The Day the Mesozoic Died

Topic

Resource Type

Level

Middle/Junior High High School — General High School — AP/IB College

Duration

00:33:43

Used In

2 BioInteractive Playlists

Saved By

54 Users

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

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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.