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Big History Project

Course: Big History Project > Unit 4

Lesson 2: What Was Young Earth Like? | 4.1

ACTIVITY: This Threshold Today

Purpose

This Threshold Today activities ask you to make connections between today’s world and the events of each threshold. In Threshold 4, it is important and interesting to know that the process of accretion not only led to the formation of our planet, but provided all of the natural resources we continue to draw from today.

Process

The formation of the Earth roughly 4.6 billion years ago was a violent process. Scientists are continually learning more about planet formation in our Solar System as well as in other solar systems. You can join in this process by searching for news stories about solar systems or exoplanets. Record your sources and some of the details about what you discover. Check out Newsela.com for great articles, or look at the Pinterest board Newsela set up on this topic.

Here are some other places to get started with your research:

For Further Discussion

In the Questions Area below, please do the following:

1. Post a link to the article that you found most interesting.

2. List one way that the article connects Threshold 4 to today.

3. Comment on someone else’s link, adding another way that their article connects Threshold 4 to today.

Be sure to check back later to see if anyone commented on your post!

Want to join the conversation?

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Gunnar Ohberg
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Gunnar Ohberg's post “http://www.space.com/2553...”
http://www.space.com/25530-earthsize-exoplanet-kepler-186f-habitable-discovery.html

This is related to Threshold 4 in that it addresses the Goldilocks conditions required to support life on a planet. The planet has water and heat from their sun that mirrors our own.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Gunnar Ohberg's post “http://www.space.com/2553...”
(4 votes)
Answer
- jordynbklosterman
  Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to jordynbklosterman's post “This also relates because...”
  This also relates because it tells hoe they found another planet possibly capible of having living life.
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  (1 vote)
Elkia
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Elkia's post “How do you know how the s...”
How do you know how the solar system looks like when it was forming?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(0 votes)
Answer
- James
  Posted 2 months ago. Direct link to James's post “People don't really know.”
  People don't really know.
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  (1 vote)