Education Standards
Fossil Dig Lab
Fossil DIg Labels - original
Geological Time Table
In One Year Conversion factors and answer key
In One Year p.1
In One Year p.2
In One Year p.3
MS ESS DCI combined 6.13.13
Oil Drilling Lab
Our Dynamic Earth
Plate Tectonics Webquest
Rocks and Minerals Webquest
Earth's Time Capsule
Overview
This unit is an introduction to Geological Time and Plate Tectonics for 7th graders
Overview
This unit is a 7th-grade introduction to the concepts of geological time and plate tectonics that takes me about 3 weeks.
The following standards are addressed:
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.
MS-ESS2-2. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales.
MS-ESS2-3. Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions.
Geological Time Calendar - In One Year
The conversion factors and answer key are attached
Students will gain an understanding of Geological Time by completing this activity This activity is teacher led and takes about 1 day.
Our Dynamic Earth
Students will view the video and then move on to the interactive. I ussually have them screen shot their work at the end of each section. This activity usually takes about 2-3 days
Fossil Dig - Who Did It?
You will need to prepare at least one tub of sand for each era. I have included the labels and at what depths the fossils should be at.
This activity usually takes about 4-5 days as students need to rotate through each era bucket. The more buckets of each era you have the less time it takes. This lab is messy as sand tends to get on the floor. The labels and at what depth fossils need to be palced is attached.
As you know fossils are clues that allow us to see all the changes that happened
throughout earth’s history, such as climate, weather, foods, etc. Index fossils
are clues for a specific era of time, such as the Pre-Cambrian period. In this
lab, there is a strange twist worthy of the great Sherlock Holmes (well,
assuming you know who he is).
Apparently, Ms. Trilobite, a geology professor from Purdue University, was found with a shell in her lab coat, during a random search for empty Skittle bags. (Those administrators have nothing better to do
than be on candy patrol). What is odd is that the particular mollusk found in
her pocket is an index fossil, and the species is from an archeological dig
site that is off-limits to the public, ever since a strange metallic fin was
found buried one foot below the surface. No evidence is allowed to be removed
from this site.
Ms. Trilobite (AKA “Queen of the participle”) has accused four of her fellow
professors of professional jealousy, stating that they have acted in an
unprofessional manner, by re-arranging evidence. Each colleague has stated
under oath that they were digging on the same day, but at different geologic
depths were seen by each other, emptied their pockets before they left, and
could not have done what Ms. Trilobite has said.
Here is was the detectives have discovered. For each Era (Cenozoic, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic) the following professors were
digging at the following depths:
1. Professor Shark was digging at a
depth of 2 centimeters.
2. Assistant Professor Braille Dot was
digging at a depth of 4 centimeters.
3. Dr. I.M. So Good was digging at a
depth of 6 centimeters.
4. Professor Emeritus My Find was
working at a depth of 8 centimeters.
5. Professor Trilobite was digging at a
depth of 10 centimeters.
Rocks and Minerals Webquest
Students will answer the following questions using the websites provided for each question (the titles are hotlinks so students must open the worksheet digitally).
Drilling for Oil
I use tubs of cat litter for this lab. I then put used motor oil in styrofoam cups, which are cut in half, and using the bottom half, I place the cups in the cat litter in a random pattern. I put aluminum foil over the top of the tub so the students cannot see where the oil is located. I use bamboo skewers that have .25 inch marks on them for drilling and push pins taped on the end of the skewer to simulate the drill bit. After each student uses the tub, I replace the aluminum foil so students have a fresh start.
Students will participate in a simulation of how oil companies find oil. Students will perform the lab and upload the lab report for grading