Lesson Info

  • 20-30m
  • 715
  • 5

Lesson Resources

Middle School Classroom Unit

Alignment Documents

NGSS Middle School NRC Framework Middle School NRC Framework Middle School CCSS Middle School

Technical Details

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    Chrome

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Device support

  • Android Phone / Tablet

  • iPad / iPhone

  • Mac

  • PC

  • Chromebook

Languages

  1. English

Lesson Description

Travel back in geologic time to explore some of the major historical events of Earth in an attempt to understand the search for life among other planets in the universe. Explore this final chapter of the search for life in the North Pole Dome, Western Australia. Explore the Dresser Drawer formation to find evidence of the earliest forms of life on Earth. Learn about stomatalites and how early photosynthetic bacteria paved the way for more complex lifeforms.

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Central Question

What does the rock record tell us about the search for life in the universe?

Instructional Objective

Construct an argument about the constraints and limitations regarding the search for life in the universe using evidence from Earth’s rock record.

Topics

Learning Outcomes

  1. Explain how scientists piece together the story of life from the fossil record.
  2. Construct an argument that explains the significance of the K-Pg boundary and the evidence contained in Hell Creek that demonstrates the significance of this boundary.
  3. Construct an explanation for what evidence points to the existence of stromatolites in North Pole Dome, Australia and how they are significant in the story of life on Earth.

Prerequisites

  • Photosynthesis 
  • Rock Cycle 
  • Natural Selection 
  • Adaptation

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