Evidence Activity
What have we figured out?
Continents were once connected
How does this relate to the phenomenon?
Evidence that supports that South America and Africa were once connected
Questions/Wonderings?
Driving Question Board

6. Earth: 220 Million Years Ago
What did we observe/notice?
Continents’ shape has changed over time
Different continents have similar
Reptile fossils
Tropical plant fossils
Folded rock belts
Rocks from mountain ranges (Appalachian)
Evidence of glaciation

7. Earth: 220 Million Years Ago
What have we figured out?
Fossil evidence:
Presence of the reptile Mesosaurus fossils in both South America and Africa.
Mesosaurus lived in fresh water and on land making it very unlikely that it swam the ocean distance between South America and Africa. This gives evidence that South America and Africa were once connected.
Presence of Glossopteris fossils in Africa, India, South America, and Antarctica.
The fern fossil Glossopteris once flourished in warm tropical climates. Since the fossil was found in so many isolated places it provides evidence that these areas were once connected and experienced the same climate. It is very unlikely that the same plant originated in so many places independently and unlikely that spores from the fern could be carried across ocean distances.

8. Earth: 220 Million Years Ago
What have we figured out?
Glacial deposits and grooved bedrock:
Evidence of glacial deposits and grooved bedrock have been found in parts of South America, Africa, India, and Australia suggesting that these areas were once connected and covered by glaciers.
Radiometric dating:
Radiometric dating has shown rocks of similar age on the northwestern African coastline and near the center of the eastern South American coastline.

9. Earth: 220 Million Years Ago
What have we figured out?
Parts of the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern North America are similar to mountains found in Greenland and Western Europe.
Similar folded rock belts can be found on the southeastern coast of South America as well as the southwestern coast of Africa.

10. Earth: 220 Million Years Ago
How does this relate to the phenomenon?
Abundant evidence that supports the continents, in addition to South America and Africa, were once connected, were not in their present location, and that the shape of the continents have changed.
Questions/Wonderings?

11. Earth: 220 Million Years Ago
How do you think Wegener’s background as a climatologist contributed to his hypothesis that the continents were once joined?
Climate is defined by long-term weather patterns and types of plant life. Areas that have similar climates will experience similar weather patterns and erosion patterns along with similar plant fossils.
Knowledge of this information helped him make connections to the location of the continents.

12. Earth: 220 Million Years Ago
How would you explain the presence of coal in Antarctica?

13. Earth: 220 Million Years Ago
Since coal is formed from tropical swamp plants that were buried and compacted millions of years ago, the presence of coal in Antarctica means that Antarctica was once covered with tropical plants and must have had a climate to sustain tropical plants millions of years ago. The most likely explanation for this is that the continent was once located more near the equator than its present location at the South Pole.

14. Continental Drift Or Was It….
Scrat Continental Drift
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Submit assignment

15. Continental Drift A Science Sisters Production
References
Blue Marble [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2018, from
Pangea Continental Drift [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2018, from
(n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2018, from
Continental Drift
A Science Sisters
Production