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Relative Age Dating
Modeling dough and paper cutouts in science class? Learn about how relative age dating concepts, like the Law of Superposition and cross-cutting relationships, can be used to describe the formation of sedimentary layers.
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Modeling Geologic Time
Pupils design, construct and interpret a model of geologic time and investigate change through geologic time.
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Geologic Time Scale
In this geologic time scale worksheet, students use a word bank to complete the geologic time scale provided. Students fill in the chart as it relates to the geologic time scale.
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Geographic Regions and Backyard Geology with the USGS Tapestry Map
A beautiful tapestry map of North America is examined by geology masters. The map incorporates the topography and geology of different regions. You can purchase printed copies or a large poster of the map, or if you have a computer lab...
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Diversity of Life: Geologic Time Scale
Students investigate the history of Earth by creating a geologic time scale. Â For this Earth History lesson, students practice sequencing events in their life as a way to get familiar with creating a time scale. Â Students complete their...
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The Geologic TimeString
Students create a simple tool to visualize geologic time. They create knots to represent the K/T, P/T and Precambrian boundaries in a 4.6 meter string with each millimeter representing one million years. They then refer back to this...
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Understanding the Geologic Timescale
Students identify and analyze how the geologic time scale was developed by investigating 11 periods of time and the vast expanse of time of the Earth's existence. They study their period, determine the important factors indicative to...
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Geologic Time
In this geologic time worksheet, students review how fossils were formed and the events that mark the various geological eras and periods. This worksheet has 10 fill in the blank and 9 short answer questions.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
EarthViewer
Can you imagine Washington DC and London as close neighbors occupying the same continent? Learners will be fascinated as they step back in time and discover the evolution of the earth's continents and oceans from 4.5 billion years ago to...
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Relative Dating-Telling Time Using Fossils
Students explore how to read fossil range charts. They develop an knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the fossil record. Students become familiar with the concepts index fossil and fossil range. Students use bar graphs to...
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Time Machine: Evolution, Geology
Students are taken on a simulated "voyage" backward in time, to the beginning of our planet. They "witness" that beginning, the origin of life, and a number of key events from then to the present.
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PATTERNS IN TIME
Students build a realistic sense of geological time, seek clues of transition fossils and find them. In this investigative instructional activity students complete several activities and worksheets on fossils.Â
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Relative Dating - Telling Time Using Fossils
Learners use fossil range charts to explain relative dating. They graph for ammonites, marine organisms that went extinct at the same time as dinosaurs.
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Rock On!
After five class sessions, young scientists will be able to identify common rock types: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. This plan involves hands-on activities, includes various handouts and worksheets, and requires there to be...
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Mesozoic Murals
Middle schoolers create a mural of one of the Mesozoic Periods. For this geologic timeline lesson, students will research the plants and animals that lived in the Mesozoic Era in order to create a mural to scale that represents one of...
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Using Radioactive Decay to Determine Geologic Age
Pupils investigae using radioactive decay to determine geologic age.
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Who Was Here First? Relative Dating
Students read about and complete question activities for the topic of relative dating. For this relative dating lesson, students read information for the topic and then complete two activities to further their understanding of geologic...
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How Old Is Mike?
Students examine the absolute dating of fossils, they use a list of names and ages to determine the difference between relative age and absolute age. They explore the relative age and absolute age of people and of fossils.
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VARVES: Dating Sedimentary Strata: Geology, Paleontological Patterns
Students count the number of varves (annual layers of sediment) in shale billets, taken from the Green River Formation in Wyoming. The count is then extended to reflect the entire 260 meters of sediments where the billets originated.
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Determining Age Of Rocks And Fossils
Young scholars discuss together how to determine the relative age of each of the rock units in the block diagram (Figure 1). After students have decided how to establish the relative age of each rock unit, they should list them under the...
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A Glacier Ran Through It
Students learn basic geological concepts while researching how ice age floods sculpted the plateau of the Columbia Basin. They synthesize their learning by creating annotated illustrations of the geological principles they studied.
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Dinosaurs
In this earth science instructional activity, students match each vocabulary term, that names something specific related to earth science, with its correct description found in the right column. They identify different types of...
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A Basin Filled With Time
Students use fossil leaves and a mathematical formula to study climate change. In this climate change and fossil lesson plan, students determine the differences in temperatures during two different times during the Cenozoic era using...
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Geologic Time: Relative and Absolute Dating
Young scholars investigate relative and absolute dating; determine the difference between the two dating systems; and apply this knowledge by creating a geologic timetable of their own.