Building Pangaea
In 1915, Alfred Wegener proposed that all of Earth's continents were once joined in an ancient supercontinent he called Pangaea. Wegener's idea of moving continents led to the modern theory of plate tectonics. Create your own version of Pangaea by fitting Earth's landmasses together like puzzle pieces. Use evidence from fossils, rocks, and glaciers to refine your map.
Launch GizmoBuilding Pangaea
In 1915, Alfred Wegener proposed that all of Earth's continents were once joined in an ancient supercontinent he called Pangaea. Wegener's idea of moving continents led to the modern theory of plate tectonics. Create your own version of Pangaea by fitting Earth's landmasses together like puzzle pieces. Use evidence from fossils, rocks, and glaciers to refine your map.
5 Minute Preview
Use for 5 minutes a day.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Learn the names of major landmasses.
- Explain the theory of continental drift.
- Fit the landmasses together to form an ancient supercontinent called Pangaea.
- Use several types of evidence (fossils, rocks, glaciers) to revise their model of Pangaea.
VOCABULARY:
- continental drift, fossil, glacier, ice age, landmass, Pangaea, supercontinent
LESSON MATERIALS:
FROM OUR COMMUNITY
User Submitted Lesson Materials (showing 5 of 7):
Task Card: Building Pangaea - Glacial Evidence
This task card can be used for remote learning or in class as a small group, a station, or individual act... (more)ivity. In this activity, students will create their own version of Pangaea by fitting Earth's landmasses together like puzzle pieces using glacier evidence.
Best For:
Earth/Space Science
Task Card: Building Pangaea - Fossil Evidence
This task card can be used for remote learning or in class as a small group, a station, or individual act... (more)ivity. In this activity, students will create their own version of Pangaea by fitting Earth's landmasses together like puzzle pieces using fossil evidence.
Best For:
Earth/Space Science
Task Card: Building Pangaea - Rock Evidence
This task card can be used for remote learning or in class as a small group, a station, or individual act... (more)ivity. In this activity, students will create their own version of Pangaea by fitting Earth's landmasses together like puzzle pieces using rock evidence.
Best For:
Earth/Space Science
Task Card: Building Pangaea
This task card can be used for remote learning or in class as a small group, a station, or individual act... (more)ivity. In this activity, students will create their own version of Pangaea by fitting Earth's landmasses together like puzzle pieces.
Best For:
Earth/Space Science
Google Doc of Student Exploration Sheet
In the file, click on the link to make a copy of the Google Doc of the Student Exploration Sheet.
Best For:
3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade Science
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User Recommendations (showing 5 of 8):
Excellent learning resource and the students enjoy learning with this Gizmo
Recommended for: Earth/Space ScienceGizmo User from North Carolina
Excellent reinforcement to use with 6th graders to explain support for Continental Drift Theory.
Recommended for: Earth/Space ScienceGizmo User from New Hampshire
Helps ESL students in particular to understand topic.
Recommended for: Environmental ScienceGizmo User from Ohio
Show Remaining Recommendations (3)