Mass Extinctions in Earth History
Compare the five major mass extinction events in Earth history (End-Ordovician, Late Devonian, End-Permian, End-Triassic, K-Pg), describe proposed kill mechanisms for each (glaciation, oceanic anoxia, volcanic mega-eruptions, asteroid impact), and explain why mass extinctions, while catastrophic, also open ecological space for subsequent evolutionary radiations
Lesson
Set out your lesson
“Mass Extinctions in Earth History means practising the idea at the table with a simple hands-on check. We will demo once, then your child tries.”
Bring to the table
- Fossil photos or a printout of a trackway / skeleton
- Pencil and sticky notes
Extra for the adult
Worked example. Round footprints in a line suggest a walking animal, not a flyer.
Optional challenge. For Mass Extinctions in Earth History, add one harder example after success.
What to notice. Keep one parent note: examples tried; results; support used. This session samples Mass Extinctions in Earth History, not mastery.
Share and support
Family records and proof options
Keep a record of your learning
Save photos, notes, and attendance. Export a proof packet for compliance or portfolio reviews.
Practice this concept
Start practiceMass Extinctions in Earth History practice
Practice key ideas from Mass Extinctions in Earth History.
Free · no login · no ads · Practice answers and completion are not saved. Parent observation remains the lesson record.
Learning resources
Extra practice links — they do not replace Gakuva’s teaching approach.
National Park Service · Practice link — not the full lesson
Fossils and Paleontology
Before you open · source notes
Fossils and Paleontology supports Mass Extinctions in Earth History. An adult previews and guides; this is a learning page, not a scored quiz.
Free educational page, no sign-in required for the tested path.
Before you openAsk the learner one fact they learned and one question they still have.
Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.
Source, access and review notes
Public National Park Service page. An anonymous GET on 2026-11-12 returned HTTP 200 with no login or payment prompt for this URL. Opening the link does not save practice or assess mastery. An adult should preview and guide the learner.
National Park Service. “Fossils and Paleontology.” External page; Gakuva does not copy, host, embed, or redistribute materials.
Unknown — link only
Check understanding
- Names all five major mass extinctions in chronological order with approximate dates
- Describes the End-Permian extinction as the most severe and links it to the Siberian Traps volcanic eruption and its atmospheric consequences
- Explains how each mass extinction was followed by an adaptive radiation — e.g. the K-Pg extinction removing non-avian dinosaurs allowed mammals to diversify and eventually produce humans
“Can your child explain that the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs was actually the fifth mass extinction in Earth history — and describe what happened in the worst one, which killed over 90% of all species?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Dinosaurs & Paleontology
- Age range
- Ages 12–14