Life Through Time Guidefod.infobase.com/HTTP/180271.pdf4 Visual Learning Company1-800-453-8481 Life Through Time 5 Viewing Clearances The video and accompanying teacher’s guide are

Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-848125 Union Streetwww.visuallearningco.com Brandon, Vermont

Editors:Brian A. Jerome, Ph.D.Stephanie Zak Jerome

Assistant Editors:Louise MarrierHannah Fjeld

Graphics:Dean Ladago

Fred Thodal

Teacher’s GuideMiddle School

Life Through Time

2Visual Learning Company 1-800-453-8481 www.visuallearningco.com

Life Through TimeLife Through Time

3

Use and Copyright

The purchase of this video program entitles the user the right to reproduce or duplicate, in whole or in part, this teacher’s guide and the blackline master handouts for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this video, Life Through Time. The right is restricted only for use with this video program. Any reproduction or duplication, in whole or in part, of this guide and student masters for any purpose other than for use with this video program is prohibited.

The video and this teacher’s guide are the exclusive property of the copyright holder. Copying, transmitting or reproducing in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission from the copyright holder is prohibited (Title 17, U.S. Code Sections 501 and 506).

Copyright © 2006

ISBN 1-59234-120-9

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Life Through Time

Visual Learning Company1-800-453-8481www.visuallearningco.com

Table of ContentsPage

A Message From Our Company

National Standards Correlations

Student Learning Objectives

Assessment

Introducing the Video

Video Viewing Suggestions

Video Script

Student Assessments and Activities

Answers to Student Assessments

Answers to Student Activities

Assessment and Student Activity Masters

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Viewing Clearances

The video and accompanying teacher’s guide are for instructional use only. In showing these programs, no admission charges are to be incurred. The programs are to be utilized in face-to-face classroom instructional settings, library settings, or similar instructional settings.

Duplication rights are available, but must be negotiated with theVisual Learning Company.

Television, cable or satellite rights are also available, but must be negotiated with the Visual Learning Company.

Closed circuit rights are available, and are defi ned as the use of the program beyond a single classroom but within a single campus. Institutions wishing to utilize the program in multiple campuses must purchase the multiple campus version of the program, available at a slightly higher fee.

Discounts may be granted to institutions interested in purchasing programs in large quantities. These discounts may be negotiated with the Visual Learning Company.

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Life Through Time


A Message from our Company. . .Dear Educator:

Thank you for your interest in the educational videos produced by the Visual Learning Company. We are a Vermont-based, family owned and operated business specializing in the production of quality educational science videos and materials.

We have a long family tradition of education. Our grandmothers graduated from normal school in the 1920’s to become teachers. Brian’s mother was an elementary teacher and guidance counselor, and his father was a high school teacher and superintendent. This family tradition inspired Brian to become a science teacher, and to earn a Ph.D. in education, and led Stephanie to work on science educational programs at NASA.

In developing this video, accompanying teacher’s guide, and student activities, our goal is to provide educators with the highest quality materials, thus enabling students to be successful. In this era of more demanding standards and assessment requirements, supplementary materials need to be curricular and standards based - this is what we do!

Our videos and accompanying materials focus on the key concepts and vocabulary required by national and state standards and goals. It is our mission to help students meet these goals and standards, while experiencing the joy and thrill of science.

Sincerely,

Brian and Stephanie Jerome



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National Standards CorrelationsNational Science Education Standards (Content standards: 5-8, National Academy of Sciences, c. 1996)

Benchmarks for Science Literacy (Project 2061 – AAAS, c. 1993)

Life Science - Content Standard CDiversity And Adaptations of OrganismsAs a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding that:• Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the

adaptive characteristics of a species are insuffi cient to allow its survival. Fossils indicate that many organisms that lived long ago are extinct. Extinction of species is common; most of the species that have lived on the earth no longer exist.

• Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed throughgradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variation in populations.

The Living Environment - Evolution of LifeBy the end of 12th grade, students should know that:• The basic idea of biological evolution is that the earth’s present-day species

developed from earlier, distinctly different species.

• Life on earth is thought to have begun as simple, one-celled organisms about4 billion years ago. During the next 2 billion years, only single-cell microorganisms existed, but once cells with nuclei developed about a billionyears ago, increasingly complex multicellular organisms evolved.

