How Big is a Billion?
Most people have a difficult time comprehending the enormity of the numbers involved
in discussions of geologic time. These exercises help students to better understand
what "a billion" really means.
Sequencing
Time Grades 5-10
Telling the history of the earth requires placing events in sequence so that
reference can be given to the relative and/or numerical time at which each
event occurred. This helps to make sense out of the enormous expanse of time
that has elapsed since the origin of the earth. This activity will help students
to understand the methods used by geologists in creating the Geologic Time
Scale.
What Came
First? Grades 5-10
Students gain an understanding of deep time and become familiar with the relative
and absolute ages of events in Earth's history by arranging a series of events
on a large time scale.
Determining the
Age of Rocks and Fossils Grades 8-12
Students gain an understanding of the basic principles of radiometric dating
to determine the ages of rocks and fossils.
Varve: Dating
Sedimentary Strata Grades 7-12
Students count the number of varves (annual layers of sediment) in pieces of
shale taken from the Green River Formation in Wyoming to determine the age of
the sediments and the fossils found in them. Requires purchasing shale.