EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE

FIRST QUARTER

Module 6
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Earth’s Story

Most Essential Learning Competency:

 Explain how relative and absolute dating were used to

determine the subdivisions of geologic time. (S11/12ES-Ie-

27)

 Describe how the Earth’s history can be interpreted from the geologic time

scale (S11/12ES-Ie-29)

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 To the Learners
The focus of this module is to enrich your knowledge and understanding in the concept and

characteristic how ABSOLUTE and RELATIVE DATING is use in arranging events in

GEOLOGIC TIMESCALE.

To utilize this module, you may want to keep yourself from anything that may disturb you

while working. Prepare the things you need beforehand to avoid disruption while doing the

activities and lastly make reading a habit, reading instructions, and doing it are different things so

make sure to do both. Lastly take down notes of important concepts.

Are you ready to learn? I hope you do, time to find the most comfortable place to work and

let us start!

Expectations
History of Earth

How old are you? This question might have been asked to you at least once, in the same

way you might have wondered how old the earth is and how do scientists know that there is life

before humans. In this lesson you will find activities that help you understand how the geologist:

 determine how fossils have been used to define and identify subdivision of the geologic

time;

 describe the history of earth through geologic time scale; and

 identify what significant events happened throughout earth’s history.

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 Pretest
Multiple Choice: Read the questions carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer on the

blank provided before the number.

____1. Human beings evolved during which geologic era?

A. Cenozoic B. Mesozoic C. Paleozoic D. Precambrian

____2. Large reptiles became abundant during the ________Era?

A. Cenozoic B. Mesozoic C. Paleozoic D. Precambrian

____3. Which of the following type of rocks can you commonly found fossils?

A. Igneous B. Sedimentary C. Metamorphic d. all of these

____4. Which of the following terms refers to the subdivision of a period?

A. Epoch B. Era C. Eon D. Period

____5. Which of the following will not make a fossil?

A. Decomposed organic material

B. Plant impressions (casts)

C. Animal footprints

D. Loose animal bones

Looking Back
Source: http://earthsci.org/processes/struct/section/section.html

Analyzing: Study the illustrations below. Identify the principle of how rocks are stratified and

explain each.

1. 3.

2. 4.

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 Brief Introduction
Geological Timescale

Rocks are recorders of time. Processes and events are preserved in rocks through which we

interpret the history. Like an hourglass, the sand that are deposited at the bottom part has recorded

a specific amount of time. In the same way, sediments deposited on earth are recorders of time

which gives us information on the processes and events that happened in the history.

Sediments piled in horizontal layers contains different fossils. Fossil, remnant, impression,

or trace of an animal or plant of past geologic age that has been preserved in Earth’s crust

(Encyclopaedia Britannica n.d.) which were used in constructing geologic timescale.

Geologists were able to determine the age of organisms and materials they found using the

methods absolute dating and relative dating. Absolute dating is the method of measuring the

absolute age of an event or object. This provides a numerical age of material using radioactive

isotopes. Relative dating unlike absolute dating, it does not provide an exact date rather it is used

to arrange events chronologically in comparison to another material.

Rocks and fossils undergo different changes through time and by analyzing its chemical

composition, geologists were able to determine the approximate age and the certain period of time

it exist.

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 Activity
Activity 6.1 Dig it!

These set of sketches represent already known and dated fossils. Which group of fossils

appear first? Arrange the set of fossils in logical order by putting a number inside the box on the

lower right corner of each division, 1 as first and 8 as last. You may use the “Fossil Information”

sheet for reference. (see Fossil Information sheet on Parent’s Guide). Answer the questions

below.

Analysis:

1. Based on the information that is given about each type of fossil, what can you infer about the

type of environment these fossils may have lived in? ______________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

What evidence did you use to make your inference? _______________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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2. If you will arrange them in a column, are your oldest fossils and rock layers on top or the

bottom of your column? _________________________________________________________

Why did you arrange them this way? _______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

3. How do you think geologists used fossils to define and identify divisions in geologic timescale?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Activity 6.2 Geologic Timeline

geologictimescale.html
https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/geotime/guide/

Materials: Pen, ¼ sheet of manila Paper, Ruler, Colored Marker

Procedure in making a Geological Timeline:

1. Within the first 20 centimeters in the top left corner of your ¼ sheet of manila paper, write a

full heading – Geological Timeline, your name, grade, and section.

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2. At the center of the paper, measure out 46 centimeters in a straight horizontal line using a ruler.

This will serve as your timeline.

