Geologic Time Scale CogSketch geoscience worksheet
Bridget Garnier
Sketching activity that uses a sketch-understanding program, CogSketch. This worksheet has students build the geologic time scale by adding events on increasing larger scales, from 1 million years to 4.56 billion ...

Learning Assessment #5 - Geologic Time (2011)
Leslie Reid, University of Calgary; Michelle Speta, University of Calgary
An in-class activity that tests students' understanding of the principles of relative age, absolute age and numerical age bracketing.

Metaphor for the geologic time scale
Cara Thompson
Students choose an object or concept that they are familiar with (e.g., football field, pint of beer, etc) and calculate the cumulative amount of that object or concept that represents intervals of geologic time. ...

Toilet Paper Analogy for Geologic Time
Jennifer Wenner, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
An in class demonstration of the vastness of geologic time using a 1000-roll sheet of toilet paper and unrolling it around the room.

Counting Critters: Using the Paleobiology Database to track fossil diversity through geologic time
Rowan Lockwood, College of William and Mary
Students learn how to use the Paleobiology Database (PBDB) to develop a diversity curve showing changes in global biodiversity through time. They then use this curve to explore major events in the history of life, ...

Geologic Time Calculations
Francisco San Juan, Elizabeth City State University
Radiometric age determination using parent/daughter composition and a radiometric decay curve.

Driving Through Geologic Time - An analogy
Eric Baer, Highline Community College
An analogy of the Earth's history to a cross-country drive.

Implementing A Constructivist Teaching Model For Conceptualizing Geologic Time
, Georgia State University
The activity fosters middle learning students critical thinking and allows for student generated essential questions to further their understanding of Earth's history and geologic time.

Learning Assessment #6 - Geologic Time (2010)
Leslie Reid, University of Calgary; Michelle Speta, University of Calgary
An in-class activity that tests students' understanding of the principles of relative age, absolute age and numerical age dating.

Teaching geologic time and rates of landscape evolution with dice
Kate Ruhl, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Landscape evolution provides a convenient framework for understanding geologic time and rates because students can observe how processes like erosion and deposition shape their surroundings. In this example, students build 3-D sandbox models based on topographic maps and design and stage a "virtual adventure race." Sandbox landscapes are used to illustrate erosional processes,while local examples are used to discuss landscapes as transient or steady over different time- and length scales. Dice experiments illustrate radioactive decay and the shape of the age equation curve, and 14C dating, geochronology and thermochronology are introduced as "stopwatches" that start when a plant dies, a crystal forms, or a rock nears the surface and cools to a certain temperature. The sandbox model and thermochronometer "stopwatches" are combined to measure erosion rates and rates of landscape change. Ultimately, model rates (cm/hour) calculated from stopwatch times on the order of seconds can be related to geologic rates (km/My) calculated from real million-year-old samples.