Birth+of+the+Earth



These questions and many others will be answered by your study about the birth of the Earth.
 * Birth of the Earth **
 * How old is Earth?**
 * How did Earth form?**
 * What kinds of events shaped planet Earth?**

A lady doesn't like to tell her age, but let's discover [|how old Mother Earth is] anyway.

Give a brief description of the events of [|Earth's earliest history].

View a [|timeline] of events in the history of the Earth. Use your googling skills to learn the answers to the following questions:


 * When did primordial oceans form?
 * When did plant life begin to appear on Earth?
 * When did animal life begin to appear in the oceans?
 * When did the first land animals evolve?
 * When did human-like life appear on Earth?

This short [|video] gives you an idea about the extreme conditions under which organisms may be found on Earth.

Learn more about primordial waters and Earth's dependence upon water in this paper by [|Dr. Sean Chamberlin] of Fullerton University in California.
 * What is the total volume of water on Earth, according to Dr. Chamberlin?
 * What is outgassing? How was outgassing part of the process that developed the first atmosphere?
 * According to Dr. Chamberlin, about how long did it take for Earth to cool enough for an atmosphere to form?
 * Then what happened?
 * How did the clouds that at that point surrounded Earth help to protect Earth from small meteorites?
 * Besides outgassing, Dr. Chamberlin lists 4 things that were responsible for bringing water to the Earth. What are they?
 * If Earth's atmosphere had no oxygen, as Dr. Chamberlin states, of what did it consist?
 * What is the primordial soup, according to Dr. Chamberlin?
 * During what geologic period do these events take place?

What was our atmosphere like before [|oxygen]?

View this [|video] on the origins of the Earth.

"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one;  and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless  forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved." Last words of Origin of Species, 1st Edition, Charles Darwin (1859)

Life's Family Album

//**Your teacher will distribute to each pair an index card. On the index card is printed the name of an event in Earth's history.**// //**You and your partner will research this event (I have googled each one of them and I know you can find all the information**// //**you need. To the best of your ability, you should answer the following questions about your event:**//
 * 1) What were the conditions prior to the event?
 * 2) Describe the event itself.
 * 3) What caused the event?
 * 4) When and how did the event occur?
 * 5) What were the conditions after the event?
 * 6) What was the impact of your event on the future of Earth?

//**Your teacher will draw a straight line on the whiteboard to represent Earth's lifetime. Each group will**// //**place their event (from oldest to youngest) on the board. What information about Earth's time line will you**// //**have to have in order to accomplish this? In other words, how will you know where to place your event?**// //**As each group places their event on the timeline, explain to the class what you event was and why it is so**// //**important in the development of our Earth. At the end of the activity, answer the following questions:**//
 * Which time period shows the most developments?
 * For approximately what fraction of the Earth's total history have animals existed?
 * For approximately what fraction of the Earth's total history have humans existed?
 * How much space would an everage human life span cover on the scale?

**Discussion questions:**
 * 1) Describe the organic geologic, and atmospheric events that led to the formation of oxygen-enriched oceans.
 * 2) Discuss the reasons life on Earth developed more slowly than life in the seas.
 * 3) Discuss what is meant by the statement "DNA is a genetic library; etched in its code is the history of life on this planet."
 * 4) Describe several ways the formation and presence of the moon changed life on Earth.

Time in a Bottle



Now let's create a true time scale of Earth's history. Bear in mind the following facts as we go: and NO water at all. This is significantly different from the way our planet looks today.
 * Scientists estimate that Earth was formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago.
 * Current scientific theory states that our planet began as a lifeless sphere, surrounded by hydrogen and methane
 * Certain important events are considered milestones in Earth's history, such as the ones that follow.

You will be assigned one of the following questions to answer: As you research your question, find out all you can about your time period. What other significant events occurred? Which of these events do you think is the **most** significant? In which of the four eons did your event occur? How long did your time period last?
 * 1) During which Eon did the solidifying of the continental and oceanic crusts occur?
 * 2) During which period did winged insects appear?
 * 3) During which period, epoch and era did the feathered dinosaurs appear?
 * 4) During which period, epoch and era did the first primitive primates appear?
 * 5) During which period and era did the first dinosaurs appear?
 * 6) During which period and epoch did rodents appear?
 * 7) During which period did the one-celled blue-green algae appear?
 * 8) During which period and era did the first vertebrates appear?
 * 9) During which period and era did the first plants appear?
 * 10) During which period and era did the first roaches appear?
 * 11) During which period did multi-celled animals appear?
 * 12) During which period and era did the trilobites appear?
 * 13) During which eon did the first soft-bodied invertebrates appear?
 * 14) During which period and era did the first vascular plants appear?
 * 15) During which period and era were the coal swamps laid down?
 * 16) During which period and era were the amphibians and reptiles the dominant life forms?
 * 17) During which period and era did the first humans evolve?
 * 18) Which period, epoch and era is considered the most modern?
 * 19) During which era, period, and epoch did rodents appear?
 * 20) During which period and epoch did flowering plants evolve?
 * 21) During which epoch, period and era did the modern forms of whales appear?
 * 22) During which period, epoch and era did the mass extinction of dinosaurs occur?
 * 23) During which era, period and epoch did deer appear?
 * 24) During which era, period and epoch did horses and dogs appear?

