Countdown To Extinction

Introduction

Your quest will lead you into the world of dinosaurs and the end of their existence. Until
recently, people simply knew that dinosaurs went extinct — and their fossils were
found. So, we knew that dinosaurs went extinct some 64-66 million years ago,
but that was all. Many wild ideas about how the dinosaurs were rendered
extinct have been presented over the years.

The academic standard for this lesson are:

PA Academic Standards in Science & Technology
o Inquiry and Design (3.2.4A)
o Biological Sciences (3.3.4A, 3.3.4D)
o Earth Sciences (3.5.4A)

PA Academic Standards in Environment and Ecology
o Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species (4.7.4.A, 4.7.4B, 4.7.4C)

You will learn about different theories of extinction and evolution. What killed the dinosaurs is one of the greatest puzzles in Paleontology. Are you ready to travel back millions of years and find clues to one of life’s greatest mysteries?

Task

You and your friends are volunteering at a museum of a natural history. During your time
at the museum, you will be responsible for discussing theories of extinction to
thousands of visitors touring the facility. You will need to keep a journal
describing your experience and provide data and research regarding the extinction
theories. You have four hypotheses to choose from: Asteroid Impact, Volcanism,
Mammal Competition, and Continental Drift.

A Search For Answers: Scientists have gone beyond fossils during their search for
answers, and so should you when searching for information. Geological evidence also
holds clues and has contributed to hypotheses on how dinosaurs may have
become extinct.

Answer the following questions and use the Web sites listed in the Process section to find
information needed to complete the task:

Questions:
1. Describe the extinction event
2. What evidence was found to support it?
3. How probable is the theory to you?
4. What other effects would that theory have had on other life forms?
5. There are many theories about why the dinosaurs finally became extinct,
   some of which are more than a little outlandish.
   Pick one, other than those mentioned above and explain why you think it is “not probable.”

Process

Use the following Web sites to answer the questions listed in the Task section:

The Asteroid Theory

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/a.buckley/dino.htm
http://www.unmuseum.org/deaddino.htm
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/extinction/Asteroid.html
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1883

Volcanism

http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/dinosaurflr/volcanoes.html
http://www.infowest.com/life/dinosaurs/extinct.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005824/extinction.html
http://filebox.vt.edu/artsci/geology/mclean/Dinosaur_Volcano_Extinction/

Mammal Competition

http://webspinners.com/dlblanc/paleo/dino-colo/extinction/other.php#eggs
http://www.rainbowdolphin.com/dinosaurs/facts_extinction.htm
http://www.the-scientist.com/news/home/53035/
http://uktv.co.uk/documentary/stepbystep/aid/586428

Continental Drift

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/extinction/dinosaurs/index.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/glossary/Contdrift.shtml
http://webspinners.com/dlblanc/paleo/dino-colo/extinction/other.php#climate
http://frederic.malmartel.free.fr/Fin_des_dinosaures/eedinosaures1.htm

After you have compiled all of your information, you will present your project to the
class. Please be prepared to address feedback and inquiries from students in class and
make sure you proofread your work before turning it in. Remember, be creative
… and more importantly, have fun!

Evaluation

Use the following Scoring Rubric, which will be used to evaluate your Web Quest
Project, to see if you have met all of the requirements before submitting your project
for grading.

Scoring Rubric:

Project completed on time: Yes / No
Each student provided a detailed journal – 50% of grade
Group presents project to the class in creative manner – 50% of grade
Shows understanding when using internet as primary source of information
Project was free from spelling/grammatical errors: Yes / No
Project informative, creative, and stimulating: Yes / No
Project went beyond minimum requirements: Yes / No

Conclusion

Throughout this Web Quest you have explored four different dinosaur extinction theories,
the evidence found to support them, and how probable you think the
theories are. You should have learned a great deal about dinosaurs and enjoyed
yourselves during the educational experience. If you have any questions that came up
while working on your Web Quest, please e-mail your inquiries to
jessicamcwilliams@hotmail.com. I will compile a list of all questions and answer them in
class after your presentations.