American Museum of Natural History: 8^th Grade

Evolution of the Earth

Time Requirements: 1 period (40 minutes) previsit preparation, 1 period postvisit analysis.

Topics Covered: Evolution of the Earth; evolution of early life; extreme habitats for life on earth; extrapolation for other possible life forms elsewhere in the solar system or universe.

PreVisit:
On this trip students will deepen their understanding of the physical processes behind the evolution of the Earth and of life on Earth. They will develop a sense of the inter relatedness of organic and inorganic structural processes on earth. The Hall should enhance students' appreciation for the continuity of global change on Earth. Brief orientation to the 5 main sections of the Hall using overhead transparency. (5 minutes) Students make a sequence of largescale sketches showing their conception of the Earth at several points in its evolution (such as early formation, prelife, organic phase, future phase). This may be done ingroups. (10 minutes) Discussion of these stages: what we know about formative processes and habitability. Discuss logistics of trip. Students should have an introductory knowledge of forces, buoyancy/density, chemical processes, and photosynthesis.

Visit:
Students make a full selfguided tour of the hall with faculty floating to troubleshoot questions. During this period students should find answers to the following main questions and other details on worksheets (illustrating with appropriate diagrams):
1. Describe the basic processes of the Earth's evolution beginning
with a stellar nebula, including the internal structure of the Earth.
2. Describe the probable process of how and when life began to
evolve on Earth. Indicate clearly the factors necessary for life to appear
and flourish.
3. Describe how the atmosphere evolved following the appearance of life. Indicate briefly how life has also affected the lithosphere and
hydrosphere.

4. Describe the extreme forms of life found
in sulfide chimneys and their relationship with their environment.
Students submit their sheets at the end of the trip for assessment.

Post Visit:
Discussion: Question sheets are returned to students who may use
them for discussion of the main themes, adding points that they may have missed. Connections made with basic chemistry and physics concepts.

Extension: discussion of the possibility of life on other planets
or moons in our solar system or around other stars.
Students are assigned homework of a brief internet research project
surrounding any one of the main topics discussed, specifically looking for recent additions to the body of knowledge. Web site resources will be supplied as initiators. Homework results are compiled into a bulletin board display. Assessment consists of the observation sheets and internet research results.

Possible questions that may be raised:
What is the chance that life on Earth originated outside the Earth? Could humans affect the climate of the Earth in catastrophic ways, such as floods, a global winter or new ice age?

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