Once we have obtained all the above information, we will create a timeline on the wall.

Calling All Dinosaur Detectives!!! **Background** Scientists began studying dinosaurs late in the 18th century when they came across fossils that they could not identify. Scientists such as Georges Couvier theorized that the bones were from long ago, which led to the idea that some animals who had previously existed were no longer alive. Up until this time, people assumed that all the animals that had ever existed were still in existence. After this time, the science of [|paleontology] emerged as a specialty and, since enough fossilized bones were found to reconstruct an entire dinosaur, paleontologists began to formulate theories about prehistoric life. **Task**
 * 1) You will be working in groups of three or four today (your table) to brainstorm what you know about dinosaurs.
 * 2) Make a list of all the things you know about dinosaurs as a group.
 * 3) Next to each item, write how you think scientists were able to come up with this information.
 * 4) Each pair of you will be given the name of a scientist whom you will research.
 * 5) Record your information on the **Paleontologist Profile** given to you by your teacher.
 * 6) If you are able to find maps of where the fieldwork took place, or actual drawings made by the scientist, include these.
 * 7) Write your findings in the form of a report.
 * 8) You and your partner present your report to the class, each taking an equal part.
 * 9) As reports are given by individual groups, jot down notes on the **Paleontologist Time Line**, given to the pair of you.
 * 10) After all reports are given, answer the following questions:
 * Which paleontologist do you think contributed the most to the field of paleontology?
 * Why do you think his/her contribution is particularly significant?
 * Explain how the work of paleontologists has changed because of technology.
 * Describe the character traits that a good paleontologist should have. Why are these qualities important?
 * What is the value of studying dinosaurs?
 * What does investigating the past teach us about the present?
 * If you could travel back in time and join one of these paleontologists on a dig, who would you choose and why?
 * Describe which part of this project has been most interesting to you (yes, you DO have to pick one). Explain your reasons.

**Websites** [|General paleontology site] [|The Dinosaur Hunters] (click on The Dinosaur Hunters) [|Famous Paleontologists] [|Paleontologist Site]



Okay, we've been stationary long enough! Let's get our hands dirty on a [|dinosaur dig]! On the Dinosaur toolbar,  choose the Dinosaur Info  bar. When you click on this bar, you will get a drop-down menu. Choose the first 5  topics and learn all you can before we go on our dig! Once you have finished working your way through this menu,  select the Interactives  bar and, when you see the drop-down menu, work your way through the topics in order:  first the Tour, then the Dig, and then the Tree of Life. If time permits, you may explore the <span style="background-color: #f5a842; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Dinosaur Collections <span style="background-color: #f5a842; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> and Exhibits.

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**Are Dinosaurs Warm-Blooded or Cold-Blooded?** Among scientists there is still a controversy over whether dinosaurs were similar to warm-blooded birds or cold-blooded reptiles.The body temperature of a cold-blooded animal, such as a reptile, is dependent on the temperature of a warm- blooded animal, such as a bird, can generate heat and moderate its own temperature. In this lesson, you will follow the debates of scientists who are trying to determine how to cagetorize dinosaurs. Learning how dinosaurs regulated their body temperatures will help scientists determine which type of animal the dinosaurs most closely resembled. Your teacher will assign you and your partner one of these two positions:


 * Dinosaurs were [|endothermic.]
 * Dinosaurs were [|ectothermic].

1. First, make sure you are familiar with the terms endothermic and ectothermic. Then research the scientific evidence supporting your position. You should include what scientists know about the dinosaurs' environments and physical features that support the position.

2. Then, based on your research, you and your partner should work together to write a paragraph explaining the evidence supporting your position, as well as information that introduces the opposite view.