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Life Through Time


Student Learning ObjectivesUpon viewing the video and completing the enclosed student activities, students will be able to do the following:

• Understand that many of the Earth’s features such as volcanoes, mountains, and faults are caused by the interactions of tectonic plates.

• Contrast geologic time to the way we talk about time in our every day lives.

• Create a timeline outlining the four major geologic eras: Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.

• Generally describe the span of time the Precambrian era encompassed.

• Explain that the fi rst life form were simple prokaryotic cells which formed layered units called stromatolites.

• Compare early prokaryotic cells to eukaryotic cells which formed later in the Precambrian Era.

• Generally describe the span of time encompassed by the Paleozoic Era.

• Describe some of the invertebrate life forms which fl ourished in the Paleozoic including trilobites, brachiopods, starfi sh and sponges.

• Explain the importance of the land becoming colonized by plants in the Paleozoic.

• Generally describe the span of time encompassed by the Mesozoic Era.

• Explain why the Mesozoic Era is often referred to as the time of the reptiles.

• List some of the major biological events of the Mesozoic Era including the development of birds and the proliferation of fl owering plants.

• Generally describe the span of time encompassed by the Cenozoic Era.

• List some of the changes which occurred in the Cenozoic including climate changes as well as the increased presence of birds and mammals.

• Describe the process of extinction and the role mass extinctions have played in the history of life.

• Understand the importance fossils have played in helping scientists piece together the understanding of life through time.



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Assessment

Preliminary Assessment:The Preliminary Assessment, provided in the Student Masters section, is an assessment tool designed to gain an understanding of students’ pre-existing knowledge. It can also be used as a benchmark upon which to assess student progress based on the objectives stated on the previous pages.

Video Review:The Video Review, provided in the Student Masters section, can be used as an assessment tool or as a student activity. There are two main parts. The fi rst part contains questions that can be answered during the video. The second series of ten questions consists of a video quiz to be answered at the conclusion of the video.

Post Assessment:The Post Assessment, provided in the Student Masters section, can be utilized as an assessment tool following completion of the video and student activities. The results of the Post Assessment can be compared against the results of the Preliminary Assessment to evaluate student progress.

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Life Through Time


Introducing the Video

Video Viewing SuggestionsThe student Master “Video Review” is provided for distribution to students. You may choose to have your students complete this Master while viewing the program or to do so upon its conclusion.

The program is approximately twenty minutes in length and includes a ten question video quiz. Answers are not provided to the Video Quiz on the video, but are included in this teacher’s guide. You may choose to grade student quizzes as an assessment tool or to review the answers in class.

The video is content-rich with numerous vocabulary words. For this reason you may want to periodically stop the video to review and discuss new terminology and concepts.

Before showing students the program, introduce them to the notion of geologic time. Discuss the huge spans of time involved in geologic time. To illustrate this concept place a dot on the far left hand side of the blackboard. Tell students this is the time Earth was formed, 4.6 billion years ago. Then place a dot on the far right hand side of the board. Tell students that this represents time today. Next draw a line across the board connecting these two points. Explain to students that scientists have divided time on Earth into 4 major eras. Place the beginning and ending points of each of the four eras on the board.

Next ask students when the fi rst life appeared, when the dinosaurs dominated Earth, and when woolly mammoths roamed Earth. Place these points on the timeline. Ask students what other important biological events should be placed on the timeline. Tell students to pay close attention to the video to learn more about life through time. Following the program place more events on the timeline which students learned about from the video.



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Video Script: Life Through Time

9. What forces have been responsible for the wide array of plants… 10. …and animals found on Earth?… 11. During the next few minutes we’re going to explore these questions and others

as we take a look at some of the history of life. 12. Graphic Transition – Earth’s Changing Surface 13. Look out the window of your classroom or your home. 14. Take a walk down the street. What plants and animals do you see? Chances are

the plants and animals of long ago do not look like they do today. Even the land itself may have looked quite different.

