What+Killed+the+Dinosaurs?

Parts 1 and 2 are to be completed on the worksheet on the second day. Number 3 and 4 will be completed on notebook paper on the first day of the assignment.


 * PART 1**

1. You will investigate the different hypotheses that scientists have formulated to solve the mystery of dinosaur extinction. Visit [] and explore four hypotheses about dinosaur extinction. Record them on the __Hypothesis Support__ worksheet. You may want to think of your own hypothesis. Find evidence that supports and refutes each hypothesis and record it on the form. (see links below for additional evidence.)

2. Pick the hypothesis you think has the best supporting evidence and record your hypothesis and the accompanying evidence on the __Best Explanation__ form. Find three articles with links to support your idea. Find one article that refutes, or contradicts your theory.

3. Use the following questions to come up with the most likely hypothesis: a. How do scientists use the scientific process to try to figure out why the dinosaurs became extinct? b. Could there be more than one answer? Explain. c. Is a new hypothesis called for? d. What do you think it will take to find out? e. Can we ever really know? Explain.


 * PART 2**

1. Visit [] Your first task is to see what the environment looked like 70 million years ago (MYA). Click on "Cretaceous" and learn more about the environment during this time period (146 to 65 MYA) by selecting stratigraphy (rock layers), ancient life, localities (places where fossils have been found), and tectonics (study of the earth's crust). Describe plants and animals, climate and locations of earth's plates as you would see them. Pretend you are standing on Earth 70 MYA. Write a page-long journal entry (150 words minimum) about what you see.

http://www.dinosaurfact.net/

Cretaceous Dinosaurs: http://www.prehistory.com/timeline/cretace.htm

http://paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs/

Dinosaur Directory http://www.nhm.ac.uk/

Cretaceous Climate http://www.scotese.com/lcretcli.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/mesozoic/cretaceous/lc.shtml

http://geology.utah.gov/utahgeo/dinofossil/dinlcret.htm

http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/dinosaurs/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Cretaceous

http://www.carnegiemnh.org/dinosaurs/

http://www.wmnh.com/wmvd0000.htm

PLATE TECTONICS http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/tectonics.html

2. Go back to [] and select the Paleocene period, the first period in the Cenezoic Era. Write another journal entry (150 words minimum) to compare the environment to that of 70 million years ago. Describe plants and animals, climate and locations of earth's plates as you would see them. Consider these questions in your entry. How has the habitat changed? What do you think caused the dinosaur extinction? Did it happen suddenly or gradually? Did all dinosaurs become extinct or just individual species?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Paleocene_mammals

http://www.paleocene.com/paleocene.html

Paleocene Mammals http://www.prehistory.com/timeline/cretace.htm

Paleocene Climate http://www.scotese.com/paleocen.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesonychid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phorusrhacidae

Turn in rough drafts and final drafts--four separate journal entries.

Other links: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/extinction/dinosaurs/mammal.html http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/06/070620-mammals-dinos.html http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/bio65/lec02/b65lec02.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070328155632.htm http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1173846/Bang-goes-theory-Dinosaur-extinction-volcano-NOT-asteroid.html [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090428/sc_livescience/somedinosaurssurvivedtheasteroidimpact;_ylt=AtGDOVDkewU.sq6ptig61Dp7hMgF;_ylu=X3oDMTNtZXI1azlpBGFzc2V0A2xpdmVzY2llbmNlLzIwMDkwNDI4L3NvbWVkaW5vc2F1cnNzdXJ2aXZlZHRoZWFzdGVyb2lkaW1wYWN0BHBvcwMxNgRzZWMDeW5fcG
 * A scientific explanation is best if it meets the most criteria: ||
 * [[image:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/lessons/images/spacer.gif width="5" height="1" caption=" "]] || a. || It matches the data from a fair test. (A fair test is an observation or experiment that challenges the validity of a hypothesis. It can support two or more of the alternative possibilities and does not have the same basis as any of the alternative solutions.) ||
 * ^  || b. || It is confirmed by multiple independent fair tests. ||
 * ^  || c. || Initially conflicting data can be shown to agree. ||
 * ^  || d. || The fair test that supports it is particularly strong. ||
 * ^  || e. || There are no conflicting lines of scientific evidence. ||
 * ^  || f. || The alternatives are seriously defective conceptually. ||
 * ^  || g. || The overall weight of evidence is greatly in its favor. ||
 * ^  || g. || The overall weight of evidence is greatly in its favor. ||