Acidification of the Oceans at the time of KPg event and Now
Summary
This activity will engage students in researching the sequence of events and effects of the KPg event. Students will compare using data the acidification of oceans today to the acidification of the oceans after the KPg event.
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Context
Audience
The following unit activity allows high school (9-12) science students to incorporate prior knowledge of Earth science. Students will investigate new science content, building new scientific knowledge, and apply knowledge in skills to conclude based on data and evidence that scientific research of human emissions of carbon dioxide are not only warming the planet but acidifying the oceans and today's acidification is happening at a rate comparable to the asteroid triggered acid.
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
Students should
- have an understanding of other celestial objects in space.
- have an understanding of climate, global warming, and climate change.
- be familiar with the pH scale.
- have the skill set of measuring using metrics.
- know that humans add large quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere causing global warming and the acidification of oceans.
How the activity is situated in the course
This is a sequence of activities that will be implemented into the Earth History unit of Regents Earth science.
Goals
Content/concepts goals for this activity
Students will be able to:
- Provide evidence to support the asteroid impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
- Analyze the size and shell structure of foraminifera before and after the KPg event.
- Research ocean acidification before and after the KPg event.
- Analyze forams today and relate them to the acidification of oceans today.
- Propose a claim, utilizing data as evidence and discuss their reasoning to support the current acidification of today's oceans and further predict impacts on marine ecosystems.
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
Students will
- Analyze the cause and effect of an Earth extinction event.
- Categorize and distinguish patterns of diverse microfossils.
- Construct a mental model using evidence that lead to the discovery of the Chicxulub crater.
Other skills goals for this activity
Students will develop skills to use and manipulate digital simulations.
Description and Teaching Materials
The creators of this unit activity followed a 5E learning cycle instructional approach. Please access the sequence of activities from the file provided. Activities can be rearranged to meet classroom needs. Please provide feedback if unit is chosen to be used. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Lesson plan SOR (1).pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 87kB Feb21 21)
Teaching Notes and Tips
This sequence of activities can take up to two weeks.
Assessment
Complete a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (Justification) activity.
Digital chalkboard. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://www.mydigitalchalkboard.org/portal/default/Content/Viewer/Content;jsessionid=L4aR 6npImtOAEAlSb3zog**?action=2
Wisconsin department of Public Instruction. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/science/CER%20Rubric.docx
Statement:
Human emissions of CO2 are not only warming the planet but acidifying the oceans and today's acidification is happening at a rate and scale comparable to the asteroid triggered acid.
Claim: What is research that scientists could do now and what would be the evidence to prove the claim?
References and Resources
Kurtz, K. (n.d.). Into the Crater of Doom. Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://joidesresolution.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Into-the-Crater-of-Doom.pdf
The Day the MESOZOIC DIED. (2020, May 14). Retrieved February 16, 2021, from https://www.biointeractive.org/classroom-resources/day-mesozoic-died
Https://joidesresolution.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Lab-Book-Core-Description-Card.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://joidesresolution.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Lab-Book-Core-Description-Card.pdf
KT core And forams.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://joidesresolution.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Using-the-Cretaceous-Impact-Kit-for-Science-Process.pdf
MOHAWK GUY AND HIS BAND OF NEOGENE PLANKTIC FORAMINIFER FRIENDS. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://joidesresolution.org/activities/mohawk-guy/
Ocean acidification. (2020, April 30). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.biointeractive.org/classroom-resources/ocean-acidification
Weighing the evidence for a mass extinction: In the ocean. (2017, October 30). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.biointeractive.org/classroom-resources/weighing-evidence-mass-extinction-ocean
Joel, L. (2019, October 21). The dinosaur-killing asteroid acidified the ocean in a flash. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/21/science/chicxulub-asteroid-ocean-acid.html
Daniels, N. (2019, November 20). Lesson of the DAY: 'the Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Acidified the Ocean in A FLASH'. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/20/learning/lesson-of-the-day-the-dinosaur-killing-asteroid-acidified-the-ocean-in-a-flash.html
Understanding global change. (2021, January 26). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.biointeractive.org/classroom-resources/understanding-global-change
Digital chalkboard. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://www.mydigitalchalkboard.org/portal/default/Content/Viewer/Content;jsessionid=L4aR 6npImtOAEAlSb3zog**?action=2
Wisconsin department of Public Instruction. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/science/CER%20Rubric.docx
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