Relative Geologic Time and the Geologic Time Scale

Students are given a short introduction to fossils, strata, Steno's law of superposition, and the development of the geologic time scale from initial description of systems, through the realization that fossils could be used to correlate between systems, to the assembly of the modern geologic time scale. Then, each student in the course is given a sheet of paper with a simple stratigraphic column and associated fossils representing a geologic system on one side and a short description of the location and history of discovery of the system on the other. On a large wall, students then assemble four geologic columns from their systems representing mainland Europe, Great Britain, the Eastern U.S. and the Western U.S. using the fossils illustrated on their sheets to correlate systems. The instructor guides this process by placing the first system on the wall and by providing some narration as the columns take shape. Europe and Great Britain are assembled first, one sheet at a time, providing when completed the framework of the modern geologic time scale. Once this is up on the wall, the remaining students can assemble the other two columns in minutes using fossils to correlate between American and European systems. A temporal gap in the Grand Canyon sequence provides an opportunity to discuss the incompleteness of the rock record in any one place and a system composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks with no fossils is used to point out the difference between radiometric (absolute) and biostratigraphic (relative) dating. (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Bret Bennington

Devil's Tower Geology

This site from the National Park Service briefly addresses the geology of Devil's Tower. The evolution of various theories on the formation of the tower are discussed. A slide show of the emplacement of the tower is also available.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration

Author: National Park Service (NPS)

Roping Geologic Time

After having talked about the geologic time scale (Precambrian: prior to 570 Ma; Paleozoic: 570-245 Ma; Mesozoic: 245-65 Ma; Cenozoic: 65 Ma - Present), I ask for two volunteers from the class to hold a rope that is 50 feet long. I say that one end is the beginning of the Earth (4.6 billion years ago), and the other is today. I then give out 16 clothes pins and ask various students to put a cloths pin on the 'time line' at various 'geologic events'. For example, I ask them to put one where the dinosaurs died out (end of the Mesozoic). They almost invariably put it much too old (65 Ma is less than 2% of Earth history!). Then I ask them to put one on their birthday (they now laugh). Then I ask them to put one where we think hominoids (humans) evolved (~3-4 Ma), and they realize that we have not been here very long geologically. Then I ask them to put one at the end of the Precambrian, where life took off in terms of the numbers of species, etc. They are amazed that this only represents less than 15% of Earth history. Throughout the activity I have a quiz going on where the students calculate percentages of Earth History for major geologic events, and compare it to their own ages. On their time scale, the dinosaurs died only about two 'months' ago! The exercise is very effective at letting them get a sense of how long geologic time is, and how 'recently' some major geologic events happened when you consider a time scale that is the age of the earth. (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Randall Richardson

Understanding Geologic Maps

This is an exercise in which students are reintroduced to geologic maps and encouraged to "deconstruct" the map into constituent elements in order to understand the geologic history of the area. The preceding lectures in the course have recapitulated material that the students have covered in Introduction to Physical Geology. During class, the students work through the maps that were part of lab exercises in the Intro level course, so that basic concepts are recalled (superposition, cross-cutting relationships, basic faults and folds). The final product is a geologic history of this map area. (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Cara Burberry

Biology, Geological Time, Geological Time

Material Type: Module

Physical Geology

Word Count: 46737 (Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Material Type: Textbook

Author: Anne Huth

Geologic Mapping on Mars

This lab is part of a Lunar and Planetary Geology course offered to both geology and non-geology majors, and it involves basic geological mapping of an area within the Tyrrhena Patera region on Mars. Students are encouraged to work in groups to prepare a geological map from a photomosaic map and to interpret the geologic stratigraphy from a geological map of the greater area. This activity reinforces mapping skills as well as group work skills, and aims to teach students more about Martian stratigraphy and geology through a hands-on activity. (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Germari De Villiers

Physical Geology - H5P Edition

An interactive adaptation of Physical Geology, First University of Saskatchewan Edition Short Description: Physical Geology - H5P Edition is an interactive comprehensive introductory text on the physical aspects of geology, including rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, mass wasting, climate change, planetary geology, and more. It has a strong emphasis on examples from western Canada. It is adapted from Physical Geology, First University of Saskatchewan Edition. Word Count: 161351 Included H5P activities: 209 (Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Material Type: Textbook

Historical Geology

This textbook is intended for undergraduate courses in Earth history. It was written by Callan Bentley, Karen Layou, Russ Kohrs, Shelley Jaye, Matt Affolter, and Brian Ricketts. It is a work in progress.

