Grade Level(s):
- College
Source:
- UC Museum of Paleontology
Resource type:
- lab activity
Discipline:
- Earth science
- Life Science
Time: 2 hours
Overview
This activity (suitable for distance learning) is designed to introduce students to the nature and process of science through the discovery of mass extinctions in the fossil record. Students will explore the fossil record of brachiopods and bivalves using the Paleobiological Database, identify patterns in their data, and generate and evaluate hypotheses. They will also document this process using the Understanding Science flowchart. Clicking the link below will download the Word file for this lesson.
- [How science works: Grades 13-16] The real process of science is complex, iterative, and can take many different paths.
- [How science works: Grades 13-16] Scientists test their ideas (hypotheses and theories) by figuring out what expectations are generated by an idea and making observations to find out whether those expectations are borne out.
- [How science works: Grades 13-16] Scientists can test ideas about events and processes long past, very distant, and not directly observable.
- [How science works: Grades 13-16] Scientists look for patterns in their observations and data.
- [How science works: Grades 13-16] Raw data must be analyzed and interpreted before we can tell whether a scientific idea is likely to be accurate or inaccurate.
- [How science works: Grades 13-16] Analysis of data usually involves putting data into a more easily accessible format (visualization, tabulation, or quantification of qualitative data).