My Science Box

Going Further

1. Have students research other mass extinctions and compare them to the rate of extinction today. Have students write a position paper arguing whether we are currently in a period of mass extinction or not.
2. Have students investigate the conflicting theories explaining the Permian extinction, the largest mass extinction known. As they did in this activity, have then summarize one theory about the causes of the Permian extinction and the evidence that supports that idea.