Instructional Video

Iridium

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Evidence of a giant meteorite hitting the earth just before the dinosaur extinction came from a layer of iridium. Viewers learn about iridium's rarity, properties, applications, and how scientists named it. As part of a larger 118-part series on each of the chemical elements, iridium takes the 77th position.

3 Views 0 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Graph the change in iridium costs over time
  • Discuss how scientists know iridium is in meteorites
Classroom Considerations
  • Consider the maturity of viewers as it causally mentions vodka drinking
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Shares the professor's excitement about this element
  • Displays a large sample of iridium, a rarely seen metal
Cons
  • None