Science 4 Inquiry
Layers and Laws: The Law of Superposition and Index Fossils
What can layers of rock teach us about the climate? Young scientists solve a mystery about who stole a cookie by applying the law of superposition. Then, they apply the same concept to solve a more difficult mystery, trying to determine...
Curated OER
Sequence of Events Practice 3-Rock Layers
In this rock layer learning exercise, learners are given a diagram showing a pattern of rock layers from oldest to youngest. Students list the sequence of events that occurred in order to form the pattern shown.
Curated OER
Sequence of Events Practice-Rock Layers
In this rock layers worksheet, students are given a diagram of various rock layers. They determine and list 14 events that occurred in order to form the rock layers in the diagram.
Curated OER
Sequence of Events Practice 7-Rock Layers
In this rock layers activity, students are given a diagram of rock layers each labeled with a letter. Students identify 18 events in sequential order that occurred to form the layers. They label each type of rock using the reference...
Curated OER
How Sedimentary Rocks are Formed
Students investigate the stripes in sedimentary rocks, using a structure at Petra, Jordan, as an example, and then do a hands-on activity using mixed nuts to illustrate the layering of sedimentary rocks.
Curated OER
Creating a Rock Sequence
In this rock sequence worksheet, students will sequence a list of 10 historical events according to the principle of superposition. Students will label these events on a cross-section diagram.
Curated OER
Sequence of Events
For this rock layers worksheet, students list the events needed to make the pattern of rock layers shown, ordering them from oldest to youngest. This worksheet has 15 short answer questions.
GNS Science
Think like a Geologist: 1
How well do pupils play the role of geologist? Test their abilities in the first installment of a two-part series. Presented with a series of rock formation diagrams, learners write stories to match what they see in the diagrams. The...
Curated OER
Sequence of Events
In this rock layers learning exercise, students list the events needed to make the pattern of rock layers shown in the diagram from oldest to youngest. This learning exercise has 4 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Sequence of Events Practice #5
In this rock layers activity, students list the events needed to make the pattern of rock layers shown from oldest to youngest. This activity has 15 fill in the blank questions.
Curated OER
Sequence of Events
In this rock layers worksheet, learners list the events needed to make the pattern of rock layers shown in order from oldest to youngest. This worksheet has 5 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Relative Age Dating
Modeling dough and paper cutouts in science class? Learn about how relative age dating concepts, like the Law of Superposition and cross-cutting relationships, can be used to describe the formation of sedimentary layers.
Curated OER
Edible Rock Activity
Who knew Snickers® could be used to teach science? Give your budding earth scientists a chance to explore the Law of Superposition, in addition to a well-earned snack.
Curated OER
The Rock and Fossil Record-Science Puzzlers, Twisters & Teasers
In this earth science worksheet, students complete 12 questions about rocks and fossils in the form of anagrams, riddles, sequences, and brain teasers.
Curated OER
Determining Age Of Rocks And Fossils
Young scholars discuss together how to determine the relative age of each of the rock units in the block diagram (Figure 1). After students have decided how to establish the relative age of each rock unit, they should list them under the...
Curated OER
Relative Ages of Rocks
In this rock worksheet, students are given a diagram of historical events in rock formation and they label the diagram with the events according to the principle of superposition.
Polar Trec
Ice Cores: Modeling Ice Sheets
Ice cores provide scientists with knowledge of historic melt layers, air temperatures, greenhouse gases, and climate stability. Scholars work in groups to build layers representing snow and ice over thousands of years. Then, groups...
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels (III), The Geology of Coal: Interpreting Geologic History
Learners hypothesize about why various samples of coal have different characteristics. Pupils use information that they found during Internet searches to ascertain the validity of their hypotheses and verify the "story" of coal. ...
Curated OER
Geologic History PowerPoint Follow Sheet-The Rules of the Game
In this geologic history worksheet, learners answer questions about the earth's history, about dating fossils, about layers of rocks and about unconformity.
Curated OER
Dino Fossils
Primary paleontologists discover the information they can gather from examining fossils. They place pictures in the correct sequence showing how an animal becomes a fossil. They discuss which sediments would preserve fossils better as well.
Curated OER
Excavating the Past
Young scholars discover how palaeontologists conduct a dig for fossils and how they interpret the age of the fossils. In small groups, they prepare a "dig site" consisting of bones, rocks and soil layered in a cardboard box. They switch...
Curated OER
Solid Earth Socratic Questions
High schoolers participate in a whole class discussion to relate what they know about earthquakes to the processes of plate tectonics. They respond to prompts that lead them to conclusions about the layers of the earth.
Curated OER
Mud Fossils
Students observe real fossils. In this science lesson, students make their own mud fossils by pressing material into the mud and letting it dry in the sun for 3-4 days. Students then get the fossils out displaying their mud fossils.
Curated OER
The Formation of Coal
In this coal formation worksheet, students read and informational sheet about coal formation. Students are given 5 short-answer questions regarding what they've read.