This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 8th Grade Science.
This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 8th Grade Science.
This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 8th Grade Science.
In this activity, students will take on the role of a geologist by dating rock formation.
With this resource, students will learn about geologic history.
Students access their prior knowledge of fossils and the fossil record by creating a "chain letter" with their classmates. Next, students will participate in an introductory WebQuest which will explain how the anatomical structure of the whale has changed over time. With a collaborative group, students will create a timeline of the Eocene epoch that will depict the chronological order of whale fossil appearance in rock layers. Using the jigsaw strategy, students will read an informational text pertaining to the change in the anatomical structures of the whale over time and complete a data table. Lastly, students will complete an exit slip, which will serve as the summative assessment for the lesson's objectives.
In this lesson, students will measure the mass of several objects which will represent "fossils." Each object's mass will represent a specific age of the object. Students will gain an understanding of how scientists use absolute dating to accurately determine the age of objects and how relative dating is used to generally determine the age of objects.