CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY LESSON PLAN – A

COMPLETE SCIENCE LESSON USING THE 5E

The following post will walk you through each of the steps and activities from the continental drift
theory lesson plan.

ENGAGEMENT
OBJECTIVE INTRODUCTION
At the beginning of the lesson, the class will do a Think-Pair-Share to discuss the objective.

CLASS ACTIVITY
1. Tell students they are going to learn about a scientist named Alfred Wegener. Ask the class if
anyone has heard of him before and in what context. Tell them Wegener discovered a very
important geological theory, but it was not well received during his lifetime.
2. Ask students to watch the video using the provided link, and see if they can determine why the
theory was not well received when it was introduced. Answer: He did not know the force
(convection currents in the mantle) by which the plates moved.

STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. Explain the one piece of evidence that Wegener used to determine Continental Drift was fossil
evidence.
2. Pass around fossils or pictures of fossils. Give them a general understanding of fossils. Fossil
evidence is going to be an important part of their study on Continental Drift.
o Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms from the
remote past.
o Found mostly in sedimentary rock.
o Usually, only hard parts of the plants or animals are fossilized.
3. If your students already have an understanding of fossils, you might want to focus on glacial
evidence. A link is provided with an image showing how glaciers are used as evidence in
Continental Drift.
The teacher will help to clear any misconceptions about the continental drift theory. A major
misconception students have is they do not realize that plates are constantly moving.

Estimated Class Time for the Engagement: 20-30 minutes

EXPLORATION
This student-centered station lab is set up so students can begin to explore continental drift theory.
Four of the stations are considered input stations where students are learning new information about
continental drift theory and four of the stations are output stations where students will be
demonstrating their mastery of the input stations.  Each of the stations is differentiated to challenge
students using a different learning style.  You can read more about how I set up the station labs here.

EXPLORE IT!
Students will be working in pairs to better understand continental drift theory. Students will be given
blank puzzle pieces that they will try to put together in 3 minutes or less. The puzzle pieces relate to
how the continents were once connected together. Students will then read information on a few task
cards before trying to put another puzzle together as well, in 3 minutes or less. The second puzzle will
have “clues” on each piece that will help the students. These clues relate to how Wegener discovered
the possibility of a super-continent.

WATCH IT!
At this station, students will be watching a short SciShow video explaining who Alfred Wegener was
and what his continental drift theory is. Students will then answer questions related to the video and
record their answers on their lab station sheet. For example: What two continents did Alfred Wegener
first look at and wonder if they would fit together like puzzle pieces? We often refer to the super-
continent as Pangaea, but what term did Wegener use? What decade was the continental drift theory
accepted by the scientific community because of the discovery of plate tectonics?

RESEARCH IT!
The research station will allow students to alter time as they watch how plate tectonics, driven by
convection currents, moved the continents apart. Students will fast forward and rewind 225 million
years ago to the present. Once students had enough time to see how the continents were once
connected and can see how they moved apart, they can answer a few research questions that will
strengthen their understanding of continental drift theory.
READ IT!
This station will provide students with a one page reading about the theory of continental drift. In the
reading, students will learn about the evidence that Wegener collected that caused him to believe that
the continents were once connected. There are 4 follow-up questions that the students will answer to
show reading comprehension of the subject.

ASSESS IT!
The assess it station is where students will go to prove mastery over the concepts they learned in the
lab.  The questions are set up in a standardized format with multiple choice answers.  Some
questions include: Which process causes the continents to move? How do fossils of
the Cynognathus, found in Africa and S. America support Wegener’s theory? How were glaciers
involved in the theory of continental drift? Which statement does not support Wegener’s theory of
Continental Drift?
WRITE IT!
Students who can answer open-ended questions about the lab truly understand the concepts that are
being taught.  At this station, the students will be answering three task cards like: Use the map of the
world and explain which continents appear to fit together like puzzle pieces. How did Alfred Wegener
use landforms to help make a case for his theory of continental drift? One thing Wegener was unable
to explain before he died was why the plates moved. We know the reason now. Explain what causes
the plates to move.

ILLUSTRATE IT!
Your visual students will love this station. Students will draw four images that represent each piece of
evidence Wegener used to develop the Continental Drift Theory.

ORGANIZE IT!
The organize it station allows your students to organize which card represents pieces of evidence that
Wegener collected for his continental drift theory.

Estimated Class Time for the Exploration: 1-2, 45 minute class periods

EXPLANATION
The explanation activities will become much more engaging for the class once they have completed
the exploration station lab.  During the explanation piece, the teacher will be clearing up any
misconceptions about continental drift theory with an interactive PowerPoint, anchor charts, and
interactive notebook activities. The continental drift theory lesson includes a PowerPoint with activities
scattered throughout to keep the students engaged.

The students will also be interacting with their journals using INB templates for continental drift theory.
Each INB activity is designed to help students compartmentalize information for a greater
understanding of the concept.  The continental drift theory INB template allows students to focus their
notes on Alfred Wegener, Continental Drift Theory, Pangaea, and the 3 pieces of evidence.

Estimated Class Time for the Exploration: 2-3, 45 minute class periods

ELABORATION
The elaboration section of the 5E method of instruction is intended to give students choice on how
they can prove mastery of the concept.  When students are given choice the ‘buy-in’ is much greater
than when the teacher tells them the project they will have to create.  The elaboration project will
allow students to create a presentation to teach about continental drift theory.
Estimated Class Time for the Elaboration: 2-3, 45 minute class periods (can also be used as an at-
home project)

EVALUATION
The final piece of the 5E model is to evaluate student comprehension.  Included in every 5E lesson is
a homework assignment, assessment, and modified assessment.  Research has shown that
homework needs to be meaningful and applicable to real-world activities in order to be effective.
When possible, I like to give open-ended assessments to truly gauge the student’s comprehension.

Estimated Class Time for the Elaboration: 1, 45 minute class period