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The Day the Mesozoic Died

Topic

  • Evolution
  • Paleobiology
  • Extinction
  • Earth Science
  • Earth History
  • Scientific Skills & Literacy
  • Explanations & Argumentation

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Short Films

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:33:43
Used In
2 BioInteractive Playlists
Saved By
50 Users
Share This
View in Spanish

Description

This film tells the story of the scientific quest to explain one of the greatest, long-standing scientific mysteries: the sudden disappearance of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period.

The film traces the uncovering of key clues that led to the discovery that an asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago, triggering a mass extinction of animals, plants, and even microorganisms. This story can be used in many different science classes, as it presents a stellar example of many different disciplines (geology, physics, biology, chemistry, and paleontology) contributing to a compelling hypothesis.

The “Abbreviated Film Guide” provides a short summary of the film, along with key concepts and connections to curriculum standards.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

Key Terms

asteroid, Cretaceous, dinosaur, foraminifera, K-T boundary, mass extinction, Tertiary

Primary Literature

Alvarez, L.W., W. Alvarez, F. Asaro, H.V. Michel. “Extraterrestrial cause for the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction.” Science 208 (1980): 1095–1108.

Smit, J., J. Hertogen. “An extraterrestrial event at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary.” Nature 285 (1980): 198–200. 
 

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

Video files meet criteria. Spanish files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 10.11.12
Date Updated 05.14.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2.C, HS-LS4.C, HS-ESS1.C, HS-ESS2.A, HS-ESS2.E

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1, EVO-3, SYI-2

IB Biology (2016)

5.1

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.5, 9.9

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.2

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC5

Materials

HD (M4V) 1.0 GB
HD (WMV) 1.0 GB
SD (M4V) 421 MB
SD (WMV) 421 MB
Transcript (PDF) 345 KB
Spanish Dub (MP4) 546 MB
Transcript - Español (PDF) 291 KB
Article: The Day the Mesozoic Died (PDF) 8 MB
Abbreviated Film Guide (PDF) 117 KB

Use This Resource With

Activity Resource
Activity for The Day the Mesozoic Died
Activity Resource
Finding the Crater
Activity Resource
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction: In the Ocean
Activity Resource
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction: On Land
Activity Resource
Determining the Size and Energy of the K-T Asteroid
Activity Resource
Following the Trail of Evidence
Activity Resource
Chemical Signatures of Asteroid Impacts
Activity Resource
Distribution of Elements in Earth’s Crust
Activity Resource
Calculating Iridium Fallout From an Asteroid Impact
Interactive Media Resource
Interactive Assessment for The Day the Mesozoic Died

Educator Tips

Hear how educators are using BioInteractive content in their teaching.
Educator in front of an image of an erupting volcano Play Video Previous Slide Next Slide
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1-Minute Tips

The Day The Mesozoic Died

Chris Monsour describes how he uses the short film "The Day The Mesozoic Died" in his classroom. The film illustrates the scientific process, showing the evidence that led to the hypothesis that an asteroid impact killed the dinosaurs.
Previous Slide Next Slide
Educator standing in front of a heat map. Play Video Previous Slide Next Slide
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1-Minute Tips

Finding the Crater

Bernice O'Brien describes how she uses the "Finding the Crater" activity to allow her students to build scientific claims from real-world evidence.
View Article
Previous Slide Next Slide
Close Modal

Explore Related Content

Other Resources About the K-Pg Extinction

Showing of
Screenshot of CGI dinosaurs reacting to the asteroid strike
Film Activities
Activity for The Day the Mesozoic Died
Cross-section of the Earth
Lessons
Chemical Signatures of Asteroid Impacts
Image from the activity
Lessons
Distribution of Elements in Earth’s Crust
Computer image of the meteor hitting the earth from the activity
Lessons
Calculating Iridium Fallout From an Asteroid Impact
Image from the activity
Card Activities
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction: In the Ocean
Photo of a finger pointing to the K-T layer
Lessons
Following the Trail of Evidence
Computer illustration of the asteroid that struck Earth
Lessons
Determining the Size and Energy of the K-T Asteroid
Lessons
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction: On Land
Image from the activity
Card Activities
Finding the Crater
Screen shot from the quiz
Interactive Videos
Interactive Assessment for The Day the Mesozoic Died
Image of a prehistoric mammal taken from the film.
Film Activities
Activity for Out of the Ashes
Computer generated image of an early mammal
Short Films
Out of the Ashes: Dawn of the Age of Mammals

Other Related Resources

Showing of
Screenshot of CGI dinosaurs reacting to the asteroid strike
Film Activities
Activity for The Day the Mesozoic Died
Screen shot from the quiz
Interactive Videos
Interactive Assessment for The Day the Mesozoic Died
Image from the interactive
Click & Learn
The Making of Mass Extinctions
Lessons
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction: On Land
Photo of Barnosky and Maguire from the film
Scientists at Work
Anthony Barnosky and Kaitlin Maguire Measure Mammal Extinctions at the John Day Fossil Beds
Image of a prehistoric mammal taken from the film.
Film Activities
Activity for Out of the Ashes
Computer generated image of an early mammal
Short Films
Out of the Ashes: Dawn of the Age of Mammals
Image from the activity
Card Activities
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction: In the Ocean
Photo of a finger pointing to the K-T layer
Lessons
Following the Trail of Evidence
Image from the interactive
Click & Learn
Deep History of Life on Earth

This Resource Appears in the Following Playlists

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