1. Mammoths Activity 3 – Roller coaster year 7 upgrade
A teaching sequence from the Extinction unit of upd8 wikid
year 7 upgrade 1

2. 7E Learning Cycle
Students take on the role of trainee reporter at the scene of an important find
Interpreting graphs to see the roller coaster ride that Earth’s average temperature has taken
What could have changed years ago to make mammoths go extinct?
Peer-assessed homework tests mastery of the important factual knowledge
The trainees interview world experts and weigh up the evidence
Pollen samples show the effect of climate change on plants
Species can move when the climate changes, but if it is too quick they go extinct 2
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3. Expected Learning: Use graphs to spot patterns in data.
Use data to describe a possible link between climate change and how it affects living things. 3
Activity 3: Roller coaster

4. Engage
Elicit
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Extend
Evaluate
This story is bigger than we thought. Scientists can tell how warm it was millions of years ago by analysing ancient mud and soil sediments. 4
Activity 3: Roller coaster

5. Think of the graph as a roller coaster.
Engage
Elicit
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Extend
Evaluate
Take a look at this.
Think of the graph as a roller coaster.
Changes in Earth’s average temperature 5
Activity 3: Roller coaster

6. See if you can read the story the graph tells.
Engage
Elicit
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Extend
Evaluate
SS2/3
See if you can read the story the graph tells.
GROUP DISCUSSION &
STUDENT SHEET TIME
Changes in Earth’s average temperature 6
Activity 3: Roller coaster

7. Then the temperature rose and fell again.
Engage
Elicit
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Extend
Evaluate
Then the temperature rose and fell again.
Then the same thing happened again.
500 million years ago there was a sudden drop in temperature.
Changes in Earth’s average temperature 7
Activity 3: Roller coaster

8. Can you see any patterns in the major extinction events?
Engage
Elicit
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Extend
Evaluate
Can you see any patterns in the major extinction events?
Changes in Earth’s average temperature 8
Activity 3: Roller coaster

9. Why do scientists worry about the climate getting warmer?
Engage
Elicit
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Extend
Evaluate
Why do scientists worry about the climate getting warmer? 9
Activity 3: Roller coaster

10. What do we need to find out next?
Engage
Elicit
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Extend
Evaluate
Climate Change
Scientists worry about rising temperatures because…
What do we need to find out next?
How could we find out? 10
Activity 3: Roller coaster

11. Picture credits
Picture Slide Credit
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Activity from the Extinction unit © Association for Science Education and Centre for Science Education Teachers and others who download this material may use it freely within their institution. For any other usage consult the upd8 team,  ASE and upd8 are not responsible for any revision that may be made to the material after it has been downloaded.
© Association for Science Education and Centre for Science Education 2010
This page may have been changed from the original