This assignment is used in an introductory historical geology class primarily for non-majors, but it is also required for geology majors.

This activity occurs near the end of the semester during our discussion of the Mesozoic. By this time the students have a good understanding of how scientists learn about the geologic past and how organisms have evolved over time. Before this activity the students are introduced to dinosaur evolution and the idea that dinosaurs are the ancestors of birds. I briefly introduce the two hypotheses for how flight developed in birds before we watch the video.

This is a stand-alone exercise that begins in class with a Nova documentary presentation and concludes as a homework assignment. There is also a follow-up discussion in class.

The primary goal is to understand the development of flight in birds. On a larger scale, this assignment helps students understand evolution in general.

Students must synthesize the information presented in the documentary and critically evaluate two competing hypothesis.

This assignment should help students improve their writing skills.

For this actiivty the students will watch a Nova documentary called "The Four-Winged Dinosaur." The documentary follows two teams of scientists as they create replicas of microraptor, a dinosaur with four feathered wings, in an attempt to determine how flight evolved in birds (from the ground up or from the trees down). As the students watch the video, they should think about each hypothesis and pay attention to the lines of evidence presented on both sides of the argument. The students are given specific questions to answer while watching the video that will help them pay attention to key ideas. Outside of class they are responsible for writing a short essay (~1 page, typed) describing which origin of flight hypothesis that they believe is the most plausible and why. Students must support their argument with evidence presented in the video.

The students have met the goals of the assignment if: 1) their essay shows an understanding of the two hypotheses and the arguments for and against each, and 2)they provide a strong argument for their argument, using lines of evidence presented in the video.

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