BHP Lesson 17: The Beginning of Life on Earth

14 Apr 2020

BHP Lesson 17: The Beginning of Life on Earth

How did life begin? Some scientists argue it started in shallow pools of water, while others maintain that it began deep below the surface of the ocean. Still others believe that a meteor from some distant corner of the Universe brought the ingredients necessary for life to Earth. How life appeared might be the most interesting question we tackle in this course!

Driving Question: How did life begin and change?

What are the conditions that made it possible for life to emerge on Earth? Our Earth, a rocky planet, has the perfect ingredients for life: diverse chemical elements, abundant forms of energy, and most importantly—water! Scientists today believe life may have originated deep in the oceans around oceanic vents.

Word of the Day: Adaptation

Definition: The process that results in a change in structure or function of something or any of its component parts.
Being able to blend into the environment is an adaptation called camouflage. Animals that are the same color as their surroundings have an adaptation called protective coloration. This adaptation keeps them safe from predators!

Lesson

Go to Khan Academy and watch the video How Did Life Begin and Change?. David Christian is going to walk us through the Goldilocks Conditions for life and its evolution on Earth.
As you watch, keep track of the key ingredients and the Goldilocks conditions that allowed for this new threshold of complexity to emerge. Keep your ears open for our word of the day: adaptation!

Historian’s Journal Prompt

What adaptations have humans made to keep us safe from viruses like COVID-19?
How is the human body adapted to handle diseases in our environments? Our eyebrows and eyelashes keep debris out of our eyes, and those little hairs inside our nostrils trap particles and germs. Go research all the ways our bodies have adapted to keep us safe from viruses and disease! You might even find these five other human adaptations interesting.