Teaching Activities
Earth education activities from across all of the sites within the Teach the Earth portal.
Grade Level
Online Readiness
Resource Type: Activities
Subject Show all
Geoscience > Geology > Geochemistry > Radioisotopes
23 matchesResults 1 - 10 of 23 matches
"ZirChron" Virtual Zircon Analysis App part of Petrology:Teaching Examples
Mark Schmitz, Boise State University
This web-based app is designed to help students evaluate a radioisotopic age and its uncertainty based upon the collection of data, the application of statistics, and the interpretation of geological and analytical ...
Resource Type: Activities: Computer Applications, Activities:Lab Activity, Classroom Activity
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology:Geochemistry, Volcanology, Igneous Processes, Igneous Associations and Tectonic Settings, Metamorphic Processes, Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry:Radioisotopes, Geoscience:Geology:Tectonics
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
Learn more about this review process.
Calculating Rb-Sr Isochrons part of Petrology:Teaching Examples
Andy Barth, Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis
This is a spreadsheet that I use in petrology to walk students through calculating Rb-Sr isochrons and talking about isotope heterogeneity and sampling at various scales. The example exercise is the Tuolumne ...
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Lab Activity, Datasets and Tools:Datasets, Activities:Problem Set, Computer Applications
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology:Igneous Rocks, Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry:Radioisotopes, Geochemical Analysis, Geoscience:Geology:Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology:Geochemistry
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review
Half Life Model part of Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience:Interactive Lecture Demonstrations:Examples
David N. Steer (steer@uakron.edu)and Kyle Gray (krg10@uakron.edu), University of Akron
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. GEO-0506518.
While working in groups to facilitate peer tutoring, students manipulate a hands-on, physical model to better comprehend the nature of half life. Students use the model to simulate the decay of radionuclides. The ...
Resource Type: Activities: Activities, Classroom Activity:Short Activity:Demonstration
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry:Radioisotopes, Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
Learn more about this review process.
Understanding Radioactivity in Geology: The Basics of Decay part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
Christina Stringer—University of South Florida, Tampa FL 33620
This activity was developed for Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum. National Science Foundation, DUE 0442629.
PowerPoint module leading students through creation and manipulation of spreadsheet to forward model an example of exponential decay—the number of remaining unpopped kernels of popcorn in a bag of popping popcorn.
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Lab Activity, Classroom Activity, Problem Set
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry:Radioisotopes, Education, Geoscience:Geology:Historical Geology
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
Learn more about this review process.
Radioactive Decay and Geochronology part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
Kirsten Menking, Vassar College
Students create a STELLA model of the radioactive decay process.
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Lab Activity, Computer Applications
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry:Radioisotopes
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
Learn more about this review process.
Exploring Radiometric Dating with Dice part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
Carla Whittington derived from Baer (1999)
Related Links Radioactive Decay ProbabilityExponential Growth and Decay
An activity in which students use dice to explore radioactive decay and dating and make simple calculations.
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity:Short Activity:Demonstration, Activities:Lab Activity
Subject: Mathematics, Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry:Radioisotopes
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review
Demonstration of radioactive decay using pennies part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
Jennifer Wenner, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
A demonstration (with full class participation) to illustrate radioactive decay by flipping coins. Shows students visually the concepts of exponential decay, half-life and randomness. Works best in large classes -- the more people, the better.
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity:Short Activity:Demonstration
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Historical Geology, Geochemistry:Radioisotopes
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review
Isotopes and Tracers part of Hydrogeology:Hydrogeology, Soils, Geochemistry 2013:Activities
Thomas Meixner, The University of Arizona
This assignment offers students several problems that help them understand the basic of mixing models and their use in understanding the controls on water quality in the environment. The purpose of the assignment ...
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Problem Set
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry:Stable Isotopes, Biology:Biogeochemistry, Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry, Geoscience:Hydrology:Ground Water:Water quality/chemistry , Biology:Biogeochemistry:Nutrient Limitation and Cycling, Geoscience:Hydrology:Ground Water, Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry:Radioisotopes
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review
Sedimentation Rates from Pb-210 data part of Hydrogeology:Hydrogeology, Soils, Geochemistry 2013:Activities
Steven Petsch, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
In this exercise, students use a data table of depth, porosity, Pb-210 activity, CaCO3 concentration, 14C age and d13C values to calculate mass accumulation rates, linear sedimentation rates, CaCO3 dissolution and ...
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Problem Set
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry:Acid/Base Reactions, Organic and Biochemistry, Geochemical Analysis, Radioisotopes, Geoscience:Geology:Geochemistry
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review
Application of Sr Isotopic Data to Tuolumne Intrusive Series, Sierra Nevada, CA part of Petrology:Teaching Examples
Jeff Tepper, University of Puget Sound
In this problem set students are given Rb/Sr and 87Sr/86Sr data for whole rock and mineral samples from three granitic intrusions in the Sierra Nevada. They use these data (in EXCEL) to calculate isochron ages and ...
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Problem Set, Lab Activity
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology:Geochemistry, Igneous Processes, Geoscience:Geology:Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Geochemistry:Radioisotopes, Geoscience:Geology
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review