15. Perhaps at some point the land was covered by water. 16. Maybe strange looking animals such as woolly mammoths, saber tooth tigers, or

even dinosaurs roamed your neighborhood. 17. How and why did the different types of plants and animals change? And how has

Earth itself changed? 18. Let’s fi rst consider earth’s changing surface. 19. Most geologists agree that Earth is about 4.6 billion years old. 20. At its conception, it is thought Earth was a hot molten mass, which took hundreds

of millions of years to cool. 21. At some point it’s outer skin became rigid, . . . 22. . . . eventually leading to the formation of tectonic plates. 23. According to the Theory of Plate Tectonics there are numerous plates which move

on Earth’s surface. 24. They vary in thickness, with an average depth of about 100 kilometers. 25. The interaction of plates over time has been responsible for many of Earth’s

features. 26. You Decide! What are some geologic features created by interacting plates? 27. The interaction of tectonic plates is often responsible for the formation of

volcanoes, mountains, and faults. 28. These types of features may form when plates collide, slide under each other, or

move away from each other.

1. Look at these strange looking creatures called marine iguanas…2. …and these giant tortoises. They look like they could have lived a long time ago.3. The fossilized remains of this creature called an ichthyosaur which lived in

ancient seas provides direct evidence that life…4. …was very different long ago.5. And these fossilized tracks... 6. . . . are proof that dinosaurs once walked the Earth.7. What do these things tell us about ancient life?… 8. …What was life like thousands or even millions of years ago?

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Life Through Time


Script (cont.)Script (cont.)29. Throughout much of Earth’s history the plates have been moving. Its believed

the arrangement of Earth’s continents looked something like this 250 million years ago.

30. Over time the continents are believed to have drifted to their present-day positions.31. The position of a given plate on Earth’s surface has a major impact on the plants

and animals which live in an area.32. Graphic Transition – Geologic Time and Life33. To help scientists organize different events in Earth’s 4.6 billion year old history, the

past has been divided into segments.34. This system of segmenting time is referred to as geologic time.35. Geologic time is organized in spans of millions of years. 36. The largest units of time on the geologic time scale are called eras and there are

four major eras.37. Eras are broken up into smaller units called periods. And, periods are broken down

into yet smaller units called epochs.38. These segments are divided based on signifi cant changes in life on Earth.39. For example, the Mesozoic era is referred to as the Age of Reptiles.40. And the Cenozoic era is referred to as the Age of Mammals.41. Graphic Transition – Precambrian Era42. The Precambrian era started at the beginning of Earth’s history.43. You Decide! How many years ago did the Precambrian era begin?44. The Precambrian era started approximately 4.6 billion years ago.45. It ended about 542 million years ago.46. Scientists believe Earth was without life for the fi rst one billion years. The fi rst life

is believed to have developed in the Precambrian era about 3.5 to 3.6 billion years ago.

47. Single celled bacteria-like organisms developed in ancient seas.48. Fossils show that these very simple life forms existed in layered units called

stromatolites.49. Stromatolites still thrive today in shallow warm water seas.50. These early cells, called prokaryotes, resembling present day bacteria, did not

possess many of the complex structures seen later in more advanced cells.51. At fi rst, these cells obtained their energy from chemical compounds in their

environment.52. But, a billion years after they fi rst appeared, about 2.5 billion years ago, cells

developed the ability to use energy from the sun in a process,…53. …similar to photosynthesis which we see in modern-day plants.54. This was very important because a by-product of photosynthesis is oxygen.



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55. Gradually, these microscopic photosynthetic organisms changed Earth’s atmosphere from being oxygen poor to oxygen rich.

56. About 1.5 billion years ago, one of the most important biological jumps in the history of life occurred – the formation of eukaryotic cells.

57. You Compare! How does the eukaryotic cell look different from the prokaryotic cell?

58. Eukaryotic cells possess many important specialized components called organelles.

59. One such organelle, the nucleus seen here, acts as the control center for the eukaryotic cell. Prokaryotes do not possess a nucleus.

60. Eukaryotes are very important because they gave rise to the fi rst multicellular organisms.

61. Scientists hypothesize that as cells came together in groups, called colonies, over time different cells became specialized, leading to the formation of tissues, which in turn worked together to create complex multicellular organisms.

