1. Pick a science word and write the definition.
Bell Work
Pick a science word and write the definition.
Chapter 1 or 7
(Open your book to Pg. 173)

2. Title of Notes: Continental Drift
Pgs. 11 & 12 RS
Goal for Lesson: I can support the Theory of Continental Drift with evidence.
(on your self assessment sheet)

3. - Jonathan Weiner, Planet Earth
Quote
“What we have been pleased to call ‘solid Earth’ is not as solid as we thought. It is energetic, dynamic, and fundamentally restless.”
- Jonathan Weiner, Planet Earth

4. What is a theory? An explanation for a hypothesis and observations that have been supported by testing.

5. Alfred Wegener (1880 – 1930)
German scientist who first proposed the theory of continental drift (1915).

6. In 1906 he made his first expedition to Greenland.
Alfred Wegener was born in Berlin in From an early age he took an interest in Greenland, and always walked, skated, and hiked as though training for an expedition.
In 1906 he made his first expedition to Greenland.
In 1910, Wegener noticed the matching coastlines of the Atlantic continents -- they looked on maps like they had once been fit together.
In 1911, he published a textbook on the thermodynamics of atmosphere, but at the same time he pursued his studies of the continents.
He first spoke on the topic in January of 1912, where he put forth the idea of "continental displacement" or what later was called continental drift.
Alfred Wegener Video

7. What is the Theory of Continental Drift?
The theory that continents can drift apart from one another.

8. He called this landmass Pangaea which is Greek for “All earth.”
Wegener made many observations before establishing his theory.
Wegener believed that all continents were once joined together in a single landmass.
He called this landmass Pangaea which is Greek for “All earth.”

9. The theory of continental drift was inspired partly by the puzzle-like fit of the continents.

10. Discuss with your group!
Can your group think of anything else that supports Wegener’s theory of continental drift?
Be prepared to share an answer!

11. Mesosaurus (a small aquatic reptile) has been found on South America and Africa

12. Glossopteris (Found throughout India, South America, southern Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. Glossopteris was about 12 ft. tall.)

14. Notebook Activity pg. 11 LS
Create a comic strip about the Continental Drift. The comic strip must be four slides long at the least.

15. Harry Hess: 1906 – 1969 Geology professor who discovered sea-floor spreading.

16. What is sea-floor spreading?
The process which new oceanic crust is created as older materials are pulled away.

17. Places where sea-floor spreading takes place.
Mid-ocean ridges
Places where sea-floor spreading takes place.
New crust forms when molten material from the asthenosphere erupts onto the ocean floor through a crack in Earth's crust. The magma solidifies in the valley formed by the crack in the crust and forms a strip of solid rock. This is called the mid-ocean ridge.

18. New crust forms when magma erupts onto the ocean floor.
Mid-ocean ridges
New crust forms when magma erupts onto the ocean floor.
The magma solidifies in the spot formed by the crack and forms solid rock.

19. Oceanic crust bends down and forms a deep-ocean trench.

20. Real-world connection: Mid-Atlantic Ridge
One of the largest mountain chains in the world.
Image Produced by Ocean Mapping Development Center University of Rhode Island
The average water depth at the crest of the ridge is approximately 1.5 miles high / 10k miles high

21. Reading Pg

22. Notebook Activity pg. 12 LS
1. Draw a picture of sea-floor spreading (Label the oceanic crust, magma, and mid-ocean ridge).
2. Include a short description of what it is.