Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Geo Logic: The Big Five Mass Extinctions

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Using GEOLogic puzzles, students are asked to match the five largest mass extinction events with their relative dates, approximate duration, and severity based on clues given from various perspectives.
Handout
Bagheera

Bagheera.com: Extinct in the Wild Blue Pike

For Students 9th - 10th
The blue pike went extinct in 1970 due to many human causes. This article outlines what happened to the fish and has some good thought-provoking questions at the end.
Handout
Bagheera

Bagheera.com: Extinct in the Wild Dusky Seaside Sparrow

For Students 9th - 10th
The dusky seaside sparrow is the most recent extinction of a vertebrate animal in the US. This article provides information about causes for extinction.
Handout
Bagheera

Bagheera.com: Extinct in the Wild Heath Hen

For Students 9th - 10th
This article is about the now extinct heath hen. There is a lot to be learned from organisms that have died out to help prevent other extinctions. The questions for thought are excellent discussion starters.
Handout
Bagheera

Bagheera.com: Extinct in the Wild Moas

For Students 9th - 10th
If you've never heard of a moa it's because they've been extinct for 1000 years. This article is about the huge bird and the reasons for extinction. Pay special attention to the "Questions for Thought."
Handout
Bagheera

Bagheera.com: Extinct in the Wild Passenger Pigeon

For Students 9th - 10th
The passenger pigeon was once "the most abundant bird species on earth" but is now extinct. This article investigates the causes for extinction and then has several thought provoking questions to consider at the end.
Handout
Bagheera

Bagheera.com: Extinct in the Wild Tasmanian Wolf

For Students 9th - 10th
The tasmanian wolf is related to the tasmanian devil but unfortunately it is extinct. This article covers the many reasons for the extinction and provides some good "Questions for Thought" at the end.
Handout
Bagheera

Bagheera.com: Extinct in the Wild Neanderthals

For Students 9th - 10th
This is quite a thought provoking article putting neanderthals in the category of extinct animals. Most of us have not thought of early human ancestors in this way, but this article and the thought questions at the end provide some good...
Handout
San Diego Natural History Museum

San Diego Natural History Museum: Fossil Field Guide: Extinct Brain Coral

For Students 9th - 10th
A look at what fossil evidence reveals about the life and ecological interactions of the extinct brain coral.
Handout
Bagheera

Bagheera.com: Extinct in the Wild Caribbean Monk Seal

For Students 9th - 10th
Though short, this article brings up some important points about extinct animals and how related species may go the same way. Be sure to read the "Questions for Thought" at the end.
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Education.com

Education.com: Compare and Contrast Non Fiction Stories: Extinct Birds

For Students 3rd - 5th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students will compare two informational texts about two extinct birds, the Great Auk and the Dodo. A Venn Diagram is provided to be used when comparing an contrasting tests.
Website
Other

Dinosaur Extinction: One More Hypothesis

For Students 9th - 10th
"The survivals and extinctions at the close of the Cretaceous are such as might be expected to result from intensely hot winds such as would be generated by extra large meteoritic impacts." This article suggests that this theory should...
Website
Other

University of Chicago: Dinosaur Extinction

For Students 9th - 10th
This theory from the University of Chicago of dinosaur extinction revolves around the concept of plate tectonics, the movement of the continents over a sort of liquid around the planet.
Website
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: News in Science: Piece of Dinosaur Extinction Asteroid Puzzle Recovered

For Students 9th - 10th
The first meteorite fossil discovered in this period when tests can be run on it, was found at Chicxulub in Northeastern Yucatan, Mexico. Scientists believe it is part of the meteorite which made the dinosaurs extinct.
Handout
Other

Conservation Ecology: Assessing Extinction Risk

For Students 9th - 10th
This site discusses how genetic variability is correlated with the risk of organism extinction. It also discusses how bottlenecks can reduce genetic variability in populations leading to extinctions.
Website
Other

University of Bristol: The Kt Event

For Students 9th - 10th
This dinosaur site, containing eight different sections, includes topics such as: 101 crazy theories about dinosaur extinction, the pattern and timing of extinction, evidence for late cretaceous climatic change, gradual extinction and...
Graphic
University of California

Ucmp: Life Has a History

For Students 3rd - 8th
This is a very good introduction to the role evolution plays in the development of biodiversity. These topics and extinction are explained with the use of colorful interactive pictures.
Website
Other

Hooper Virtual Paleontological Museum

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides a virtual tour to the Hooper Virtual Paleontological Museum. There are many virtual exhibits to visit through a series of links, including Mass Extinctions and Human Evolution. Very descriptive and fun tour!
Handout
BBC

Bbc Nature: Prehistoric Life: Triassic Period

For Students 9th - 10th
Overview of the Earth in the Triassic Period as told by photos, news, and external links with an emphasis on what grew then, what lived then, the causes of mass extinction, types of fossils, and what life was like in general.
Website
PBS

Pbs: Evolution

For Students 9th - 10th
This is the PBS Evolution site, including excellent information on Darwin, Change, Extinction, Survival, Sex, Humans, and Religion.
Unit Plan
CPALMS

Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Do or Die: Extinction in a Changing World

For Students 9th - 10th
A Resource to help understand that concept of natural selection and to realize that organisms need to adapt to survive.
eBook
Unite for Literacy

Unite for Literacy: Saving Animals From Extinction: Where Is the Vaquita?

For Students 2nd
Learn some facts about the vaquita, a type of porpoise that is endangered. Book includes audio narration in English and Spanish with text in English.
Article
American Institute of Biological Sciences

Action Bioscience: Mammoths: Resurrecting Extinct Megafauna

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore arguments for and against cloning. Includes an introduction of how cloning can be done.
eBook
Unite for Literacy

Unite for Literacy: Saving Animals From Extinction: Ahoy! A Turtle at Sea

For Students 1st - 2nd
Learn some facts about sea turtles in this book. Includes audio narration in English and Spanish with text in English.

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