Unit Overview
Does life exist somewhere outside of Earth? What about intelligent life?
4.5 billion years passed and 5 mass extinctions occurred before intelligent life evolved on Earth. So far we have yet to come in contact with any other intelligent beings or even find evidence that proves any sort of life exists elsewhere. So are we alone? If not, why haven’t we had contact with another intelligent species from outside planet Earth? Use your findings from research articles, data sets, and class activities to develop an explanatory model for why it took almost 4.5 billion years for modern humans to emerge on Earth, then use it to make and defend an argument about whether life or intelligent life exists somewhere outside Earth, why we have not made contact, and what humans can learn from these ideas.
Performance Expectations:
HS-ESS1-2, HS-ESS1-4, HS-ESS1-6, HS-ESS2-5, HS-ESS2-7
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Unit Storyline
Unit Opening
Stability Of The Solar System
Coevolution of Earth and Life
Origin Of The Universe
Asteroid Orbits
Unit Closing
Does life exist somewhere outside Earth? What about intelligent life?
How often do asteroids hit Earth? Did impacts occur more frequently in the past? How was life affected?
What set of conditions allowed intelligent life to evolve from single, simple cells?
How many solar systems and galaxies are out there? Were they formed in the same way?
Will a major asteroid ever hit the Earth again? How do we know? What can humans do to survive?
Does life exist somewhere outside of Earth? What about intelligent life?
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Essential Documents
A collection of printable materials required for activities, rubrics, and work samples for the unit.