6th - 8th Grade Module 12 Concept 1

Cycle 2

What evidence do we use to organize Earth’s history?

Cycle Summary

In the previous cycle, students developed and used models and analogies to explain how the Earth’s 4.6 billion year history is organized using geologic and biologic events.
In this cycle, students will construct an explanation that answers the guiding question

Session 4
Elicit

Students look at pictures of 2 mountains and develop arguments for estimating their ages.

Engage

Students interpret how scientists use different lines of evidence to determine how old features on Earth are by sequencing the events of an individual’s day.

Session 5
Explore

Students construct and compare rock sequences to model how scientists organize Earth’s history using relative dating techniques.

Session 6
Explore

Students analyze geologic evidence at locations across the globe to determine the location of the impact crater that caused the Cretaceous Extinction.

Session 7
Explain

Students read about relative and absolute dating and answer analysis questions. Students explain, using a CER, how scientists have constructed the geologic timescale to explain Earth’s history.

Session 8
Elaborate

Students research paleontologist’s and geologist’s roles in determining Earth’s history.

Evaluate

Students complete an assessment to demonstrate their understanding of evidence for the organization of geologic time.

Extend
Extend

Students use evidence from the surface of Mars to reconstruct geologic events that have occurred throughout Mars’ history.