Extinct Animal Research Project

At times we wonder how can a certain species of animals (or plants) go extinct. Well, now you get to be a young researcher and find out all about it! You can pretend you are a paleontologist (those who study fossil plants & animals) or an archeologist (those who study human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites, analyzing artifacts and physical remains). Whichever career you decide to choose, you will be “digging” and collecting fossil evidence, history, lifestyle and many more related factors on a chosen extinct animal. At the end of your investigation, you will put the entire information/data that you gather in a presentation format. You will be working with a colleague on this research project. Be sure to assist each other and share the workload.

As a researcher/investigator, you need to come up with a hypothesis that addresses these 2 questions: 1) What do you think happened to the animal that went extinct, and 2) why?

Here is a checklist of things you need to include in your research when answering your hypothesis:

Extinct Animal Migration path (if any)

Time Period Factors that caused extinction

Species Connections to plate tectonics

Diet (food the animal ate)

Demographics (basic information such as: where it lived, birth/death rate, etc.)

Find the most closely related animal alive today

Food chain location (the position of your animal as a predator and a prey)

Visuals (Example-pictures on: fossils of the extinct animal, diet, habitats, etc.)

At least 3 References/Cite resources (Example: Internet, notes, textbook, library books)

Choices of Project Type

 PowerPoint  Poster Board Display

 Brochure  Timeline

 Skit  Storyline (comic strip)

Please make sure to discuss and list what materials you will bring to class to work on for the project type you chose. Project Rubric

Category Exemplar Proficient Partially Proficient Unsatisfactory -3 pts -2 pts -1pt -0 pts Hypothesis Hypothesis is Hypothesis is Hypothesis is stated Hypothesis is clearly thought out clearly stated with without the “If… not stated. and stated in the “If…then” but then…” format. “If… without ‘because’ then...because” (reasoning). format. Background Research is Research has many Research has some Research has Research & thorough, specific, specifics and some specifics and a couple little specifics Content has many examples. examples. Most of examples. Few and one All ideas are clearly ideas are explained. ideas are explained. example. Two explained. Includes Includes 9 items in Includes 6 items in or less ideas are ALL 12 items in the checklist. the checklist. explained. the checklist. Includes 3 or fewer items in the checklist. Materials Lists ALL materials List most materials List some materials List minimal or needed for project needed for project needed for project wrong materials and brought and brought and brought materials needed for materials to ALL materials to most to some class project and class sessions to class sessions to sessions to work on. brought work on. work on. materials to a couple of class sessions to work on. References Has 4 references Has 3 references Has 2 references Has 1 reference & from at least 3 from at least 2 from 2 sources from 1 source Resources sources sources Plagiarism Put research Put research Put research findings Completely findings into his/her findings mostly into somewhat into his/her copied & own words and his/her own words own words and pasted word for cited all quotes and cited quotes somewhat cited word from taken from appropriately taken quotes taken from reference references. from references. references. sources.

Category Exemplar Proficient Partially Proficient Unsatisfactory -3 pts -2 pts -1pt -0 pts Visual Display PowerPoint is clear, PowerPoint is PowerPoint is PowerPoint is PowerPoint concise and to the mostly clear. somewhat clear. unclear. point. Graphics are Graphics are used Graphics are used in Graphics are used in an in a good manner. a fair manner. used in a poor appropriate manner. manner Visual Display  Defined  Include  Include some  Include very Poster board sections majority of the elements limited  Include all element  Sections hard to elements elements  Section unclear follow, missing  No definitive  Aesthetically  Some use of parts sections; all appealing use of colors & images  Very little use of over the colors & images  Content is colors & images place  Content is somewhat  Poor content  No use of accurate, accurate & colors or comprehensive comprehensive images & well  No supported explanation & support of content Presentation  The speaker(s)  The speaker(s)  The speaker(s)  The delivers the delivers the delivers the speaker(s) content in a content in an content with a has no clue confident & acceptable rate slow manner what is poised manner. (not too fast,  Speaks quite going on.  Speaks clearly not too slow) clearly & enough  Often & loud enough  Speaks clearly for 70% of the mumbles and for audience to & loud enough audience to hear hard to hear the entire for majority understand, time (80-90%) of the less on half audience to hear the audience could hear