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: Brian Ricketts, Callan Bentley, Karen Layou, Matt Affolter, Russ Kohrs, Shelley Jaye

Geologic Maps and Geologic Structures: A Texas Example

This Historical Geology lab exercise is an accompaniment to lab class instruction about geologic structures (folding and faulting) and geologic maps. It also serves as an excellent introduction to the Geology of the state of Texas. "Coloring" geologic maps, an important part of the exercise, may seem like a very elementary learning technique. But this lab engages students actively, and since the subject is often already somewhat familiar to them, emphasizing both the geology and geography of Texas, students receive it enthusiastically. This activity could be adapted to other regions, since most states have color 8 1/2 by 11 geologic maps available. A color map could be scanned and modified in Photoshop to create a simplified black and white version as was done in the assignment handout. (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Roger Steinberg

Assembling a geologic history

Assemble a regional geologic history by compiling observations made a several sites. (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Mary Savina

Physical Geology

Word Count: 175133 (Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Material Type: Textbook

Physical Geology - 2nd Edition

Short Description: Physical Geology is a comprehensive introductory text on the physical aspects of geology, including rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciation, groundwater, streams, coasts, mass wasting, climate change, planetary geology and much more. It has a strong emphasis on examples from western Canada, especially British Columbia, and also includes a chapter devoted to the geological history of western Canada. The book is a collaboration of faculty from Earth Science departments at Universities and Colleges across British Columbia and elsewhere. Long Description: Physical Geology is a comprehensive introductory text on the physical aspects of geology, including rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciation, groundwater, streams, coasts, mass wasting, climate change, planetary geology and much more. It has a strong emphasis on examples from western Canada, especially British Columbia, and also includes a chapter devoted to the geological history of western Canada. The book is a collaboration of faculty from Earth Science departments at Universities and Colleges across British Columbia and elsewhere. Word Count: 196144 ISBN: 978-1-77420-028-5 (Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Material Type: Textbook

Author: Steven Earle

Investigating the Geologic Time Scale: Creating Posters to Display Trends in Geologic Time

This observational inquiry activity involving careful descriptions of rocks and fossil including age will be used to create a scalar accurate geologic time scale. Students will observe and learn that the geologic time scale was created based on changes in fossil, rock, and atmospheric changes.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Kim Atkins

Review of An Introduction to Geology

Review of An Introduction to Geology: http://opengeology.org

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Gretchen Gebhardt

Introduction to Geology

Walter Alvarez introduces geology and discusses how the physical features of Earth can tell us about its history. Created by Big History Project.

Material Type: Lesson

Author: Big History Project

A Brief Introduction to Geology and Geomorphology

There are many, including my environmental and civil engineering technology students, who do not have decades to commit to developing a working understanding of the Earth and the specific geological and geomorphological contexts they may find themselves working in. Therefore, this textbook is designed to provide a brief introduction to the concepts of geology and geomorphology, with an Ontarian perspective. It serves as a good starting point for individuals who have neither prior experience nor knowledge in geology nor geomorphology. In order to adequately explain concepts that unfold in four dimensions (3 dimensions with time as the fourth), an electronic format is used to leverage enhanced illustrations. These illustrations include traditional 2D figures; however, videos, animations, and interactive figures are also used to help create a deeper understanding.

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: Nahgeib Miller, Stephanie Fysh

Metaphor for the geologic time scale

This assignment serves as an introduction to the geologic time scale and to help students visualize the long time intervals between major events in Earth's history. The assignment encourages students to choose a metaphor for geologic time, research major events throughout Earth' history, and calculate how much (cumulative) of their metaphor each time interval represents. (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Cara Thompson

JiTT - Geologic Dating

1) How are zircons formed? 2) Which of the following statements describes relative geologic dating? a) the Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct at the same time b) dinosaurs came later than horseshoe crabs c) the southern Atlantic Ocean began forming 20 million years after Pangaea split apart d) the oldest piece of Atlantic Ocean crust is ~135 million years old, while the oldest piece of Pacific Ocean crust is ~165 million years old e) orangutans separated from the hominid lineage 14 million years ago 3) Which of the following statements describes absolute geologic dating? a) the Triceratops evolved after the Stegosaurus b) the dinosaurs died out 60 million years before humans split from chimps c) gorillas evolved before chimps d) the northern Atlantic Ocean formed before the southern Atlantic Ocean e) the Ice Ages ended 10,000 years ago, before the Cambrian Explosion ~545 million years ago 4) Why are zircons the most reliable timepiece we have for looking at Earth's early history? (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: Laura Guertin

GEOLOGIC TIME: PRINCIPLES & APPLICATIONS

Average inquiry level: Structured This inquiry-based lab about the principles of relative and numerical dating allows students to apply reason and logic to determine the order of geologic events, to experimentally create a radioactive decay and ingrowth diagram, and to calculate numerical ages using algebra. This lab is designed for face-to-face instruction. By the end of lab, students will be able to: Determine the order of geologic events using relative dating principles. Calculate the age of rocks using numerical dating principles. Select correctly from the range of available numerical dating tools to access Earth history at different scales and in different materials. Explain how past events from geologic time influence the present and future. Demonstrate numerical literacy around units, graph manipulation, and using formulas. (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Tiffany Rivera, Victor Ricchezza