What Causes Extinction?
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Objective
I can analyze the causes and consequences of extinction events.
Part 1 of 4
Warm-up video
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 11:40Vetted channel
We don't generate video — this one is by Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Part 2 of 4
Key concepts
3 concepts
- 1
Around 66 million years ago, an Everest-sized asteroid hit Earth, but new evidence suggests that the Deccan Traps may have also contributed to the dinosaurs' extinction.
- 2
The Deccan Traps began exhaling about 10 million tonnes of CO₂ and sulfur dioxide each year, leading to a period of heating and then cooling that stressed ecosystems.
- 3
About 50,000 years before the asteroid impact, the Deccan Traps spewed out tens of trillions of tons of magma and deadly gasses, potentially creating hypercanes that ripped holes in the ozone layer.
Part 3 of 4
Practice
12 questions
What is the main difference between the asteroid impact theory and the Deccan Traps theory regarding the extinction of the dinosaurs?
Describe two environmental consequences of the Deccan Traps volcanic activity that contributed to the mass extinction.
Part 4 of 4
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“Describe two causes of the extinction event that led to the demise of the dinosaurs, according to the video.”
Sample answer included in the free materials
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