Time Allotment:  Six forty-minute periods

    Standards and Objectives: 
    Objective 1:  Students will be able to identify organisms from a specific time period.

     Objective 2:  Students will be able to describe the position of continents during a specific
                              time period.

     Objective 3:  Students will be able to describe the climate of a specific time period.

     Objective 4:  Students will be able to identify geologic events that occurred during a
                              specific time period.

    NYS Mathematics, Science, and Technology Standard 1 - Analysis, Inquiry, and
                                                                                                                                    Design
     Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as
     appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop situations.
     Scientific Inquiry - The observations made while testing proposed explanations, when
                                    analyzed using conventional and invented methods, provide new insights
                                    into phenomenon.

      NYS Science Standard 4 - Students will understand and apply scientific concepts,
                principle, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and
                 recognize the historical development of ideas in science.
                 The Living Environment - Individual organisms and species change over time.

     Content to be Covered:
  
          Precambrian Time:
                   - It is the longest part of Earth's history.
                   - It lasted from 4.5 billion years ago to 544 million years ago.
                   - Rocks from Precambrian Time are rare due to re-melting and erosion.
                   - Little is known about the organisms that lived during this time.
                   - Organisms include invertebrates and stromatolites.

              Paleozoic Era:
                   - The era of ancient life began 544 million years ago and ended 248 million years ago.
                   - Much more evidence of organisms during this era, including an abundance of
                     organisms with hard parts such as shells. 
                   - Warm shallow seas covered large parts of the continents.
                   - Most organisms from this era that we know about are marine organisms.
                   - fishlike creatures, amphibians, and reptiles evolved during the Paleozoic Era
                   - formation of Appalachian Mountains
                   - Mass extinction at the end of the era due to climatic changes

               Mesozoic Era:
                    - All continents were combined to form one large landmass - Pangaea.
                    - Organisms included dinosaurs, birds, small mammals, angiosperms, and
                      gymnosperms.
                    - At the end of the era there was a mass extinction.  It is hypothesized that a
                      comet or an asteroid collided with the earth.

                 Cenozoic Era:
                      - The climate became much cooler and ice ages occurred.
                      - Many mountains were built.
                      - Grazing animals and large mammals appeared.
                      - Appearance of homo sapiens.  

     Materials and Equipment:    
       Use of computer lab and library

      Note-Taking Worksheets      
       
        Books:
        The Changing Surface of Earth  by Glencoe Science

           Asteroid Impact by Douglas Henderson

        Life Story by Virginia Lee Burton

        The Story of Life on Earth by Margaret Munro

        Prehistoric Life: The Rise of the Vertebrates by David Norman

        Dinosaurs to Dodos: An Encyclopedia of Extinct Animals by Don Lessem

        The Dawn of Life: A Cartoon History of the Earth by Jacqui Bailey and Matthew Lilly

        The Field Guide to Prehistoric Life by David Lambert

         Videos:
       Planet Earth

    Evaluation:
   Students will be evaluated by the teacher as well as their group members with the use of a
    rubric.