|
Overview:
High school students should be able to synthesize knowledge from different subjects and topics they have studied and to examine those topics from various perspectives. This lesson asks them to combine their knowledge of evolution, geologic time, and dinosaurs into a discussion of how these three topics overlap with regard to dinosaur evolution in the Cretaceous period.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, science
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 17: "How to apply geography to interpret the past"
Time:
Three to four hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Writing materials
- Materials to create posters or computer illustrations
Objectives:
Students will
- read about paleontologist Paul Sereno's work and list the dinosaurs he has discovered as well as the locations in which they were found and the time periods in which they lived;
- review the periods of geologic time;
- review the theory of evolution and write a paragraph explaining how geographic isolation would contribute to the evolutionary process;
- write paragraphs describing the changes to the Earth's continental layout during the Cretaceous period;
- write paragraphs relating geological changes to dinosaur evolution during the Cretaceous period; and
- create posters or computer presentations illustrating the Earth during the Cretaceous period and the dinosaur species' evolution processes during this time.
Geographic Skills:
Asking Geographic Questions
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Introduce the class to the work of Paul Sereno by having them read the information at the National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence site. Ask them to list the types of dinosaurs he has discovered, the locations in which he has found them, and the time periods in which they lived.
Review students' understanding of geologic time by having them go to the Geological Time Machine and look through the different time periods. Ask them if they know in which era the dinosaurs lived. They should say "Mesozoic."
Development:
Closing:
Ask students to write a three-paragraph essay, with one paragraph covering each of the following topics covered during the lesson:
- How geographic isolation contributes to the evolutionary process
- How the Earth's continental layout changed before, during, and after the Cretaceous period
- How geological changes and the evolutionary process during the Cretaceous period contributed to the diversification and proliferation of dinosaur species in this period
Suggested Student Assessment:
Have students make posters or computer presentations showing what the Earth looked like during different parts of the Cretaceous period. They should also indicate how continental plate movements contributed to the evolution of dinosaurs and other species during this period. They can use information from the Web sites they have already visited, plus any additional Internet and/or print resources.
Extending the Lesson:
- Have students write statements explaining why a paleontologist such as Paul Sereno might be particularly interested in studying dinosaurs of the Cretaceous as opposed to earlier periods.
- Ask students to compare the dinosaur species that were present during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods and explain the ways in which geological and climatic changes on Earth may have contributed to the development of these species.
Related Links:
| 
Check out:
