Geological Timeline Think about

yesterday’s lesson about the study of the earth’s history. Warm Up: Why are geological

timelines seldom drawn to scale?

Notice retake days/times on board – Today, Tue, Wed

Geological Timelines

• Graphic organizers, charts, and diagrams are great for presenting information in a quick and easy-to-understand manner.

• It’s easier for publishers to fit information on a normal size sheet of paper.

• Which book do you think is more practical?

Look at these Geological Timelines

Some are artistic

Some show more details

But, none were shown to scale

• The scale ratio of a model represents the proportional ratio of a linear dimension of the model to the same feature of the original.

• To scale: Not to scale:

A Scale Ratio of Earth’s History

• How old was the earth? • About 4.5 billion years old • So, if each million years was a millimeter, then

each billion would be a meter – how long would a scale ratio of the earth need to be?

• About 4 ½ meters! • Your group will get a 5 meter strip of adding

machine tape to make your timeline. *our supply of the paper is limited, so if you make a

mistake, please cut and tape the correction!

This Project – 2 Days!

• The timeline is a group project, but the activity sheet is your individual responsibility!

• Follow the directions on the activity sheet – start with the present and go backward into time.

• Keep the years in the top third of the paper strip • When you have the time line plotted, your group

may check out two computers to fill in the other information.

• You are finding general information about the earth’s surface, average temperatures, and life forms.

Quick Directions 1. Work with your

table group to create a scale ratio geological timeline

2. READ the directions together before you start

3. Collect these Materials: – 5 m paper strip – Meter stick

4. Show me your timeline before you move to the next set of directions!

Use Pencil!!!!!

5. Additional Materials for illustrating and annotating your timeline: – Colored pencils – 2 computers – Resource on my

Teacher page – under Integrated Science

6. Research this information for each section: – Overall

appearance of the surface of earth

– Average temperatures

– Common forms of life

– Resources on my calendar

Eon Era Period Millions of years ago

Major biological events

Phanero

zoic

Eon

Cenozo

ic E

ra Neogene Today –

23

The beginning of the Neogene is when the first hominids (early humans) appeared. Modern humans appeared and developed civilization by the end of this period. Mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, and giant camels dominated until 10,000 years ago when many large mammals went extinct.

Paleogene 23 – 65

Rise of the mammals and birds. Rodents, primates, pigs, cats, dogs, bears and whales appear. Flowering plants spread across the globe.

Meso

zoic

Era

Cretaceous 65 – 145

Dinosaurs continue to dominate the land. Marsupials, modern sharks, bees and butterflies appear. Flowering plants appear. Period ends with the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and many plants.

Jurassic 145 – 200

Dinosaurs dominate the land. Mammals are common but small. Feathered dinosaurs and birds appear. The most common land plants are ferns, palm-like trees called cycads, and grasses.

Triassic 200 – 251

The few survivors of the Permian extinction go on to populate the land and oceans. New species like mammals, dinosaurs and crocodiles appear.

Pale

ozo

ic E

ra

Permian 251 – 299

Amphibians dominate the land. Early cone-bearing plants like pine trees appear. Period ends with the largest mass extinction known with 95% of all marine species and 50% of all animals going extinct.

Carboniferous

299 – 359

Many swamps on land and sponge reefs in the oceans. Reptiles appear. Early winged insects and cockroaches appear.

Devonian 354 – 417

Fish spread across the oceans. Amphibians appear. The first trees and other plants spread across the land creating the first forests.

Silurian 417 – 443

Spiders, scorpions, insects, complex plants, and fish with bony jaws appear. Fish adapt to living in rivers and fresh water for the first time.

Ordovician 443 – 488

First land plants appear. Primitive fungi and sea weed appears. The oceans are full of corals, mollusks, worms, primitive fish, and echinoderms like starfish.

Cambrian 488 – 543

A large number of new animal species appear in a relatively short time. First fish appear. No known life on land yet.

Proterozoic Eon 543 – 2,500

First multi-celled organisms like sponges appear. Earliest complex life forms are algae from 1.4 billion years ago. Oxygen begins to accumulate in the atmosphere.

Archean Eon 2,500 – 3,800

Earliest life on Earth are bacteria from 3.5 billion years ago. Earth is very different from today. The atmosphere is mostly methane and ammonia. The continents only just have begun to form.

Hadean Eon 3,800 – 4,570

No known life. The Earth’s crust cools and solidifies. The moon forms.