62. Toward the end of the Precambrian Era, 600 to 700 million years ago, multicellular life forms emerged including simple jellyfi sh, segmented worms, and simple corals – all living in the oceans.

63. Graphic Transition – Life in the Paleozoic Era64. The Paleozoic Era dates from about 542 million years ago to about 251 million

years ago.65. At the close of the Paleozoic era, all of the major divisions of organisms that exist

today had evolved. 66. The Paleozoic era was a time of intense diversifi cation of multicellular life – the

greatest that has occurred in the history of life.67. Early in the Paleozoic era expansion, warm shallow seas covered large parts of the

continents.68. Deposits from these seas left evidence of life in the form of fossils, which give us

clues about life then.69. Invertebrate life fl ourished in these seas.70. Invertebrates are animals which do not have backbones.71. Strange looking creatures called trilobites, now extinct, thrived back then.72. Shelled organisms, such as brachiopods, were abundant.73. Other invertebrate life such as corals, sponges, and starfi sh existed as well.74. The fi rst animals with backbones – fi sh, proliferated in Paleozoic seas.75. Many different types of fi sh could be found throughout the oceans.76. A little over 400 million years ago, plants fi rst colonized land.77. Descendants of aquatic algae,. . .

Script (cont.)

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Life Through Time


78. . . . land plants overcame many obstacles to exist outside of water. 79. Late in the Paleozoic era, ferns and other plants formed great swamps. 80. You Observe! What did the decayed plants form? 81. The remains of plants in these swamps formed large coal deposits, which have

served as an important source of fossil fuel. 82. Following the invasion of land by plants, the fi rst vertebrate animals – early

amphibians, walked on land about 360 million years ago. 83. The diversifi cation of life in the Paleozoic Era was not gradual. Instead, it

occurred in several bursts, each punctuated by a mass extinction. 84. Extinction is the destruction of a group of living things, and there were four major

mass extinctions in the Paleozoic. 85. Graphic Transition – Life in the Mesozoic Era 86. The Mesozoic era began about 251 million years ago, and ended about 65 and a

half million years ago. 87. The Mesozoic era is referred to as the age of reptiles. 88. The major group of vertebrates that were dominant throughout the Mesozoic

were reptiles we refer to as dinosaurs. 89. These great animals dominated Earth for more than 150 million years. 90. We know a great deal about the wide range of different kinds of dinosaurs from

fossilized bones,… 91. …and tracks they left behind. 92. From dinosaurs which dwelled on land,… 93. …to those which swam in the oceans to,… 94. …the ones which fl ew in the air, these great creatures were some of the largest

and most remarkable organisms to have inhabited our planet. 95. About 65 million years ago another mass extinction eliminated the dinosaurs. 96. During the Mesozoic, dinosaurs gave rise to an important group - birds. 97. One of the earliest known fossils of a bird called Protoavis, found in Texas is

about 225 million years old, and was about the size of a chicken. 98. A better known fossil bird, Archaeopteryx is estimated to be about 150 million

years old. 99. Today, there are about 9,000 different kinds of birds.100. About 100 million years ago in the Mesozoic, fl owering plants became

widespread. Today, there are over 240,000 different kinds of fl owering plants.101. Small mammals fi rst appeared at the beginning of the Mesozoic, but did not

dominate Earth until after the dinosaurs became extinct.102. Graphic Transition – Life in the Cenozoic Era103. The Cenozoic era began about 65 and a half million years ago, and continues

today.

Script (cont.)Script (cont.)



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104. Throughout the Cenozoic, mammals and birds diversifi ed.105. Primitive horses, tiny camels, and giant birds fl ourished.106. As the Cenozoic progressed the overall climate of Earth cooled.107. In fact, several major glaciations covered large portions of the continents.108. Different kinds of plants and animals such as the woolly mammoth were well

adjusted to cold climates.109. Monkey-like primates fi rst appeared as fossils about 36 million years ago. 110. And, the fi rst hominids, which are human-like beings are believed to have formed

4 to 5 million years ago.111. Present day humans belong to the species Homo sapiens, which fi rst appeared

about 500,000 years ago.112. The presence of the human species, even though it has existed half a million

years, represents but a tiny fraction of the time life has existed on Earth.113. Graphic Transition – Summing Up114. During the past few minutes we have taken a brief look at the fascinating history of

life on Earth.115. We began by explaining how most scientists believe the Earth is 4.6 billion years

old.116. We briefl y discussed the role moving tectonic plates have played in shaping

