Science 10

Science – Grade 10
Quarter 1 – Module 17: Continental Drift Theory
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education Division of Pasig City

Development Team of the Self-Learning Module

Writer: John F. Bautista
Editor: Rosalina B. Piamonte
Reviewer: Jefrey Nual (Technical)
Illustrator:
Layout Artist: Mark Kihm G. Lara
Management Team: Ma. Evalou Concepcion A. Agustin
OIC-Schools Division Superintendent
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Victor M. Javeña EdD
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OIC-Chief, Curriculum Implementation Division

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Librada L. Agon EdD (EPP/TLE/TVL/TVE)

Liza A. Alvarez (Science/STEM/SSP)
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Norlyn D. Conde EdD (MAPEH/SPA/SPS/HOPE/A&D/Sports)
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Perlita M. Ignacio PhD (EsP)
Dulce O. Santos PhD (Kindergarten/MTB-MLE)
Teresita P. Tagulao EdD (Mathematics/ABM)

Printed in the Philippines by Department of Education – Schools Division of

Pasig City
 Science 10
Quarter 1
Self-Learning Module 17
Continental Drift Theory
Introductory Message

For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Earth and Space 10 Module on Continental Drift Theory !

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators from
Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its Officer-In-Charge Schools Division
Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A. Agustin in partnership with the Local
Government of Pasig through its mayor, Honorable Vico Sotto.
The writers utilized the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum using the Most
Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) while overcoming their personal, social,
and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners
as they do the tasks included in the module.
For the learner:

Welcome to the Science for Grade 10 Module on Continental Drift Theory !

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner
is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and
skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning material while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills

that you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson

at hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts

and skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

application of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest - This measures how much you have learned from the
entire module.
 EXPECTATION
It is important to know that the Earth’s crust is broken up into large pieces
called tectonic plates. It is helpful to know that scientist do their best in discussing,
observing and finding evidences of the different continents around the world. As we
travel on learning journey we will fully understand the evidences presented by Alfred
Wegener in his continental drift theory and how it is accepted by scientist over a
period of time. This module will discuss the Continental Drift Theory of Alfred
Wegener.
After the learning sessions, you are expected to:
1. analyze and cite evidences of Wegener’s continental drift theory;
2. discuss the evidences of Wegener’s continental drift theory; and
3. appreciate how continents drifted apart that makes a place and its people protect
the welfare of every continent.

PRETEST
Direction: Read and analyze the following questions and encircle the letter of the
best answer.
1. What name did Wegener give to his proposed single supercontinent?
A. Eurasia B. Gondwanaland C. Laurasia D. Pangaea
2. What is the current comprehensive theory of horizontal crustal movement?
A. Continental Drift C. Rifting
B. Plate Tectonics D. Sea Floor Spreading
3. What does plate tectonic theory predict about the distribution of earthquakes and
volcanoes?
A. They should occur primarily on continents.
B. They should occur primarily in deep ocean basins
C. They should occur primarily along plate boundaries.
D. They should be evenly distributed throughout the Earth.
4. What type(s) of evidence did Wegener use to support his theory?
A. Paleoclimatic oddities such as glacial tills, coral reefs and coal.
B. Distribution of fossil plants and animals.
C. Geographic fit of the continents.
D. All of the above
5. Why do we need to practice social distancing or physical distancing?
A. Keeping space between you and others is one of the best tools we have to
avoid being exposed to this virus.
B. Keeping space would mean you are alone and not sociable to others.
C. Social distancing will help us become closer to others.
D. Avoid the people we don’t like.
 RECAP

In your previous lesson, you have learned the fossil evidences. Can you match
the name of the fossils with its picture? Let’s do it!
Glossopteris Mesosaurus Cynognathus Lystrosaurus

1. 2.

3. 4.

It is good to know that you still remember our previous lesson. Let’s move on.

LESSON
Have you seen a Philippine map? What have you noticed from the pictures?

Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3

What is it about the Philippines that makes it different from the rest of the world?
Well, Filipinos are resilient, in times of calamities and catastrophes, Filipinos
always manage to rise above the challenge. Instead of wallowing, we manage to pick
ourselves up and smile.
 We are going to discuss today are the evidences of Wegener’s Continental drift
theory. Do the pieces of the Earth fit together like a puzzle? See figure below.

