Time line

Margaret Mayer

Dine College

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Initial Publication Date: February 23, 2012 | Reviewed: November 3, 2013 (see revision history: 2 events)

Summary

Students develop a time line using registrar tape and correlating marking off divisions of geologic eras. Above this they develop a Navajo time line of creation. Each week they focusing on the topic (era/period) of the week adding major events in a creative manner such as drawings and marking subcategories of time.

Paleoclimate records, Climate Change, Historical Geology, Paleontology | College Lower (13-14), College Upper (15-16)

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Context

Audience

For GLG 102 Historical Geolgoy undergradate majors and/or non-majors gen ed course

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

Mathematical skills to correlate the length of the tape measure with Geologic time eons,eras,periods etc. as well correlation to Navajo Creation and Worlds.
Artistic/creative skills in drawing types fossils, major events
Concepts of the length of time of each time period and the progression of evolution

How the activity is situated in the course

It is a continuous activity throughout the course (each week) besides another lab

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Length of Eons, eras, periods, etc
Key events that occurred in each
Possible correlation? to Navajo Creation/Worlds Story

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

Analysis of data (western and Navajo)
Critical correlation and evaluation of competing models

Other skills goals for this activity

Creative and analytical skills
Ability to work in groups

Description of the activity/assignment

This lab serves to introduce students to geologic time and serves as an outline for the course through the semester.

Students use a tape register and must mark out the corresponding length of each Geologic Era and Eon towards the beginning of the course. Above Western time line Navajo students construct their own time line correlating events as best as possible. As the course progresses starting from 4.6bya each week they must draw major events that occur marking correct subdivisions of time and ages ago. As fossil life gets more complex such as beginning in the Paleozoic students are must take different categories of fossils or different periods so all are doing different things but working together. (Similarly the Navajo time line builds. This time line is taped around the room---and I would have liked to paint the two time lines along the corridor of the building but Maintenance axed it.

Determining whether students have met the goals

Students must interpret their time lines each week (Western and Navajo) The time divisions must be accurately marked off and major events drawn or indicated in a creative way.

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