Earth’s surface and infl uencing climate on the continents.117. We investigated some of the signifi cant highlights of each of the four major

geologic eras.118. The Precambrian era, which makes up over 85% of Earth’s history, brought the

fi rst prokaryotic and later eukaryotic life.119. We saw how multicellular life in the Paleozoic era exploded, leading to a wide

variety of invertebrate animals.120. And we saw how the fi rst vertebrate life – fi sh – proliferated in the Paleozoic era.121. Toward the end of the era early amphibians fi rst set foot on land.122. The major group of vertebrates that were dominant throughout the Mesozoic were

reptiles we refer to as dinosaurs.123. Early birds and fl owering plants also appeared in this era.124. The Cenozoic era was a time of widespread climate change, which had a great

infl uence on changes in plant and animal life.125. Mammals and birds became the dominant vertebrate life forms.126. Toward the latter part of the Cenozoic era, human life appeared.127. Graphic Transition – Video Assessment Fill in the correct word to complete the sentence. Good luck and let’s get started! 1. Geologists generally agree Earth is _______ billion years old.

Script (cont.)

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Life Through Time


2. The interaction of tectonic _______ is responsible for many of Earth’s features. 3. The system of segmenting time is referred to as _______ time. 4. Life fi rst appeared in the _______ era. 5. The development of _______ cells represents one of the most important steps in

biology. 6. In the _______ era multicellular life proliferated. 7. _______ were the fi rst vertebrates. 8. _______ is the destruction of a group of living things. 9. The Mesozoic era is called the age of _______.

Script (cont.)Script (cont.)

Answers can be found on page 17.



17

• Time Line of Life

• Dinosaur National Monument

• Life Forms Through Time

• Vocabulary of Life Through Time

Student Assessments and ActivitiesAssessment Masters:

• Preliminary Assessment

• Video Review

• Post Assessment

Student Activity Masters:

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Life Through Time


Answers to Student AssessmentsAnswers to Student AssessmentsPreliminary Assessment (pgs. 20-21)

1. 4.6 2. plates 3. geologic 4. Precambrian 5. eukaryotic 6. Paleozoic 7. fi sh 8. extinction 9. reptiles10. mammals

Video Review (pg. 22)

Post Assessment (pgs. 23-24)

Video Quiz (p. 22)

1. 4.6 billion 2. Tectonics 3. Precambrian 4. prokaryotes 5. eukaryotes 6. Paleozoic 7. coal 8. Mesozoic 9. Cenozoic 10. fraction 11. T 12. T 13. T 14. F 15. T 16. F 17. F 18. F 19. T 20. T

1. prokaryotes 2. Mesozoic 3. coal 4. 4.6 billion 5. fraction 6. Cenozoic 7. Tectonics 8. Paleozoic 9. eukaryotes 10. Precambrian 11. F 12. F 13. T 14. F 15. T 16. F 17. T 18. T 19. T 20. T

1. Volcanoes, mountains, and faults are some of the geologic features that interacting tectonic plates create. 2. The Precambrian era started approximately 4.6 billion years ago.3. The eukaryotic cell posesses an organelle called a nucleus which acts as the control center for the eukaryotic cell. A prokaryotic cell does not possess a nucleus.4. The remains of plants formed large coal deposits which have served as an important source of fossil fuel.



Answers to Student ActivitiesVocabulary of Life Through Time (p. 30)

Time Line of Life (p. 25 - 26)

Dinosaur National Monument (p. 27)

Life Forms Through Time (p. 28 - 29)

^ ^̂ ^ ^̂

Era

Present day humans appearedPresent day humans appeared

First hominids formed

Monkey-like primates fi rst appeared as foosils

Flowering plants Flowering plants Mass extinction of dinosaurs

Dinosaurs dominated Earth

First reptiles evolvedFirst reptiles evolved

First land vetebrate animals

Plants fi rst colonized land

Multicellular life developed

Invetebrate life fl ourished

Multicellular life developed

1. g - extinction 2. d - stromatolites 3. i - dinosaurs 4. a - theory of plate tectonics 5. j - Cenozoic era 6. c - Precambrian era 7. e - multicellular 8. f - Paleozoic era 9. b - geologic time10. h - Mesozoic era

Paleozoic Mesozoic Cenozoic

542 million years

Present day

251 million years

65 1⁄2million

years

1. a. Stromatolite b. Mats of single celled organisms c. Precambrian d. The fi rst simple life forms developed about 3.5 to 3.6 billion years ago were single celled bacteria-like organisms which existed in layered units called stromatolites.

