Monday, November 4, 2019

Geologic Time Scale Scavenger Hunt

The geologic time scale is a scale used around the world by geologists, paleontologists, and other Earth scientists to describe the timing and relationships of events that have occurred during Earth's history relating geologic strata (types of rocks) with time. 
This lesson is designed to get students to use this time scale as intended and show them the value it has when trying to pinpoint dates with specific areas on the Earth's surface. 

MS.ESS1.4: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history. (Scale, Proportion, and Quantity)

The Geologic Time Scale Scavenger Hunt!

Students will be putting on their detective hats and sent on a quest for information. They will be given a geologic time scale and be asked to complete an analysis using the scale as their only source of information. All of the questions are answerable, but some may require more thinking than others. 
Image result for geologic time scale with major events

Analysis
1. For how long has there been life on Earth? _____________________________________________
2. For what percentage of time has life existed on Earth (round to the nearest whole number).
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. For about how many years of geological time have humans existed on Earth?
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. For about how many years of geological time have the dinosaurs existed on Earth?
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Did dinosaurs exist at the same time as humans? _______________________________________
6. How do scientists determine when an era begins and when it ends?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
7. What is the purpose of making a geological timeline?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

This activity makes a normally boring worksheet into a hunt for clues to find the answers to their analysis questions. Assessments like these are casual and get the students engaged, it will be easy for all of them to earn good participation points and emphasize how much these timescales can help scientists uncover the history of Earth. 


3 comments:

  1. Hi Colleen,
    I love your idea to make a geological scavenger hunt! I think that making any type of learning a "game" for students is a great way to engage them. I think your use of a graphic was also very helpful in explaining the geologic timeline. This activity is fun, quick, and most importantly effective as it asks students to reflect on what they've learned in the analysis worksheet!

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  2. Hi Colleen,

    I agree with Robert’s initial comment regarding your gamification of the curriculum. I’ve had trouble teaching this section of the curriculum in the past, relying heavily on the two ESRT pages without properly having students feel accountable or relatable to the content. This is a great introduction into the somewhat chaotic reference table pages, breaking the entire 4.6 billion years of history into more manageable chunks. Thank you!

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  3. Great prompts to engage students in learning about the purpose of a geological timeline.

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