3. On the left end of your timeline, draw a small vertical line and label it as 4.6 billion years ago

and on the right end of the line indicate it as – “Today”.

4. Using the Major Events listed in Table 1, measure and write the major events on your geologic

timeline. Measurement for the timeline will begin with “Today”

5. Follow the color assigned for each Era, use colored marker.

6. Answer the following questions.

Analysis

a. When do ‘life’ starts on Earth? __________________________________________________

b. What percentage of time has life existed on Earth? __________________________________

c. About how many years of geological time have humans existed on Earth?

_____________________________________________________________________________

d. When do mammals start to exist? _______________________________________________

e. Did dinosaurs exist at the same time as humans? ___________________________________

f. How do scientists determine when an era begins and when it ends? _____________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

g. What is the purpose of making a geological timeline? _______________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Activity 6.3 Evolution within a clock.

The geologic time scale is often used to show how life evolved on Earth. But what would

this time scale look like in a different form, like a 24-hour day?

Watch the following short video (stop at 1:35 minutes): The Evolution of Life on Earth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2_6cqa2cP4

Analysis:

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1. What are some major differences between the geologic time scales you made and the one on the

video? _______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. What can we learn from geologic events? _________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Remember
 Rock Strata all around the earth are indicators of major events in geologic history.

Information and inferences from rock strata are put together in a geologic time scale.

 The geological timescale describes as the collection of chronological events that have

occurred during Earth’s history.

 Earth’s estimated age is 4.6 billion years.

 Eons are major divisions of time. Earth’s 4.6 billion years of existence is divided into

eons - the Precambrian Eon, and the Phanerozoic Eon. Precambrian Eon starts from

the beginning of the formation of earth until 540 million years ago and the Phanerozoic

Eon starts from the appearance of multicellular organisms and continuous up today.

 Eons are divided into smaller time intervals known as Eras whose time boundaries are

determined by very significant events. The Precambrian eon is divided into Hadean,

Archean, and Proterozoic Eras, while Phanerozoic eon is divided into Paleozoic,

Mesozoic, and Cenozoic Eras.

 Eras are subdivided into periods. The period is a basic unit of geological time in which a

single type of rock system is formed. (Angeles and Gicaraya, 2017)

 Period is subdivided into Epoch; it is a unit of geological time the basis of which are rock

layers or rock series deposited during a geological event. (Angeles and Gicaraya, 2017)

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 Check your understanding
Directions: Analyze the diagrams below. Answer what is asked in each item.

st.html
xplorations/tours/geotime/guide/postte
https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/e
1. Look at the diagram on the right representing layers

of rocks and the fossils buried in them.

i. Circle the letter of the oldest layer.

ii. Explain how you can tell which layer is the

oldest.

2. The table on the right shows a portion of the Geologic Time Scale. What do the divisions of

time represent? Circle the letter of your answer.

A. the names of famous scientists

B. major changes in flora (plats and fauna (animals)

C. Latin terms for lengths of time

Post Test
Directions: Read the sentences carefully. Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Evidence for past events in Earth’s ancient history are provided by ____________.

A. timelines C. the biodiversity of Australia

B. history books D. rocks and fossils within them

2. What era does human life emerged?

A. Precambrian B. Paleozoic C. Mesozoic D. Cenozoic

3. A new fossil is found in a rock layer in Cordillera. How can index fossils be used to help date

the approximate age of the new fossil?

A. Scientists use radioactive dating to get the exact age of the new fossil.

B. Scientists compare the new fossil directly to known fossils to find its age.

C. Scientists use the fossils around the new fossil to compare to known fossils.

D. Scientists ask other scientists to date the fossils based on known information.

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4. Which method was primarily used to establish the Geologic Time Scale?

A. Correlation of magnetic signatures in rocks

B. Calculation of beta decay of isotopes

C. Correlation of fossils in rock units across vast distances

D. Correlation of rock types across vast distances

5. Which of the following statements are true regarding the geologic timescale?

A. It is based on data from fossils

B. It is only used in English speaking country

C. It was not created until after the discovery of radioactivity

D. It was first created using relative dating and correlation

Reflection
Directions: Make a reflective learning by answering the following questions. You may express

your answer in an innovative way.

1. What did I accomplish?

______________________________________________________________________________

2. What is important about what I did?

______________________________________________________________________________

3. Where could I use this again?

______________________________________________________________________________

4. How well did I do? What could be done differently?

______________________________________________________________________________

5. How can I use this knowledge in my future work?

______________________________________________________________________________

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