Dino Disaster Slides
Case File: 65,000,000 BCE
Dino Disaster Mystery
Solving the Cause and Effect of Extinction
Detective Mode: ON
The Domino Effect
Warm-up Activity
Observe the Demo:
-
1
One small push starts the movement.
-
2
One fall causes the next to fall.
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3
The whole chain collapses!
"How can one single event lead to a massive change?"
Look for the Chain Reaction
The Evidence
Watch Closely
Embedded media
0:50
What does "extinct" mean?
2:48
Focus on the Climate Connection!
3:50
Why are there two theories?
The Extinction Chain
1
Asteroid Hits or Volcanoes Erupt
2
What happens in the sky next?
3
???
Think like a detective: How does one step CAUSE the next step to happen?
Two Possible Triggers
The Asteroid
A 12km wide rock crashed into the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
EFFECT:
Dust, soot, and smoke blasted into the sky.
The Volcanoes
Massive eruptions in India lasted for nearly 1 million years.
EFFECT:
Ash and soot filled the air for a long time.
Activity: Extinction Flowchart
CUT out the Clue Cards.
ARRANGE them in the correct cause-and-effect order.
GLUE them down on your template.
WRITE a sentence explaining why each arrow connects.
Detective Tip:
"Always ask: 'What happened because of this?' to find the next step in the chain."
The Final Verdict
"If we removed the Dust and Soot step from our flowchart, would the dinosaurs still have gone extinct?"
Why or why not?
Case Closed... For Now
Extinction Flowchart Worksheet
Extinction Flowchart
Detective Case File #65M-BCE
Agent Name:
Date:
Mission Briefing
Glue your Clue Cards in order. Then, write a sentence explaining WHY the arrow points from one step to the next.
1
Paste Step 1
2
Paste Step 2
3
Paste Step 3
4
Paste Step 4
5
Final Result
Extinction
Case Solved
Clue Cards Handout
Evidence Clue Cards
For: Extinction Flowchart Activity
Instructions: Carefully cut out the four evidence cards below. Use your detective skills to place them in the correct cause-and-effect order on your flowchart!
Evidence Item A
The Big Triggers
A giant asteroid hits Mexico OR massive volcanoes erupt in India.
Evidence Item B
Dust and Soot
Billions of tons of soot and ash are blasted high into the atmosphere.
Evidence Item C
Blocked Sun
Thick dark clouds block the sunlight from reaching the Earth's surface.
Evidence Item D
Cold and Death
The Earth gets cold. Plants die because they cannot make food without light.
Think: How does the "Blocked Sun" lead to "Cold and Death"?
Dino Disaster Teacher Guide
Dino Disaster Guide
Teacher Facilitation Resource
Grades 3-4
Mystery Investigation
Objective
Students will understand and diagram cause-and-effect relationships within an ecosystem by tracing the chain reaction that led to the dinosaur extinction.
Materials Needed
- Set of dominoes (for demo)
- Dino Disaster Slides
- Extinction Flowchart Worksheet
- Clue Cards Handout
- Scissors & Glue
1. Warm-up: The Domino Effect (5 min)
Set up a line of dominoes before students arrive. Instruction: "Today we are detectives solving a 65-million-year-old mystery. Watch what happens when I give this one domino a tiny push."
Discussion: Does the first domino touch the last one? No. So how did the last one fall? (Introduce the concept of a chain reaction).
2. Video Evidence (10 min)
Watch "What Happened to the Dinosaurs?". Use the timestamps provided in the slides to pause and check for understanding.
Critical Moment (2:48):
"Focus on Dino's explanation of sunlight. Why is the sun the 'energy' for the whole chain?"
3. Activity: Extinction Flowchart (20 min)
Distribute the Worksheet and Clue Cards. Students cut, order, and glue. The Writing Challenge: Students must write a sentence for each arrow.
Flowchart Answer Key
| Step Order | Expected Logic (Student Sentences) |
|---|
| 1 → 2 | "The impact of the asteroid blasted dust and soot into the air." |
| 2 → 3 | "The soot and dust were so thick that they blocked out the sun." |
| 3 → 4 | "Because there was no sunlight, the plants could not make food and died." |
| 4 → 5 | "When the plants died, the animals had no food and went extinct." |
4. Closure: The "What If?" (10 min)
Ask: "If we removed the 'Dust/Soot' step, would the dinos still have died?"
Expected Response: Likely not. Without the soot to block the sun, the climate wouldn't have changed, and the plants wouldn't have died. It shows that every link in the chain is essential.
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