2. a. Early segmented worm b. Invertebrate similar to segmented wormc. Precambrian d. An example of specialized invertebrate life formof the late Precambrian era found in Ediacara fauna.

3. a. Trilobite b. Arthropod (invertebrate) c. Paleozoic

1. Dinosaur National Monument was created in 1915 to protect and preserve the rich depositsof fossils in the area.

2. A great variety of fossils are found in the quarry area of the national park because the areawas once a river habitat, where many different species of dinosaurs needed to go for foodand water.

3. The importance of fi nding so many different fossils in one area is that it tells scientists anincredible amount of information about what the lives and habitats of extinct species such asdinosaurs were like.

d. Trilobites were one of the many invertebratelife forms to fl ourish in the warm shallow seas of the Paleozoic era.

4. a. Fish b. Vertebrate c. Paleozoic d. Fish were the fi rst animals with backbones.

5. a. Dinosaur b. Reptile (vertebrate) c. Mesozoic d. Dinosaurs were a major group of vertebrates thatdominated earth for more than 150 million years.

6. a. Woolly Mammoth b. Mammal c. Cenozoic d. The woolly mammoth was one of the many different mammals that were adjusted to cold climates.

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Assessment and Student

Activity Masters

20©2006

NameLife Through Time

21

Directions: Fill in the blank with the correct word. A list of possible answers is provided at the bottom of the page.

Preliminary Assessment

PrecambrianeukaryotesPaleozoiccoalMesozoic

1. Scientists believe the earth is about ________________ years old.

2. The Theory of Plate ___________ proposes that there are numerous plates that move on the earth’s surface.

3. Life on Earth began during the _____________ era.

4. The earliest life forms were single-celled organisms called _____________ .

5. The fi rst multicellular organisms developed from single-celled organisms called ____________.

6. The ___________ era saw multicellular life diversify explosively.

7. Remains of plants decaying in swamps formed large deposits of ______.

8. The age of reptiles is what scientists sometimes call the __________ era.

9. In the __________ era, mammals and birds diversifi ed.

10. Humans have existed only a tiny __________ of the time there has been life on Earth.

4.6 billionprokaryotesTectonicsCenozoicfraction

20 21©2006


Directions: Decide whether the statement is true (T) or false (F).

Preliminary Assessment

11. Geologic time is generally discussed in very large blocks of time.

12. The interaction of tectonic plates is responsible for many of the earth’s features including mountains, volcanoes, and faults.

13. The Precambrian era spans more than 85% of the history of Earth.

14. The fi rst multicellular organisms were fi sh and birds.

15. The earth was largely covered with shallow, warm seas during the Paleozoic era.

16. Extinction never occurred before the dinosaurs went extinct.

17. The dominant group of animals during the Mesozoic era were large mammals like the woolly mammoth.

18. Birds are believed to have descended from primates.

19. The current era is called the Cenozoic era.

20. Human beings have existed for only 500,000 years, less than even 1% of the Cenozoic era.

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

22©2006


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Video ReviewDirections: During the course of the program, answer the questions as they are presented in the video. At the end of the video, answer the Video Quiz questions.

You Decide! 1. What are some geologic features created by interacting plates?

You Decide! 2. How many years ago did the Precambrian era begin?

You Compare! 3. How does the eukaryotic cell look different from the prokaryotic cell?

You Observe! 4. What did the decayed plants form?

