Holguin: SC7.L.15.1 What happened to the dinosaurs?

What happened to the Dinosaurs?

How do scientist use the physical world to deduce the age and history of planet Earth?

Lesson Objectives

• learn what happened to the dinosaurs

• understandthe evidence scientist use to determine how they become extinct.

• explain how the extinction of the dinosaurs changed the course of Earth's history

Open Ended

What do you know about how the dinosaurs went extinct?

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Open Ended

How do you think scientist know about the extinction of the dinosaurs if no one was around 66 million years ago?

Fossils are often buried in the strata or layers of rock in the Earth. Most fossils of dinosaurs, and the plants and animals they lived with are found in the STRATA or layers of rock no younger than 66 million years ago.

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The Fossil Record

IN THE STRATA

A thin STRATA can be observed in many rock features around the world which all date back to 66 million years ago. This layer contains the element iridium (Ir), a rare element metal usually found in asteriods.
K = Cretaceous Era
Pg = Paleogene Era

​TheK-Pg Boundary

This STRATA also contains tektite, a type of glass that is made when an asteriod melts rock and ejects it into the atmosphere, where it cools and falls back to earth.

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Draw

You have 5 min to draw the two pieces of FOSSIL evidence that dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago from an asteroid

Scientist studied large asteroid impacts on the moon. This is the typical shape left behind by asteroid strikes.

​Using special satellite mapping techniques called gravity mapping, scientist discovered an incredibly large, hidden impact crater off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. This impact crater was produced by a asteroid big enough to cause mass extinction.

​ASTEROID impact on the Moon

Chicxulub impact crater on earth

​Dinosaur Joke

Open Ended

How did scientist develop their understanding of the impact of the Chicxulub crater?

Just a bit of humor

While most dinosaurs species has scales, some species had feathers. In fact many scientist believe that the T-Rex was also mostly covered in feathers.

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​Did you know?
Some dinosaurs had feathers!

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Multiple Choice

Which is NOT a piece of evidence scientists use to prove the asteroid theory of extinction of the dinosaurs?

• Scientists discovered a hidden impact crater.

• Some dinosaurs had feathers.

• Dinosaurs vanish from the fossil record 66 mya.

Multiple Choice

How does the K-Pg boundary prove the asteroid theory of extinction?

• It is only found near the impact crater.

• It contains a large amount of dinosaur fossils.

• It contains metals only found in asteroids

• because Mrs. Holguin said so.

Open Ended

Why is this the ASTEROID THEORY OF EXTINCTION of the dinosaurs, instead of the ASTEROID LAW OF EXTINCTION of dinosaurs?

Poll

How do you feel about what happened to the dinosaurs?

• I'm confused.

• I need more practice.

• 
  I'm a pro! I'm ready to move on.

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