Lesson overview - the age of the earth
This lesson is part of a Level 9 and 10 Science unit on Earth Science. This lesson is focused on the age of the Earth and how humans are relatively new in comparison to the Earth.
Victorian Curriculum - Science
Levels 9 and 10
Construct and use a range of representations, including graphs, keys, models and formulas, to record and summarise data from students' own investigations and secondary sources, to represent qualitative and quantitative patterns or relationships, and distinguish between discrete and continuous data (VCSIS137).
Learning intention
We are learning about the age of the earth by representing major events on earth's timeline, including the recent arrival of humans.
Success criteria
I can represent where major events fit on a scale of earth's age.
Lesson sequence
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Activate prior knowledge by asking students:
- How old is the earth?
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What geological time periods do you know about?
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How long have animals existed?
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How long have humans existed?
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View
'An introduction to the Geologic time chart'
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Timeline
activity
- The teacher lists a series of geological events on the board
- Students work in groups to order the events across a 4.6 metre timeline that represents the earth's age
- A spokesperson from each group explains the order choices made in their timeline
- Students are encouraged to question and discuss each group's order choices
- The teacher then adds the correct date to each event listed on the board
- Student groups compare the dates provided to their own timeline.
Extension ideas
High-ability students could:
- be grouped together for this task.
- research their own events to add to the timeline.
- construct their own compressed version of the timeline. (restricted to the last million years). This would mean looking at the selected period in greater depth.
- could be asked to compare and contrast the events to look for patterns in each geological time period.
- could make a
short video to summarise the key events that represent the Earth's age.