Day

Activity: Earth's History and Origin of Life Assignments 

DUE TUESDAY November 12

1. Overview of Content:

   • Students explore the origins of life, Earth's geological history, and the development of scientific methods to study these topics.

   • They learn the principles of biogenesis (life arises from pre-existing life) and abiogenesis (the idea of spontaneous generation, later disproven).

   • The assignments emphasize critical experiments by scientists such as Francesco Redi, Lazzaro Spallanzani, and Louis Pasteur, who contributed to debunking spontaneous generation.

2. Key Learning Goals:

   • Understand the historical development of scientific thought about the origins of life.

   • Learn about Earth's age, geological history, and techniques for dating rocks and fossils (relative and radioactive dating).

   • Explore early life forms and hypothesize the processes that may have led to the emergence of simple cells and complex life.

3. Activities:

   • Scientific Relationship Descriptions: Students compare and explain pairs of terms such as biogenesis vs. abiogenesis and control vs. experimental groups​(II. Earth’s History)​(HW 1).

   • Illustrations of Key Experiments:

     • Redi's experiment (disproving maggots arise spontaneously from meat).

     • Spallanzani's broth experiment (challenging microorganism generation from air).

     • Pasteur's curve-necked flask experiment (definitively disproving spontaneous generation)​(II. Earth’s History)​(HW 1)​(History of Life on Earth).

   • Hypothesis Testing: Students analyze and conclude whether these experiments supported or disproved the scientists' hypotheses.

   • Carbon-14 and Radioactive Dating:

     • Explore how isotopes are used to determine the age of organic material and rocks​(II. Earth’s History)​(History of Life on Earth).

   • Historical Context:

     • Trace Earth’s early history, including abiotic synthesis of organic molecules, the emergence of protocells, and the fossil record as evidence of life's evolution​(History of Life on Earth).