Students examine the geological time scale: the Earth is ancient; time can be divided into periods based on its fossil content.

Learners interpret archaeological strata using the law of superposition. They apply cross-dating to determine the age of other artifacts.

Learners analyze cross-sections of geologic events. In this geology instructional activity, students identify the type of environment where the cross-section come from. They take a quiz at the end of the instructional activity.

Students investigae using radioactive decay to determine geologic age.

Learners explore how to read fossil range charts. They develop an knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the fossil record. Students become familiar with the concepts index fossil and fossil range. Learners use bar graphs to...

For this geologic time worksheet, students review how fossils were formed and the events that mark the various geological eras and periods. This worksheet has 10 fill in the blank and 9 short answer questions.

Students describe and interpret images. They make a simple sketch of an outcrop shown in a slide (or computer projection) then discuss possible interpretations.

Students investigate relative and absolute dating; determine the difference between the two dating systems; and apply this knowledge by creating a geologic timetable of their own.

This set of activities from the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology has students investigating how relative dating and absolute dating methods are used to determine the age of rocks and fossils.

One of the most fundamental principles of archaeology is the Law of Superposition. This website provides a diagram showing you the Law of Superposition.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Looks at how stratigraphy can be used to determine the relative ages of rocks, how unconformities occur, ways to match rock layers in different areas, and how...

This is an in-depth activity where students create a rock layer formation using different colors of playdough and investigate the types of folds and rock formations that might occur. They take core samples through anticlines and...

Geologists generally know the age of a rock by determining the age of the group of rocks, or formation, that it is found in. The age of formations is marked on a geologic calendar known as the geologic time scale. Development of the...

This activity is an inquiry-based field investigation of the sedimentary geology of Lilydale Regional Park's brickyards area, a bluff and slope location near St. Paul Minnesota's Harriet Island and Cherokee Heights Park. Students...

Discover the relative age of rocks by identifying sedimentary rock and observing its layers.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Get a visual of how sedimentary rock forms through an interactive animation on this site. Also, test your understanding with a short quiz.

Using a cake analogy, this activity teaches concepts such as: geologic time, rock layers, fossils, Law of Superposition, and relative dating. Activity can be modified to grade level and appropriate content for students,

By looking at an outcrop, students make observations and prediction about Earth's history in this activity. Students will also make hypothesis about the past environment based on the observations from the outcrop.

After a study of the principle of original horizontality and the law of superposition, and how to determine the ages of rock layers and how they are formed, students go on a field study to observe and gather information about rock...

This site was created by two geoscientists. They explain the Principles of Geology. These are general rules, or laws, that are used to determine how rocks were created and how they changed through time. They are also used to determine...

A lengthy scholarly article that discusses the geologic time scale, its history of development, age-dating events that occurred in different eras, and how absolute and relative dating are used to assess the ages of the Earth and Moon....

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Rules for sedimentary rock formation.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Introduces Steno's laws, which allow scientists to decipher the geological events that occurred and the order in which they took place, including how the relative...

This lesson involves an innovative strategy for introducing the concept of relative dating using a block of wood that has been painted, damaged, and nailed. The task for students is to analyze the order in which these events happened and...