Figure 1- Continents of the World

• In 1912, Alfred Wegener, a German

meteorologist; proposed theory that
The
Continents about 200 Million years ago, the
are continents were once a large landmass.
moving! He called it Pangaea means “All Earth”.
Pangaea broke into two smaller
supercontinent called Laurasia and
Gondwanaland.
• Gondwanaland is composed of Africa,
Antartica, South America, Australia and
Figure 2- Alfred Wegener
the subcontinent of India.
• Laurasia is composed of Asia, North
America and Europe.
• But geologists soundly denounced
Wegener's theory of continental drift
after he published the details in a 1915
book called "The Origin of Continents
and Oceans." Part of the opposition was
Figure 3- Pangaea because Wegener didn't have a good
model to explain how the continents
moved apart.
• Wegener was not the first to notice this
puzzle-like fit of the continents
(Magellan and other early explorers also
noticed this on their maps), but he was
one of the first to realize that the Earth's
surface has changed through time, and
that continents that are separated now
Figure 4- Supercontinents
may have been joined together at one
point in the past.
• Alfred Wegener became the “father of
continental drift” by amassing
considerable supporting evidence that
the continents moved over time.
Wegener’s Conclusions:
 Figure 5- Laurasia and 1. That the continents were once
Gondwanaland joined. Therefore, they must have
moved apart over time.
2. Contracting Earth theory was not
consistent with the facts.

These are the evidences of the Continental Drift Theory.

First Evidence: The jigsaw fit of the Second Evidence: Presence of similar
outline of the continental margins. fossils.
• Frances Bacon (1620): while • Similar fossils of plants and animals
reviewing the first maps of the were found on the east coast of South
coastlines of Africa and South America and in the west coast of some
America noted that the outlines of parts in Africa
the continents appear as if they • Examples: Mesosaurus,
could fit together. Cynognathus, Lystrosaurus and
• This “jigsaw” fit of continental Glossopteris
margins is best when the outline is
the edges of the continental shelves.

Third Evidence: Rock and mountain Fourth Evidence: Ancient Climate

correlation. Patterns
• Identical rocks and mountain • Fossils of tropical plants (coal
structures have been found on deposits) were also found in the Arctic
their side of the ocean. and Antarctic polar regions.
• There were also glacial patterns found
on mountain walls or rock formations
in tropical countries.

The evidences show and as years passed, more and more evidence was
uncovered to support the idea that the plates move constantly over geologic time.

ACTIVITIES
Let us try to answer the following activities.

Activity 17-A
Box me in!
Learning Competency: Cite other proofs of continental drift theory. S10ES –Ia-j-
36.6.2
A. Supply the missing letters:
1. [Link] is a large landmass or
P G supercontinent.
[Link] is composed of Asia, North America
2. and Europe.
L A [Link] is composed of Africa, Antarctica,
3. South America, Australia and the
G W D subcontinent of India.
[Link] is the father of continental drift.
4.
5. It is a continental margins that is
A D W R
best when the outline is the edges of
5. the continental shelves.
J S F

Just like what Alfred Wegener taught of a continental drift, our country
Philippines is composed of islands. Let us explore in this activity the three islands of
the Philippines.

Luzon, Visayas , Mindanao: The three Island Groups of the Philippines

[Link]
island-groups-of-the-philippines/

B. Direction: Supply the missing words on the blank on each paragraph.

Choices:
7,000 islands Mindanao Visayas Kalusunan
Northern Luzon Borneo Islam Religion Central Luzon
Southern Luzon Ferdinand Magellan Sinulog Boracay
Cebu City National Capital Region Luzon

While there are more than (1)_________ in the Philippines, only 2,000
islands are said to be inhabited. Each inhabitable island falls under the
country’s main island groups — whether (2)________, (3)________, or
(4)__________. These regions are not only subdivided for geographical
purposes, but one will notice that there are distinct characteristics,
customs, languages in each island group.
 Luzon, which was coined after the Tagalog word (5)__________ (which
means northern part), is the country’s largest island. Hence, it’s expected to
have the greatest population among the three island groups. Having an area
of 42,458 square miles, Luzon is further subdivided into four major areas —
(6)__________, (7)__________, (8)__________, and the (9)_____________, which is
the country’s center of economic, social, cultural, and financial development.

