2. Alfred Wegener and Plate Tectonics

Activity 1 - What on Earth?!

Activity Tasks

How many features of the physical world can you remember? Be ready for a quick quiz from your teacher!
1. What are the seven continents?
2. What are the five oceans?
3. What are the three biggest mountain ranges?
4. What are the three longest rivers?
Has the Earth always looked like this? Would these labels have been the same 270 million years ago?

Activity 2 - Who was Alfred Wegener?

Activity Tasks

Who was Alfred Wegener? Watch the video and read this short biography of his life to find out more before answering these questions:
1. Alfred Wegener was a meteorologist. What is meteorology?
2. What evidence did he have for his theory of Continental Drift?
3. Why did people oppose his theory? Think about the claim testers we have used previously: evidence; logic; authority; intuition; faith
4. When did his ideas finally become accepted?

Activity 3 - What did he claim?

Activity Tasks

In pairs, label the continents on your worksheets and then colour the fossil areas to match this key.
Carefully cut-out each of the continents along the edge of the continental shelf (the outmost dark line).
Try to logically piece the continents together so that they form a giant supercontinent. Use Wegener's fossil evidence to place them in the correct positions.
When you are satisfied with the 'fit' of the continents, glue the land masses down in your books.

Activity 4 - What was the reaction?

Activity Tasks
Your teacher will give you a number between 1-2. Number 1's should complete question 1 here, Number 2's complete question 2. Write your paragraphs in your books. Your teacher may ask you to read out your paragraphs!

Imagine you are Alfred Wegener. Write a one-paragraph statement to summarize your work. Your summary must include descriptions on:
1. What your map shows about the Earth 225 million years ago (What does the map show?)
2. How the fossil evidence helped you to put the landmasses together (What was your process?)
3. Why the fossil evidence is good (Why do you think your map is a good one?)
Imagine you are a skeptic of Alfred Wegener. Write a one-paragraph statement to criticize his work.
Your criticism must included challenges about:
1. Why the continents could NOT possibly move the way Wegener is describing
2. How the fossils could naturally be located in the places Wegener found them, without the
  continents moving
3. Why Wegener is not qualified to be proposing theories in the fields of geology and Earth history

Activity 5 - When was the claim accepted?

Activity Tasks
When Alfred Wegener proposed his theory of plate tectonics, the rest of the scientific community dismissed his claims. This task asks you to consider why they did this and to ask when and why his claim was finally accepted:

Just as you did when evaluating the claim of 'spontaneous generation' in the last lesson, complete this claim testing worksheet for the theory of plate tectonics. Imagine you had just heard about the theory. Consider whether the theory passes the four tests.
Now watch this video (-->). Making a note of the ways in which his claim was strengthened after his death.
When and why was the theory of plate tectonics finally accepted? Write a paragraph answer, referring back to the four claim testers in your answer.