Quick Math Hint: Start: Neogene 0-23 mm or 2.3 cm End: Hadean Eon 3.8 m to 4.57 m

Geological Timeline (day 2)

You know the plan!

Warm Up: Two people per group come check out a computer from me

Due at end of class!

• Login and go to COKER’s Teacher Page

• Once on my page, click the “Integrated Science” link and choose the “Geologic Timeline Web Resources” page

• Then follow the links to various sites to help you collect brief description on what happened/lived during these periods.

You should divide the labor – Two group members collect info on ½ of the periods, and the other two collect info on the other 1/2

Quick Directions 1. Work with your

table group to create a scale ratio geological timeline

2. READ the directions together before you start

3. Collect these Materials: – 5 m paper strip – Meter stick

4. Show me your timeline before you move to the next set of directions!

Use Pencil!!!!!

5. Additional Materials for illustrating and annotating your timeline: – Colored pencils – 2 computers – Resource on my

Teacher page – under Integrated Science

6. Research this information for each section: – Overall

appearance of the surface of earth

– Average temperatures

– Common forms of life

– Resources on my calendar

Eon Era Period Millions of years ago

Major biological events

Phanero

zoic

Eon

Cenozo

ic E

ra Neogene Today –

23

The beginning of the Neogene is when the first hominids (early humans) appeared. Modern humans appeared and developed civilization by the end of this period. Mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, and giant camels dominated until 10,000 years ago when many large mammals went extinct.

Paleogene 23 – 65

Rise of the mammals and birds. Rodents, primates, pigs, cats, dogs, bears and whales appear. Flowering plants spread across the globe.

Meso

zoic

Era

Cretaceous 65 – 145

Dinosaurs continue to dominate the land. Marsupials, modern sharks, bees and butterflies appear. Flowering plants appear. Period ends with the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and many plants.

Jurassic 145 – 200

Dinosaurs dominate the land. Mammals are common but small. Feathered dinosaurs and birds appear. The most common land plants are ferns, palm-like trees called cycads, and grasses.

Triassic 200 – 251

The few survivors of the Permian extinction go on to populate the land and oceans. New species like mammals, dinosaurs and crocodiles appear.

Pale

ozo

ic E

ra

Permian 251 – 299

Amphibians dominate the land. Early cone-bearing plants like pine trees appear. Period ends with the largest mass extinction known with 95% of all marine species and 50% of all animals going extinct.

Carboniferous

299 – 359

Many swamps on land and sponge reefs in the oceans. Reptiles appear. Early winged insects and cockroaches appear.

Devonian 354 – 417

Fish spread across the oceans. Amphibians appear. The first trees and other plants spread across the land creating the first forests.

Silurian 417 – 443

Spiders, scorpions, insects, complex plants, and fish with bony jaws appear. Fish adapt to living in rivers and fresh water for the first time.

Ordovician 443 – 488

First land plants appear. Primitive fungi and sea weed appears. The oceans are full of corals, mollusks, worms, primitive fish, and echinoderms like starfish.

Cambrian 488 – 543

A large number of new animal species appear in a relatively short time. First fish appear. No known life on land yet.

Proterozoic Eon 543 – 2,500

First multi-celled organisms like sponges appear. Earliest complex life forms are algae from 1.4 billion years ago. Oxygen begins to accumulate in the atmosphere.

Archean Eon 2,500 – 3,800

Earliest life on Earth are bacteria from 3.5 billion years ago. Earth is very different from today. The atmosphere is mostly methane and ammonia. The continents only just have begun to form.

Hadean Eon 3,800 – 4,570

No known life. The Earth’s crust cools and solidifies. The moon forms.

Quick Math Hint: Start: Neogene 0-23 mm or 2.3 cm End: Hadean Eon 3.8 m to 4.57 m

Before You Leave! • Please SHUT DOWN the computer! • Do NOT close the lid until the

computer completely shuts down itself • Return your computer to me at the

cart – we need to plug them back into the correct space

• Be sure your workspace looks organized and nice (materials put away neatly, paper scraps thrown away, etc.)

Geological Timeline (LAST DAY)

You know the plan!

Warm Up:

•Collect your timeline.

•Get to work with drawings and notes

Due at end of class:

•Group: 1 timeline

•Student: Worksheet

Turn in your work! • All group members need to sign the

back of the timeline

• Turn in your individual paper.

• If your groups had a member that refused to help or goofed around a lot, please write me a note at the bottom of your paper!

Clean up materials and turn in your papers!