Calculating Iridium Fallout From an Asteroid Impact
Description
Student Learning Targets
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Apply the law of conservation of mass to estimate the abundance and distribution of a substance, such as iridium.
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Evaluate a hypothesis by forming rough estimates to verify data presented in support of the hypothesis.
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Synthesize information from multiple sources to develop a coherent understanding of an event.
Details
chondrite, Cretaceous Period, iridium, meteor, Paleogene Period, “parts per” notation, stratosphere, Tertiary Period
Alvarez, Luis Walter Alvarez, Frank Asaro, and Helen V. Michel “Extraterrestrial cause for the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction.” Science 208, 4448 (2008): 1095–1108. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.208.4448.1095. To access this article, set up a free AAAS account.
Smit, J., and J. Hertogen. “An extraterrestrial event at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary.” Nature 285, 5762 (1980): 198–200. https://doi.org/10.1038/285198a0.
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Curriculum Connections
HS-ESS1-6; SEP1, SEP5
Math.N-Q.1, Math.A-SSE.1, Math.A-CED.1, Math.A-CED.4, Math.A-REI.3; MP1, MP2
CC5; DP1, DP2
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