Key Ideas
Level 1

• A giant asteroid hit Earth and volcanoes erupted.
• Many animals, including dinosaurs, could not survive.
• Some animals, like birds, crocodiles, and mammals, survived.
• Catastrophes can change which animals live and which go extinct.

Level 2

• The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction was caused by a massive asteroid impact and volcanic activity.
• Non-avian dinosaurs went extinct, while certain lineages survived due to traits like smaller size, adaptability, or living in protected environments.
• Survivors, including early mammals, birds, and crocodilians, allowed life to recover and diversify.
• Catastrophes reshape ecosystems, influencing evolution and biodiversity.

Schedule

Day One	Day Two	Day Three	Day Four
Main Lesson and/or Story	Spine Reading	Literature Extension	Extension Videos or Books
Hands On Activity	Art Extension		Try something for "Other Activities"
Narration Page or Coloring Page	Notetaking Extension	ELA: Sentence Expansion	ELA Page: Choose Another One

Hands-On Activity
Impact Crater Simulation

Materials

• Large shallow tray or pan (to represent Earth)
• Flour, sand, or cocoa powder (to cover the tray like the ground)
• Small rocks or marbles (to represent asteroids)

Timeline Entries
c. 66 million years ago
The End of the Dinosaurs
A massive asteroid and volcanic activity caused a mass extinction, wiping out non-avian dinosaurs. Some animals, including early birds, crocodiles, and mammals, survived, allowing life to recover and evolve into the ecosystems we see today.

Discussion Questions
Level 1

1. What happened to most dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous?
   Sample answer: They died and went extinct.
2. Which animals survived the extinction?
   Sample answer: Birds, crocodiles, and mammals.
3. Why do you think some animals survived while others didn’t
   Sample answer: Some were small, could hide, or eat many different kinds of food.
4. What does extinction mean?
   Sample answer: Extinction means all of a kind of animal or plant is gone forever.

Level 2 

1. What evidence do scientists use to know that an asteroid caused a mass extinction?
   Sample answer: Layers of rock with high iridium, shocked quartz, and crater evidence show a large asteroid impact.
2. Why did non-avian dinosaurs go extinct while birds survived
   Sample answer: Birds were small, could fly, and may have had flexible diets, helping them survive environmental changes.
3. How did surviving species shape life after the extinction
   Sample answer: They became the foundation for new ecosystems and allowed mammals, birds, and other groups to diversify.
4. What traits might help an animal survive a sudden catastrophe today?
   Sample answer: Small size, adaptability, ability to find food, and living in protected habitats.