CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Wegener and the Continental Drift Hypothesis
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift was refined.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Continental Drift: What's the Big Idea?
Students learn how the theory that explains the position of Earth's continents was established and later modified.
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Plate Tectonics: The Origin of Plate Tectonic Theory
Discover Alfred Wegner's ideas relating to continental drift and seafloor spreading which are both evidence to the concept of plate tectonics.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Pangaea Pop Up
Michael Molina discusses the catalysts and consequences of continental drift. [4:25]
Science Struck
Science Struck: Theory of Plate Tectonics
A detailed discussion of plate tectonics. Looks at continental drift, types of tectonic plates and plate boundaries, and primary and secondary tectonic plates.
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Earth Science: Plate Tectonics I: Geologic Revolution
Instructional module focusing on the development of plate tectonic theory. Discussion includes the evidence of Pangaea, and the processes of seafloor topography and seafloor spreading. Site also includes an interactive practice quiz and...
Read Works
Read Works: Earth Science Pangaea
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about Pangaea, the one continent that became the current seven continents. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: The Great Continental Drift Mystery
A unit on plate tectonics designed for middle school young scholars, this page must be read carefully to find the activities to be done in the class, but it provides a wealth of background for the teacher as well.
Other
Paleomap Project
Virtual reality animation map showing continental drift from 200mya to the present. The animation map is small but effective in showing the positions of the land masses.
Other
Paleomap Project: Earth History
The PALEOMAP Project illustrates the plate tectonic development of the ocean basins and continents, as well as the changing distribution of land and sea during the past 1100 million years. Includes virtual 3D paeloglobes.
Enchanted Learning
Enchanted Learning: All About Plate Tectonics
Simple discussion of plate tectonics and Pangaea. Includes maps and interactives.
![Libre Text: Historical Perspective [Of Plate Tectonics] eBook](https://content.lessonplanet.com/knovation/original/234103-98d4b1b1275bce5d294f078f4912dc14.jpg?1661815153 "Libre Text: Historical Perspective [Of Plate Tectonics] eBook")
Libre Text
Libre Text: Historical Perspective [Of Plate Tectonics]
Read here about the historical perspective of plate tectonics.
University of California
Ucmp: Wegener (1880 1930)
Complete biographical information with links to his theories. Contains links to interactives on plate tectonics.
Other
Rockhounding Arkansas: Your Fault, My Fault, and the New Madrid Fault
Text and diagrams regarding tectonic forces, the new Madrid Fault, and earthquakes.
Other
Nevada Seismological Laboratory: Plate Tectonics, the Cause of Earthquakes
This site contains an in-depth explanation of the causes of earthquakes as they relate to plate tectonics, and also has many nice and easy to read pictures, maps, and diagrams of plate tectonics and earthquakes.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: The Earth's Plates
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart introduces students to the theory of plate tectonics. Continental drift theory and Pangaea are also discussed.
Other
Pangea: Alfred L. Wegener Biography
Two biographies of Wegener and his work including his theory on how raindrops form.
University of California
Ucmp: Plate Tectonics
Provides hyperlinks to the history behind and the mechanisms driving plate tectonics. Be sure to click on the globe icons for animations of plate tectonics.
Other
Plate Tectonic Theory [Pdf]
Check out this slideshow on Plate Tectonics-The unifying theory for all other theories in the Earth sciences-Has resulted in a more detailed understanding of Earth history-Has enabled geologists to more precisely(and cheaply) discover...
PBS
Mountain Maker Earth Shaker
This resource gives an introduction to the theory of plate tectonics. It also has animations of four types of plate boundary interactions (convergent, divergent, transforming, collisional).
US Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey: Alfred Lothar Wegner
This site from the United States Geological Survey provides a description of the scientist and his accomplishments.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How North America Got Its Shape
Peter J. Haproff explains how it took millions of years and some incredible plate tectonics to forge the continent we know today. [4:57]
Soft Schools
Soft Schools: Plate Tectonics Quiz
The internal and external processes of Earth are related through the movement of Earth's plates, called Plate Tectonics. Find out how much you know about Plate Tectonics by taking this quiz.
Other
Hartao: An Introduction to Plate Tectonics
Introduces South African Alexander Toit as naming Gondwanaland and Laurasia.