+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Death and Recovery

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, devastating plant and animal life for miles around. Two activities are included in this lesson plan. In one, learners evaluate tree rings to determine the age of a tree and the year of a volcano....
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dating a Volcanic Eruption

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students discover the various ways in which tree rings can give information. After a brief disucssion of concentric tree rings, they use cross section cut outs of tree rings to identify the time and type of various naturally occuring...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tree Rings

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore tree rings. In this plant biology lesson, 4th graders construct a KWL chart on tree rings and examine real tree rings. Students identify the changes that happened during the tree's life and its actual age. Students...
+
Activity
NASA

The Effects of Sunspots on Climate

For Students 8th - 10th
In this sunspots and climate change learning exercise, learners use a diagram of a tree stump and its rings to determine the age of the tree. They use sunspot data from the internet and they construct an Excel spreadsheet to compare the...
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Tree-Ring Activity

For Students 7th - 9th
In this tree ring worksheet, students analyze tree ring samples to determine the age of the tree. They compare them to archived samples and answer questions about the age of the tree and its growth years and abnormal growth years.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aging of Trees

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine tree rings to determine its age.  In this tree ring lesson, students examine core tree samples, identify the tree rings, and then determine its age. Students complete a worksheet, deciding which of the two core sample is...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sawing Away

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine tree rings. In this tree ring lesson, students analyze the rings of fallen trees. Students discuss factors that influence tree growth.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Logs of Straw: Dendocronology

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students investigate the age of trees by analyzing tree rings.  In this dendocronology lesson, students examine sample images of tree rings and identify their age by the amount of rings.  Students complete a chart identifying the age,...
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Tree Rings

For Students Pre-K - 1st
In this early science tree rings learning exercise, students examine 3 sets of tree rings and reveal which one is the oldest based on the number of rings.
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

Measuring Absolute Time

For Students 8th - 10th
In this absolute time learning exercise, students answer eleven questions about ways to measure the age of fossils. They define half-life, answer questions about radioactive dating, tree rings and varves.
+
Worksheet
Curated OER

How Do We Measure Absolute Time?-Geologic Clocks

For Students 7th - 10th
In this absolute time worksheet, students define radiometric dating, tree rings and varves as means to measure absolute time. They are given information about each of these methods of dating.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reading Trees: Understanding Dendrochronology

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.