Armageddon

Title: Armageddon (1998)

Concept featured in film: Mass Extinction of Dinosaurs

Location of clip:

DVD: 0 - 2:00

Summary of clip: The clip starts with an image of the earth from outer space. It shows an asteroid headed toward the earth. When the asteroid hits the earth, there is a giant explosion. Fire spreads and covers the land masses. The narrator explains that this is the earth during the time of the dinosaurs. The asteroid is 6 miles wide and strikes the earth with an explosion like that of 10,000 nuclear weapons. A trillion tons of dirt and rock are thrown into the atmosphere blocking out the sun for over 1000 years. All of the dinosaurs die.

Connection of flickclip to the concept: This clip explains how many scientists believe the dinosaurs were killed. Since so many of the dinosaurs died in such a short period of time, many believe it was a mass extinction. The clip shows that an asteroid could have caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. It also goes on to say that it could happen again.

Suggestions to Teachers:

1. Suggested questions for students when viewing the clip:

a. What is mass extinction?
b. What is the difference between an asteroid and a meteor?
c. Why would the dinosaurs have died if there was no sunlight?

2. As an additional activity, students could a research paper about mass extinction. They could include in their papers other theories about the extinction of the dinosaurs. Students could also discuss whether or not there could be another mass extinction and when.