Between the regions of Luzon and Mindanao, there lies the small,
scattered islands comprising Visayas — the smallest region in terms of land
area. The island group of Visayas plays an important role in Philippine
History as (10)________________ discovered the country during his
expedition which led him to one of its small islands — Samar. According to
historians, the word Visayas was named after the powerful Malayan
Srivijaya Empire, which ruled over some of the Visayan islands.
Apart from its rich history, Visayas is also famous for widely
celebrated cultural events such as the Dinagyang, Ati-atihan,
and (11)__________ festivals which are in honor of religious traditions. Both
local and foreign tourists also head over to the Visayas region to visit the
white-sand beaches of (12)__________, Chocolate Hills in Bohol, and see
whale sharks in (13)____________. In this region, the three major languages
are Cebuano, Waray, and Hiligaynon.

Mindanao, the second largest among the three islands and the
southernmost part of the Philippines, is a main contributor of the country’s
GDP in terms of agriculture, fishing, forestry, etc. Majority of Filipino Muslims
live in this island group, particularly in the Autonomous Region for Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM). Because it is near the island of (14)______________,
historians mentioned that Sultans of Mindanao became acquainted with the
leaders of Borneo who introduced them to the (15) __________________.

Now, you are aware of the three islands in the Philippines. Let’s keep on
learning!
 Congratulations for answering the questions well. Keep up the good work! Let
us proceed to the next activity.
Activity 17-B
Let’s Climb Up!

Direction: Arrange the following evidences of

Continental Drift Theory. Select two(2) bullet
sentences from the choices and put it in the box.
• Ancient Climate Patterns
• Jigsaw fit of continental margins is best when
the outline is the edges of the continental
shelves.
• Presence of similar fossils
• Rock and mountain correlation.
• There were also glacial patterns found on
mountain walls or rock formations in tropical
countries.
• Jigsaw Fit of the continental margins
• Similar fossils of plants and animals were
found on the east coast of South America and
in the west coast of some parts in Africa.
4.__________ • Identical rocks and mountain structures have
___________ been found on their side of the ocean.

3.__________
____________

2.__________
____________

1.__________
Evidences of Continental ____________
Drift Theory

Alfred
WRAP–UP Wegener

Let’s summarize what we have learned on the continental drift theory.

Complete the diagram using the fishbone. Write the evidences of the Continental
Drift Theory.
 Wegener’s Conclusion
Evidence: Evidence:
1.
1. 2.

CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY

Alfred
Wegener

Evidence: Evidence: Wegener’s Conclusion

3. 4. 2.

VALUING

Just like the different continents of the world, we experienced to be separated

from the people around us to protect us from the pandemic “virus” that may cause
our health to suffer. We are protecting ourselves and others from the spread of the
disease, so as one measure to avoid the spread of the virus we do social distancing.
What is social distancing?

[Link]

Social distancing, also called “physical distancing,” means keeping space

between yourself and other people outside of your home. To practice social or
physical distancing:
• Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people
• Do not gather in groups
• Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings
In addition to every steps to prevent Covid-19, keeping space between you and
others is one of the best tools we have to avoid being exposed to this virus and slowing
its spread locally and across the country and world.
 Limit close contact with others outside your household in indoor and outdoor
spaces. Since people can spread the virus before they know they are sick, it is
important to stay away from others when possible, even if you- or they- have no
symptoms. Social distancing is especially important for people who are at higher
risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Activity 17-C
Word Hunt!
Circle the words that you find in the word search. (Hint: cross out the list of words
as you find them.)
Virus corona continent
Illness crowd jigsaw
Distancing prevent Pangaea
Health spread Covid

H I V A R G L C O S T P
E L I D C N E O A T Y A
A L R L M I N R H A E N
L N U M E C X O A K O G
T E S F E N E N W G V A
H S G E L A Q A S T Y E
H S C O N T I N E N T A
V Q E L M S P R E A D C
W D C O V I D E I L N F
Q C R O W D X E I Y S A
P R E V E N T K L Y U I
S D G E D S J I G S A W
Congratulations for a job well done!

