COSMOS Episode 9: The Lost Worlds of Planet Earth Worksheet (2014)

Description

COSMOS Episode 9: The Lost Worlds of Planet Earth (2014) teaches us how to read the autobiography of the earth. Neil DeGrasse Tyson explains that to read this book, we must understand the relationship between the atoms, elements, geophysics, biochemistry, and time. This episode is great for a biology, geology, chemistry, or an environmental science class, since it delves deep into the relationship between the biological evolution of life and the geologic and environmental conditions necessary over many time periods.

In this episode, Tyson discusses the vast amounts of time necessary for the biological and geological processes to lead to intelligent life, the law of superposition, rock formation, biological co-evolution, the Permian Extinction, the ozone layer, the contributions of Abraham Ortelius, Alfred Wegener’s continental drift theory, bioluminescence, topographical changes, and geologic changes that factored into human evolution.

This episode is appropriate for the following classes: environmental science, geology, ecology, biology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, physical science, general science, or history.

The runtime is 44 minutes. The video guide is designed to last an entire class, with some time left over to answer questions or facilitate a classroom discussion.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson, biological and geological processes leading to intelligent life, law of superposition, rock formation, biological co-evolution, the Permian Extinction, the ozone layer, Abraham Ortelius, Alfred Wegener’s continental drift theory, bioluminescence, topographical changes, geologic changes, human evolution, environmental science, geology, ecology, biology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, physical science, general science, history