3. The following websites should be useful to you: Endothermic:


 * [|The Dinosauria]
 * [|DinoBuzz]
 * [|Theropod Dinosaurs]
 * [|Evidence for Endothermy]

Ectothermic


 * [|The Dinosauria]
 * [|Fossil Record]
 * [| Early Discoveries]
 * [|Evidence for Ectothermy]
 * [|Evidence for Ectothermy]



Thursday: <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The niches held by dinosaurs were temporarily left empty after their extinction but were soon filled by new organisms -- <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> the mammals. Select another extinct animal to research (google yourself silly) and provide the following information:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">With this information, you may produce a report EITHER in story form or as a scientific explanation of an event, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> whichever method you prefer.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">the name of the animal
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">its habitat
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">its range (where on the planet did it roam?)
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">its relationships (was it a predator? prey?) (did it travel in herds or singly?)
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">its food sources
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">its adaptations to its surroundings (did it hibernate? did it migrate?)
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">the reason it became extinct
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">when it became extinct (at least approximately)

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Project Time!! <span style="background-color: #5dee9e; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 156%;">^^^^^^^^^^^^^Where Have All The Dinosaurs Gone?^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ <span style="background-color: #d8cfcf; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">What really happened to the dinosaurs? No one really knows, but scientists have a great <span style="background-color: #d8cfcf; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> number of theories (some pretty logical and some a little whacko) as to what may have <span style="background-color: #d8cfcf; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> happened. We will research a number of possible explanations for the extinction of the <span style="background-color: #d8cfcf; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> dinosaurs and present our findings in the form of a news broadcast using Microsoft Photo <span style="background-color: #d8cfcf; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Story 3. <span style="background-color: #d8cfcf; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> <span style="background-color: #d8cfcf; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Task <span style="background-color: #d8cfcf; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> You and your partner will put on your paleontology hats (does anybody know what we did <span style="background-color: #d8cfcf; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> with those darn hats?), grab your shovels, step into the Wayback Machine and find out what <span style="background-color: #d8cfcf; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> happened to the dinosaurs!



** Process ** Part One <span style="background-color: #e1d5d5; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;">First read all about the various theories of dinosaur extinction, referring to the websites <span style="background-color: #e1d5d5; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;"> below as well as any others that you may find on your own. Decide which ONE of the more <span style="background-color: #e1d5d5; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;"> rational theories you want to research and start gathering your facts! Remember that you <span style="background-color: #e1d5d5; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;"> must justify your theory, so take your project seriously. Scour the web for pictures of your <span style="background-color: #e1d5d5; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;"> extinction event and of dinosaurs in their environments. In order to guide you in your search <span style="background-color: #e1d5d5; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;"> for information, I have included a number of questions that should keep you on task:


 * 1) According to your theory, what killed the dinosaurs?
 * 2) According to your theory, did the dinosaurs die all at once or in stages?
 * 3) During what geologic period(s) do you think the dinosaurs became extinct?
 * 4) During what geologic period(s) of time have scientists placed dinosaur fossils?
 * 5) When did the earliest dinosaurs appear?
 * 6) What kind(s) of environment(s) did the dinosaurs live in?
 * 7) How does an animal's environment affect its survival?
 * 8) Describe the following events' effect on dinosaurs:
 * volcanoes
 * asteroids
 * disease
 * greenhouse effect

**Websites** <span style="background-color: #c1f529; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|101 Crazy Dinosaur Theories and a Few Believable Ones] <span style="background-color: #c1f613; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Dinosaurs and Disease] <span style="background-color: #c5f835; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Dinosaurs and Volcanoes] <span style="background-color: #d1f23a; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Dinosaur Extinction] <span style="background-color: #baeb3d; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Dinosaurs During Permotriassic] <span style="background-color: #cbf23a; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|What killed the Dinosaurs?]



<span style="background-color: #d3e87d; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Process <span style="background-color: #d3e87d; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Part 2 <span style="background-color: #f7e9e9; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">During this part of the project, you will begin using your information to create your broadcast. You will <span style="background-color: #f7e9e9; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> present your broadcast as breaking news. You will be using stereophonic headsets so that you are able <span style="background-color: #f7e9e9; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> to narrate your broadcast. Using the Photo Story 3 software, you be able to import digital images, modify <span style="background-color: #f7e9e9; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> the images, add music and create other special effects. I expect that one to two class periods will be <span style="background-color: #f7e9e9; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> dedicated to learning how to use the software. As you develop your broadcast, you will be given various <span style="background-color: #f7e9e9; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> aids to help you stay organized and focused.

<span style="background-color: #f7e9e9; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Script template

<span style="background-color: #6fd8a2; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 121%;">[|Evaluation Rubric]

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