POSTTEST

Direction: Read and analyze the following questions and encircle the letter of the
best answer.
[Link] 1620, he noted the first maps of the coastlines of Africa and South America
noted that the outlines of the continents appear as if they could fit together.
A. Alfred Wegener C. Frances Facet
B. Frances Bacon D. Harry Hess
2. Pangaea broke into two smaller supercontinent called _________ and ________.
A. Asia and Africa C. Gondwanaland and Laurasia
B. Eurasia and Laurasia D. South Africa and South America
3. What type(s) of evidence did Wegener use to support his theory?
A. Distribution of fossil plants and animals.
B. Geographic fit of the continents.
 Activity 17-C
H I V A R G L C O S T P
E L I D C N E O A T Y A
A L R L M I N R H A E N
L N U M E C X O A K O G
T E S F E N E N W G V A
H S G E L A Q A S T Y E
H S C O N T I N E N T A
V Q E L M S P R E A D C
W D C O V I D E I L N F
Q C R O W D X E I Y S A
P R E V E N T K L Y U I
S D G E D S J I G S A W
13. Cebu City
[Link] What's More Matching
[Link] Religion Activity 17-A [Link]
Wrap up [Link] 2. glossopteris
1. Jigsaw Fit 2. Laurasia 3. lystrosaurus
2. Presence of similar 3. Gondwanaland 4. mesosaurus
fossils 4. Alfred Wegener
3. Rock and mountain 5. Jigsaw Fit Pre- test
correlation B.
1. D
4. Ancient Climate 1.7,000 islands
2. A
Pattern 2. Luzon
3. C
5. That the continents 3. Visayas
4. D
were once joined. 4. Mindanao
5. A
Therefore, they must 5. Kalusunan
have moved apart over 6. Northern Luzon
Post-test
time. 7. National Capital Region
1.B
[Link] Luzon
6. Contracting Earth 2.C
9. Southern Luzon
theory was not 3. D
10. Ferdinand Magellan
consistent with the 4. A
11. Sinulog
facts. 5. A
12. Boracay
KEY TO CORRECTION
C. Avoid the people we don’t like.
D. Social distancing will help us become closer to others.
B. Keeping space would mean you are alone and not sociable to others.
avoid being exposed to this virus.
A. Keeping space between you and others is one of the best tools we have to
5. Why do we need to practice social distancing or physical distancing?
D. He did not arrive at the conclusion.
C. There is a consistent explanation of his findings.
B. He does not explain his ideas to them.
A. He conceived the idea that the continents were moving at a very fast rate.
4. Why does Wegener’s ideas on the continental drift was first rejected by scientist?
D. All of the above
C. Ancient climate pattern.
 tropical countries.
• There were also glacial patterns found on mountain walls or rock formations in
4. Ancient Climate Patterns
ocean.
• Identical rocks and mountain structures have been found on their side of the
3. Rock and mountain correlation.
America and in the west coast of some parts in Africa.
• Similar fossils of plants and animals were found on the east coast of South
2. Presence of similar fossils.
continental shelves.
Jigsaw fit of continental margins is best when the outline is the edges of the
[Link] Fit of the continental margins.
Activity 17-B

REFERENCES
Google images
Philippine Map
[Link]
_Provinces_and_Regions.png
Filipino culture (Picture 2 and 3)
[Link]
796621973).jpg
[Link]
Figure 1- Continents of the world
[Link]
Figure 2- Alfred Wegener
[Link]
Figure 3- Pangaea
[Link]
Figure 4- Supercontinents
[Link]
Figure 5- Laurasia and Gondwanaland
[Link]
Illustrations on the evidences of continental drift theory: Map of Continents,
Fossils (Mesosaurus, Cynognathus, Glossopteris, Lystrosausus)
[Link]
Links:

Luzon, Visayas , Mindanao: The three Island Groups of the Philippines

[Link]
island-groups-of-the-philippines/
Plate Tectonics, Continental Drift Theory
[Link]
Wegener/Fossil-Evidence-from-the-Southern-Hemisphere
Continental Drift Theory
[Link]
Social distancing
[Link]
Professor Sean Tvelia Suffolk, This Old Earth, Geology resources for students and teachers
[Link]
The Geological Society, Plate Tectonics
[Link]
Wegener/Glacial-Deposits-from-Permo-Carboniferous-Glaciation
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

_____________ELINETTE B. DELA CRUZ______________

Project Development Officer II
(LRMS)

____________________Mark Kihm G. Lara____________________

Lay-out Artist

__________________ANNIEDEL F. SINDAC_________________
Video/ PowerPoint Presenter

____________________LIZA A. ALVAREZ ___________________

Video/ PowerPoint Editor

____________________ROSALINA B. PIAMONTE ______________

Video/ PowerPoint Reviewer

_____________________RUBIANN G. SALEN__________________
School Subject Coordinator

_________________DR. LORNA C. RODRIGUEZ ______________

Nagpayong High School
School Head

____________________DR. SOFIA J. PAPIO____________________

Public Schools District Supervisor