Jurassic

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/jurassic

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the stratigraphic system?Named after limestone strata first identified in the Jura Mountains
2. What is the major tectonic event?Initiation of Pangaea's rifting into Laurasia and Gondwana
3. What time period was the Jurassic and how long did it last?The Jurassic lasted from about 201.4 to 143.1 million years ago, the middle part of the Mesozoic Era.
4. Why did dinosaurs become so big and powerful during the Jurassic?After a big extinction that killed many Triassic animals, the empty space let dinosaurs grow and become the top animals.

Mesozoic Era: The 'Age of Reptiles,' a geological era spanning from approximately 252 to 66 million years ago.
Pangaea: A theoretical supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras.
Gymnosperms: Plants that produce seeds not enclosed within an ovary, such as conifers and cycads.
Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE): Periods in Earth's history when large parts of the ocean become depleted of oxygen.