Books in Mission: Science series

German scientist Alfred Wegener was a balloonist, Arctic explorer, and meteorologist, but he is best known for pioneering the study of plate tectonics with his theory of continental drift. In looking at a map, Wegener recognized that the coastlines of several continents fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, leading him to believe that all the continents had once formed a single landmass. He proposed that the landmass split apart because of a force he called continental drift. His theory formed the basis for the modern study of plate tectonics. For more information, read Plate Tectonics, another book in the Mission: Science series.

What was called science in the 1700s was often not scientific. But a Frenchman, Antoine Lavoisier, was a real scientist. He experimented carefully, learned from other scientists, and shared his findings. He discovered important things about chemicals and identified many basic substances, called elements. Lavoisier, known as the founder of modern chemistry, also created the system for naming combinations of elements that scientists still use today. For more information, read Elements, another book in the Mission: Science series.