Video Quiz:

1. Geologists generally agree earth is _______ billion years old.

2. The interaction of tectonic _____________ is responsible for many of Earth’s features.

3. The system of segmenting time is referred to as ___________________ time.

4. LIfe fi rst appeared in the __________________ era.

5. The development of ___________________ cells represents one of the most important steps in biology.

6. In the _________________ era multicellular life proliferated.

7. _____________ were the fi rst vertebrates.

8. ______________________ is the destruction of a group of living things.

9. The Mesozoic era is called the age of ________________.

10. Birds and ___________________ dominated in the Cenozoic era.

22 23©2006


Post AssessmentDirections: Fill in the blank with the correct word. A list of possible answers is provided at the bottom of the page.

1. The earliest life forms were single-celled organisms called _____________ .

2. The age of reptiles is what scientists sometimes call the __________ era.

3. Remains of plants decaying in swamps formed large deposits of ______.

4. Scientists believe the earth is about ________________ years old.

5. Humans have existed only a tiny __________ of the time there has been life on Earth.

6. In the __________ era, mammals and birds diversifi ed.

7. The Theory of Plate ___________ proposes that there are numerous plates that move on the earth’s surface.

8. The ___________ era saw multicellular life diversify explosively.

9. The fi rst multicellular organisms developed from single-celled organisms called ____________.

10. Life on Earth began during the _____________ era.

PrecambrianeukaryotesPaleozoiccoalMesozoic

4.6 billionprokaryotesTectonicsCenozoicfraction

24©2006


25

Post AssessmentDirections: Decide whether the statement is true (T) or false (F).

11. Birds are believed to have descended from primates.

12. Extinction never occurred before the dinosaurs went extinct.

13. Human beings have existed for only 500,000 years, less than even 1% of the Cenozoic era.

14. The dominant group of animals during the Mesozoic era were large mammals like the woolly mammoth.

15. The current era is called the Cenozoic era.

16. The fi rst multicellular organisms were fi sh and birds.

17. Geologic time is generally discussed in very large blocks of time.

18. The Precambrian era spans more than 85% of the history of Earth.

19. The interaction of tectonic plates is responsible for many of the earth’s features including mountains, volcanoes, and faults.

20. The earth was largely covered with shallow, warm seas during the Paleozoic era.

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

T F

24 25©2006


Time Line of LifeBackground: Think about some of the signifi cant events you have experienced in your life. Your birth, your fi rst words, starting school, and learning to read are all signifi cant events which you have achieved during the course of your lifetime. It is possible to place these events on a time line of your life, beginning from the time you were born to the present. And, it is possible to place approximate dates on each of these events.

A similar procedure can be done with the history of life on Earth. While life has gone through millions of changes throughout history, we will record some of the more signifi cant milestones. On the time line on the following page, just the end of the Precambrian Era is provided. Keep in mind, however, the Precambrian Era represents over 85% of Earth’s history, and is the era in which the fi rst prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells formed. We will begin our time line with the development of multicellular life at the end of the Precambrian era.

Materials: worksheet titled “Time Line of Life”colored pencils

Directions:1. On the following page is a simple sketch of a geologic time line. As you can see, it is blank. Your job is to fi ll it in. 2. Obtain some colored pencils and a copy of the “Time Line of Life”.3. Label the major geologic eras on your time line. Color each of the eras a different color.

4. Place these major events on your time line:

5. Using reference books, fi nd your own facts about early life to place on your geologic time line.

End of the Precambrian Era 542 million years agoPaleozoic Era 542 - 251 million years ago Mesozoic Era 251 - 651⁄2 million years agoCenozoic Era 651⁄2 million years ago to present

Multicellular life forms emerged - 600 to 700 million years agoInvetebrate life fl ourished in the seas - 542 million years agoPlants fi rst colonized land - 400 million years agoFirst vetebrate animals walked on land - 360 million years agoFirst reptiles evolved - 290 million years agoDinosaurs dominated Earth - 251 to 65 million years agoMass extinction of the dinosaur occurred - 65 million years agoFlowering plants became widespread 100 million years agoMonkey-like primates fi rst appeared as fossils - 36 million years agoThe fi rst hominids formed - 4 to 5 million years agoPresent day humans fi rst appeared - 500,000 years ago

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Time Line of Life

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Era

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Did you know that in Utah and Colorado there is a national park that protects dinosaurs? And you thought they were extinct!

