MEASURING HISTORY

Content Standards

• I understand the chronological order of history prehistory to modern day

Essential Question:

• What are the key components of civilization?

THE STORY

The world is roughly 4.5 to 6 billion years old –

we’re are going to round that to 5,280,000,000

Scientists believe the earliest humans branched off

from chimpanzees around 5 to 7 million years ago

Hominids “Lucy” 2.3 to 2.4 millions years ago

First Homo Sapiens 400,000 to 500,000 years ago

THE MATH FOR MEASURING HISTORY

Let’s assume that the world is 5.280 billion years old.

(5,280,000,000)

1 foot =1 million years (1,000,000)

To make the math easier, drop the zeroso 5,280,000,000o 1,000,000

5,280 ft

5280 ft = 1 mile

LETS GET STARTED

The first simple cell organisms developed around 3.8 billion

years ago. Dinosaurs developed around 230 million years ago.

How many feet are there between the time of the first simple

organisms and the dinosaurs?

3,800,000,000

230,000,000

3,570 feet

THE DINOSAURS

Dinosaurs roomed around from about 230 million years ago

until about 65 million years ago. How many feet would

Dinosaurs represent in the planets history?

230,000,000

65,000,000

165 feet

“LUCY” HOMINIDS

"Lucy" is estimated to be around 3.2 million years old, so lets

assume that is roughly around the time the first humanish

creatures developed. How many feet has it been since Lucy's

time?

3,200,000

3.2 feet

FIRST MODERN HUMANS

The first Homo Sapiens developed in Africa around 200,000

years ago. How many feet do modern humans represent in the

timeline of the planet?

200,000/1,000,000=.2

.02 inches

THE MODERN ERA

The Renaissance, which began around 1350, is often considered the

beginning of the "modern era". How many feet of Earth's history

belong to the modern era?

2011

1350

661years

661/1,000,000=0.0007 feet

.0007/12=0.0001

WRAPPING IT ALL UP

To wrap this all up, the history that matters most

to most of you is measured in a .00006 inches.