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Chapter 4: Lesson 1 The Continental Drift Hypothesis

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1 Chapter 4: Lesson 1 The Continental Drift Hypothesis
Make vocab cards/flaps/whatever you like for: Pangaea Continental Drift Make a 4-flap foldable book with 2 pieces of paper.

2 On your foldable… Label “Continental Drift” -Climate Clues -Fossil Clues -Rock Clues -Evidence Against

3 Chapter 4: Lesson 1 The Continental Drift Hypothesis
Nearly 100 years ago Alfred Wegener, a German scientist, proposed that all the continents were once part of a supercontinent called Pangaea. Over time Pangaea began breaking apart, and the continents slowly moved to their present positions Wegener proposed the hypothesis of continental drift, which suggested that continents are in constant motion on the surface of Earth Wegener observed the similarities of continental coastlines now separated by ocean basins

4 Chapter 4: Lesson 1 The Continental Drift Hypothesis
Africa South America

5 The Continental Drift Hypothesis- Climate Clues
Wegener thought that South America, Africa, India, and Australia were closer to Antarctica 280 million years ago, so the climate of the Southern Hemisphere was much cooler at the time. Glaciers covered large areas of these continents, which is similar to the ice sheet that covers Antarctica Wegener studied the sediments deposited by glaciers in these countries, and discovered glacial grooves (deep scratches in rocks made as the glaciers moved across land. The presence of an ice sheet covering Pangaea could explain the glacial features on some continents today.

6 Chapter 4: Lesson 1 The Continental Drift Hypothesis

7 The Continental Drift Hypothesis- Fossil Clues
Animals and plants that live on different continents can be unique to that continent. Fossils from similar organisms have been found on several continents separated by oceans. This indicates that these continents may have been connected in the past. Fossils of a plant called Glossopteris have been discovered in South America, India, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.

8 Chapter 4: Lesson 1 The Continental Drift Hypothesis

9 The Continental Drift Hypothesis- Rock Clues
Wegener observed that mountain ranges and rock formations on different continents had common origins, providing rock evidence for continental drift. Volcanic rock that is identical in chemistry and age has been found on both the western coast of Africa and the eastern coast of South America. The Caledonia mountain range in northern Europe and the Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America are similar in age, structure, and rock type.

10 Chapter 4: Lesson 1 The Continental Drift Hypothesis

11 The Continental Drift Hypothesis- What’s Missing?
Wegener’s ideas were not widely accepted until nearly four decades later. Scientists questioned continental drift because it was a slow process and Wegener could not measure how fast continents moved or how they moved. Scientists could not understand how continents could push their way through the solid rock of the mantle and the seafloor.

12 The Continental Drift Hypothesis Foldable
Fill in your foldable pages with supporting information from your notes. When you are finished, glue your cards, notes, and your foldable into your notebook.

13 Tuesday Warm-Up (MUST BE IN YOUR NB)

14 Lesson 1 MiniLab- 20 Mins How do you use clues to put puzzle pieces together? Using your scissors, cut your paper into at least 12, but not more than 20 irregular pieces. Exchange puzzles with your elbow partner and try to put your new puzzle back together. Reclaim your puzzle and remove 3 pieces. Exchange puzzles with another person and try to put your new incomplete puzzle back together. Answer Questions 1-3 on page 117 of your textbook in your notebook. FINISHED? Do Ch. 4 L. 1 Review (118) in your NB

15 Lesson 1 Review In your notebook, answer 1-8 on page 118. We’ll go over this in a few minutes.

16 Lesson 1 Review Pangaea- name given to a supercontinent that began to break apart approximately 200 million years ago The continental drift hypothesis suggests that continents are in constant motion on the surface of Earth. The scientist that proposed that the continents move away from or toward each other is Alfred Wegener. A. fossils

17 5. South America has moved West, or away from, Africa. 6.
7. There may be similarities in the rock formations and fossils of the Appalachian Mountains and Caledonian Mountains. 8. If continents continue to drift, it is totally possible that a new supercontinent will form. It is possible that Australia could be next to South America and Asia could be next to North America. Map Fossil Clues Continental Drift Climate Clues Rock Clues


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