Curated OER
The Curious Case of Mesosaurus
In this Mesosaurus worksheet, students read 2 short paragraphs about the distribution of the fossils found of this ancient reptile. Students answer 5 questions about Wegener's Theory of continental drift and how it possibly relates to...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics Vocabulary
In this plate tectonics learning exercise, students match 9 terms with their definitions. Topics include the types of boundaries, the layers of the Earth's crust, plate tectonics and continental drift.
Curated OER
Before Pangaea, Rodinia
In this Pangaea and Rodinia learning exercise, students complete 16 sentences about Wegener's theory of continental drift, the meaning of Pangaea, and why people rejected the theory of continental drift.
Curated OER
Bellwork for Week 8-Continental Drift and Fossils
In this continental drift and fossils instructional activity, students complete a puzzle of the continents and they answer questions about fossils, the layers of the earth's crust, Wegener's continental drift theory and the major plates.
Curated OER
Scientists Discover Giant Frog Fossil
Students examine a world map and read a news article about the discovery of a giant frog fossil. In this earth science and current event instructional activity, the teacher introduces an article with a discussion about continental drift...
Curated OER
Continental Drift Lab
In this continental drift worksheet, students cut out the continents and paste them together to make Pangaea. They answer ten questions about continental drift and the results of the continents moving.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics Study Guide
In this plate tectonics worksheet, students answer questions about plate tectonics including topics such as the lithosphere, the asthenosphere, rising and sinking convection currents, continental drift and the types of boundaries.
Curated OER
Frogs Frogs Frogs
Students view a disk on the continental movement and analyze the given data on fossils, rock types and climate zones. In this geology lesson students draw a diagram of the earths layers, take a quiz complete a PowerPoint presentation.
Curated OER
The Moving Continents from Pangaea to the Future
Eighth graders examine how the movements of the Earth contribute to fossil distribution. In this fossils lesson students make maps of the placement of the continents.
Curated OER
Fossil Evidence for Plate Tectonics
Students draw maps of counties that were important to the discovery of plate tectonic theory. In this plate tectonics lesson students excavate constructed fossil sites from matching coastlines and discuss the possible explanations...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
Students watch a video about plate tectonics. in this Earth Science lesson plan, students watch a video clip from Bill Nye about Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics. They make a slight crack in a hard boiled egg and manipulate the egg...
Curated OER
Bellwork for Week 9-Earthquakes and Continental Drift
For this earthquake and continental drift worksheet, students answer five questions about continental drift, seismic waves and earthquake safety.
Curated OER
Seafloor Spreading
In this seafloor spreading worksheet, students find mistakes in statements that are descriptive of seafloor spreading. Students correct the given sentences to make a true statement.
Curated OER
Earthquakes and Volcanoes
In this geology worksheet, 10th graders locate thirty-six terms about earthquakes and volcanoes in a word search. Answers to the word search are available in various formats.
Curated OER
Sonar Mapping
Young scholars use a shoe box to create a seafloor model and use cardboard for layering inside of the shoe box to simulate the ocean floor. They probe the ocean floor to simulate sonar echoes. Finally, students graph their data to get...
Curated OER
Drifting Continents
Students, through teacher-led demonstration, explore the idea of continental drift. They complete a worksheet involving the calculation of continental drift over time.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics: Recycling the Seafloor
Students classify earth's layers and plates using Ocean Seismicity data. In this plate tectonics lesson, students outline where the plate boundaries are on the world map. They then compare these predicted boundaries with USGS map of the...
Curated OER
Mapping Dinosaurs in Place and Time
Third graders study the continents that specific dinosaurs lived on. They compare the continent's location and climate when dinosaurs live there with its current location.
Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology
Where Will Your Home Be in a Million Years?
Students will use the global velocities map to predict where their home will be in a million years.
Indiana University
Indiana University: Evolution of Continents and Oceans
A course lecture on how the Earth's geological features have evolved through the movements of tectonic plates. Explains the different types of plate boundaries and how they manifest in geological formations. Also describes the structure...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Mountain Maker, Earth Shaker
This interactive activity adapted from A Science Odyssey Web site helps you visualize different types of plate tectonic activity and shows the impact this activity has on Earth's surface.
PBS
A Science Odyssey: You Try It: Plate Tectonics
Using your computer mouse you can simulate transforming, collisional, divergent and convergent plate boundaries. Descriptions of each plate boundary are also available.
University of California
Ucmp: Wegener (1880 1930)
Complete biographical information with links to his theories. Contains links to interactives on plate tectonics.
Story Behind the Science
Story Behind the Science: Development of a Mechanism for Continental Drift [Pdf]
Article describing the history of scientific theories about continental drift, and the major researchers involved in this work.