Dino Doom

Sina Kirk, Arizona State University
Author Profile

Summary

This is an online learning experience that transports learners around the world to different locations related to the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction event. Students will collect and analyze evidence to explain how natural events impact life on Earth.
The KPg extinction event, which occurred 66 mya, caused the mass extinction of nearly 75% of the plant and animal species on Earth, including the dinosaurs. It is marked by a thin layer of sediment which can be found throughout the world in marine and terrestrial rocks.

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Context

Audience

This is aligned with high school science standards but could be used from middle school to early college.

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

Students should have some basic knowledge of food webs, relative age dating, evolution concepts, geologic time scale and carrying capacity

How the activity is situated in the course

This is designed to be a stand-alone activity to be used after students have been introduced to the concepts of evolution and geologic time scale.

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Learning Outcome #1: Investigate the patterns in fossil data over time that aid in the discovery of significant events in Earth's history.

Learning Outcome #2: Investigate the global patterns in chemical composition data over time that aid in the discovery of significant events in Earth's history.

Learning Outcome #3: Determine the size of the impact crater, using the global patterns of iridium in the rock record, to search for the location of the impact potentially responsible for changes to the environment.

Learning Outcome #4: Investigate the global patterns of living organisms, before and after the KPg boundary, to identify the significant changes to life on Earth.

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

Learners construct an explanation, using empirical and observational data from the rock record, for the impact of a natural event on the carrying capacities of an ecosystem and the natural selection that results from limited resources.

Other skills goals for this activity

Interpreting graphs

Description and Teaching Materials

This activity, along with lesson plans, NGSS alignment documents, and student worksheets can be accessed at Infiniscope.org. Infiniscope is a NASA-funded project out of the Center for Education Through eXploration at Arizona State University. They build adaptive digital learning experiences for K-12 education that engage learners in virtual environments and bring Earth and space science to life.

Teaching Notes and Tips

In order to save progress, teachers can create a free account and enroll their students.
The educator resources on Infiniscope.org include teacher tips, misconception alerts, and suggestions for implementation.

Assessment

Assessments are embedded in the digital learning experience and the provided worksheets (keys included). To access digital assessments, teachers would need to create a free account and enroll their students prior to starting the experience.

References and Resources

https://community.infiniscope.org/
Infiniscope members have access to a community where they can ask questions and get support on implementation.