The continental drift

• Engels
• Voortgezet speciaal onderwijs
• Leerroute 2

Continental drift

Who was Alfred Wegener, and what was Pangea?

By the end of this lesson you:

- can write an informal letter

- know the difference between the past simple and the present perfect

- explain Alfred Wegener's theory in basic English

Read the following text and answer some questions

The text on the next slide is about the continental drift.

www.nationalgeographic.org

What did Alfred Wegener explain in his paper?

1. Plate tectonics
2. What formed the Atlantic Ocean
3. The theory that landmasses drift across the Earth
4. He made a movie about a mammoth and a sloth in the ice age.

What is Pangea?

1. The final missing continent
2. An island in the Atlantic Ocean
3. That's how German people say 'continent'
4. One large landmass that used to exist

When did Pangea exist?

1. 240 years ago
2. 240 million years ago
3. 600 million years ago
4. It still exists

Why didn't scientists believe Alfred Wegener?

1. Because they couldn't figure out how it worked
2. Because Alfred's father owned an orphanage
3. Because Alfred believed the Earth was flat
4. Because Alfred used to be a bit crazy

Are continents still moving?

1. Yes
2. No

Alfred Wegener

The story of Alfred Wegener

Alfred Wegener was a German scientist who believed that all the continents used to connect, forming one big continent. He claimed that the continents were slowly drifting around. He called it the continental drift.

Other scientists made fun of him because they did not believe that the enormous landmasses were capable of moving.

After Alfred died during an expedition in Greenland, scientists found out about plate movement and that Alfred's theory was in fact correct. 

Now watch the video on the next slide.

Write a letter

What would you tell Alfred Wegener if you were able to talk to him, knowing what you know now?

Write a letter to Alfred using the format in Google Classroom, tell him

- What scientist have discovered after he died

- How you feel about him not getting any credit for it

- What the scientist should have done when Alfred was still alive

- What you would have done in his position

Done?

Don't forget to add your letter to your WordPress portfolio!

Did you meet today's goals?