Day 9: Monday, July 22, 2013

Post date: Jul 22, 2013 4:07:58 PM

Essential Questions:

1) What were the key events in the development of life on Earth?

2) What evidence exists for these developments?

3) How have astronomy, biology, and geology affected life on Earth?

Today we started talking about life on Earth.

Please note a major piece of history that, in this year's course, we are only touching upon and not going into great detail: the geology of Earth. If you'd like to learn more for your own sake, you can listen to David Christian talk about Earth's surface as in constant motion. There is this informative Khan Academy video about the Earth's layers. You can read about Alfred Wegener, Harry Hess, and the modern theory of plate tectonics. Finally, here's a video about plate tectonics.

For today's actual class, we read Stokes-Brown Chapter 2 in class. We split into groups and each group had a different lens through which to read the text. One group listed the major events in the development of life on Earth, another looked at the claim testers as used in the text, another spoke to Earth's environs as giving no permanent conditions to any of its life forms, and the last group examined how astronomy, geology, and biology have influenced our planet and its life forms. We wrapped up with presentations, and then watched David Christian in part one of Unit 5 Main Lecture entitled "What is Life" (Video: Part 1, Part 2)

As supplemental material for you to watch, here is David Christian in the Unit 5 Main Lecture entitled "How do Earth and Life Interact" which looks at how astronomy, geology, and biology have influenced our Earth and its life forms. (Video: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

We ended class by working in our Little Big History groups and working on finalizing our thresholds for our topics.

For HW:

  1. Last call for permissions slips to AMNH. If you are not coming on the trip for timing reasons, please let us know ASAP.
  2. Review Stokes-Brown Chapter 2 for a quiz tomorrow.
  3. Your finalized Thresholds Graphic Organizer, one per group, is due tomorrow.
  4. R&A Stokes-Brown Chapter 3 (p. 38-56).

Lastly, here are Little Big History documents: