Learner Resource 2 A card sort with a difference – As early as 1620 Francis Bacon noticed the similarities Coastlines of the Earth’s major continents appear to fit between the east coast of South America and the west together like a jigsaw. coast of Africa. Rocks of similar age (i.e. Silurian and Carboniferous), The continents have remained fixed in position since form, structure and type were found to match in South the time of their formation early in the history of the America and Africa. These continents now, of course, earth, and the oceans are permanent features. are separated from each other. Continents move because of the gravitational Similar species of plants and animals had been found attraction exerted by the The earth’s equatorial bulge. on continents far away from each other e.g. the fossils westward movements are related to the differential of the Mesosaurus (a small reptile which lived in attractions of the moon and the sun on the continents. shallow fresh water) were found in both South Africa Tidal friction acts like a brake on the rotating earth and and Brazil. There is no evidence that it swam the as the effect on parts that stick out is greater than that km distance so the probable conclusion is that on lower levels of the crust the continents tend to lag the two similar coastal formations were once one. behind.
Learner Resource 2 A card sort – with a difference As early as 1620 Francis Bacon noticed the similarities between the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa. Coastlines of the Earth’s major continents appear to fit together like a jigsaw. The continents have remained fixed in position since the time of their formation early in the history of the earth, and the oceans are permanent features. Rocks of similar age (i.e. Silurian and Carboniferous), form, structure and type were found to match in South America and Africa. These continents now, of course, are separated from each other. Similar species of plants and animals had been found on continents far away from each other e.g. the fossils of the Mesosaurus (a small reptile which lived in shallow fresh water) were found in both South Africa and Brazil. There is no evidence that it swam the km distance so the probable conclusion is that the two similar coastal formations were once one. Continents move because of the gravitational attraction exerted by the earth’s equatorial bulge. The westward movements are related to the differential attractions of the moon and the sun on the continents. Tidal friction acts like a brake on the rotating earth and as the effect on parts that stick out is greater than that on lower levels of the crust the continents tend to lag behind.
123-413380-lr2-card-sort--v2.docx