In reality, dinosaurs are extinct. In 1915 Dinosaur National Monument was founded to preserve the remains of these magnifi cent reptiles. In 1909, paleontologist Earl Douglass was searching northern Utah for dinosaur fossils. He knew that fossils are frequently found in sedimentary rock like that common throughout the park. Douglass discovered and excavated hundreds of bones; he brought them to the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The fossils are still there today, assembled into full skeletons of dinosaurs such as Apatosaurus.

But Douglass didn’t take all of the fossils to Pittsburgh. Today there are still more than 1500 bones on display in the rock. In 1958 the National Park Service built a house for the fossils – one side of the Quarry Visitor Center is made up of a rock wall containing the remains of dinosaurs.

The fossils found at Dinosaur National Monument are all from the height of the age of the dinosaurs, the Jurassic period. They include creatures such as the huge Apatosaurus, the plate-backed Stegosaurus, and the big meat-eating Allosaurus. Geologic facts about the quarry area give us clues as to why there are so many fossils there. The sandstone in which all the fossils are found is formed from sand and mud like that on riverbanks. This tells us that the area of the quarry was, during the Mesozoic era, a thriving river habitat where all types of dinosaurs lived. Because so many different kinds of fossils were discovered in the quarry, it gives scientists a true picture of what life was like during the Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago.

Dinosaur National MonumentDirections: Read the information below and answer the questions.

Questions:1. Why was the Dinosaur National Monument created in 1915?

2. Why were so many fossils found in the quarry area of the national park?

3. What is the importance of fi nding so many different fossils in one area?

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In this activity there is a picture of a fossil or an organism as it may have looked. Write the name of the organism, its general classifi cation, the era it lived in, and the importance or signifi cance of its discovery.

Life Forms Through TimeBackground: Once-living things often leave remains or traces as evidence that they once existed on Earth. These remains or traces are referred to as fossils. Many scientists study fossils to learn about the history of life on Earth. Fossils formed from a living thing gives us important clues to what it was like and what earth was like.

1.

2. Organism: __________________

Classifi cation: ______________________

Era: _____________________

Signifi cance: __________________________________________

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Organism: __________________

Classifi cation: ______________________

Era: _____________________

Signifi cance: __________________________________________

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3. 3. Organism: __________________

Classifi cation: ______________________

Era: _____________________

Signifi cance: __________________________________________

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4.

5.

6. 6. Organism: __________________

Classifi cation: ______________________

Era: _____________________

Signifi cance: __________________________________________

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Organism: __________________

Classifi cation: ______________________

Era: _____________________

Signifi cance: __________________________________________

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Organism: __________________

Classifi cation: ______________________

Era: _____________________

Signifi cance: __________________________________________

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Life Forms Through Time, Cont.

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Vocabulary of Life Through TimeDirections: Unscramble the vocabulary words in the fi rst column. Match the words to the defi nitions in the second column.

____ 1. xicinetnto ________________

____ 2. ralesotistomt ________________

____ 3. dsirnuoas _______________

____ 4. oerhyt fo apelt tseccitno __________ ____ __________ ______________

____ 5. noeoiCzc rea _________________ _______

____ 6. nPariercbam aer _______________ _______

____ 7. emrcutlilulal ________________

____ 8. zoocPliae ear _______________ ________

____ 9. ooggeicl mite ______________ ____________

____ 10. ozsoeicM are ______________ _______

a. a theory proposing that there are numerous plates which move on the earth’s surface, and are responsible for many of Earth’s features

b. system of segmenting time into eras, periods, and epochs

c. era in which life developed that ended about 542 million years ago

d. layered units of single-celled organisms that were one of the fi rst forms of life

e. organism made up of many cells

f. the era during which life explosively diversifi ed, at its end all the major divisions of organisms had evolved.

g. destruction of a group of living things.

h. the age of reptiles

i. the major group of vertebrates that existed during the Mesozoic era

j. the current era, primarily dominated by diverse groups of mammals and birds

Life Through Time Guidefod.infobase.com/HTTP/180271.pdf4 Visual Learning Company1-800-453-8481 Life Through Time 5 Viewing Clearances The video and accompanying teacher’s guide are

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