Optional Activities
- Extinction Survivor Sort: Make cards for 10 Cretaceous animals (T. rex, Triceratops, Mosasaurus, small mammal, crocodile, bird ancestor, sea turtle, small lizard, Pteranodon, shark). Sort into “survived” and “went extinct.” For each survivor, write one trait that may have helped it through.
- Blocked Light Demo: Fill a jar with water and stir in a spoonful of cocoa powder or flour to cloud it. Then try to shine a flashlight through. This models how dust and ash blocked sunlight after the Chicxulub impact, collapsing food webs that depended on photosynthesis.
- The Alvarez Hypothesis: Luis and Walter Alvarez discovered a worldwide layer of iridium in K-Pg boundary rock. Since iridium is rare on Earth but common in asteroids, they proposed an impact caused the extinction. Research their discovery and the initial scientific resistance. How did it become accepted?
- Deccan Traps Connection: The Chicxulub asteroid wasn’t the only factor, massive volcanic eruptions in India (the Deccan Traps) were already occurring. Research the current debate: asteroid alone, volcanoes alone, or both together? What does the latest evidence say?
- Surviving Extinction Game: Read through the instructions and watch their video carefully before attempting. It can take up to 3-4 hours to complete. Highly recommended for middle and high school.