Why did mammoths become extinct? |

	Why did mammoths become extinct?
What’s the mystery?	Scientists have presented two claims: climate change or human hunters. In this lesson students apply their knowledge of evolution and study evidence to decide which claim is best supported.
Domain(s)	Biology
Subdomain keywords	Adaptation, extinction, natural selection, climate.
Age group	11 to 14 years old.
Expected time for the mystery	Approximate time for teacher preparation: 20 min. Approximate time in classroom: one 50 min. lessons.
Safety/supervision	Normal classroom supervision. Disclaimer: the authors of this teaching material will not be held responsible for any injury or damage to persons or properties that might occur in its use.
Preparation and list of materials	Arrange colour print outs of student sheets 1-5 around the room. Provide each student with their own copy of the Construction Explanations Lifeline.
Learning objectives	Critique claims: Use evidence to support or refute claims for why mammoths became extinct. Evolution: Explain how a change in the environment can leave a species less well adapted which may lead to extinction.
Resources	Look for the slide presentation “Why did mammoths become extinct” on the TEMI slideshare page: http://www.slideshare.net/temiEC/ Mammoths recreated: http://entertainthis.usatoday.com/2015/02/11/watch-awesome-woolly-mammoths-come-to-life-in-this-exclusive-game-of-thrones-clip/