SRMP Dynamic Earth Curriculum - American Museum of Natural ...

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Science Research Mentoring ProgramDynamic EarthSession Five: Geologic Timelearning objectivesStudents gain understanding of age of Earth and the timescales over which geologicalprocesses occur. Students differentiate between relative and absolute dating, and knowmethods for each.key topics• Geologic time• Laws of Geology• Relative and absolute datingClass outlinetime10 minutes30 minutes10 minutes20 minutes10 minutes30 minutes5 minutesTOPICReviewPrinciples ofGeologyACTIVITY: Agesof Rocks Part 1 –Relative AgesGeologic Time andAbsolute DatingZircon VideoACTIVITY: Agesof Rocks Part 2 –Absolute AgesWrap updescriptionCollect homework 2. Discuss article. Review rock topics fromprevious classes.Students should understand that not all rocks are the same age.Explain that we can use both relative and absolute dating tounderstand rocks. Define relative dating. Introduce and discussthe principles of geology, showing examples of each.Students work in pairs, using previous knowledge to put rocks inrelative order.Optional: discuss how craters on other planetary bodies can beused for relative dating.Introduce geologic time. Hand out International StratigraphicCharts (www.stratigraphy.org/index.php/ics-chart-timescale).Briefly review the Eras of geological time, and what happened onthe Earth during each. Define the units of time on the ISC (eons,era, epochs, etc.)Clearly define absolute dating. Explain that radioactive dating isused to find ages of non-fossil-bearing rocks. Review conceptsof elements and isotopes if necessary. Discuss primary motherdaughterisotopes and their half-lives.Watch video about zircons and geologic time: http://www.amnh.org/explore/science-bulletins/(watch)/earth/documentaries/zircons-time-capsules-from-the-early-earth/(p)/1Students work in small groups to estimate age of their assignedrocks. View estimates as a class, and compare to actual ages.Review key concepts from the day. Reflect on expanse ofgeological time and of human history.© 2013 American Museum of Natural History. All Rights Reserved. 24
Science Research Mentoring ProgramDynamic EarthSession Five: Geologic Time (Continued)MATERIALSLong rope; list of old rocks, names of rocks written on separate strips of paper; masking tapePREP WORKMeasure and label a long rope (ages of rocks part 2); tape long rope up around the classroom;copies International Stratigraphic Charts, homework, and articleHalls usedHeilbrunn Cosmic PathwayA/V NeedeDRecommend computer, projector, and screenHOMEWORKRead the article (recommend recent article about Mercury’s molten core, or similar). Given animage of cross-cut layers, ask students to put the layers in order of age, based on the principles ofgeology. They should include a sentence for each layer, explaining their reasoning.© 2013 American Museum of Natural History. All Rights Reserved. 25
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