Name __________________________________________________ Date ___________

Geologic Time Scale. Layered Book.2014

Activity: Investigating the Geologic Time Scale

Goals: To interpret and identify events in the geologic time scale and
describe how they relate to one another.

Background Information: Telling the history of the earth requires

placing events in sequence so that reference can be given to the relative and or
numerical time at which each event occurred. This helps make sense out of the
enormous expanse of time that has elapsed since the origin of the earth, and to
the sequence of the actual events in the evolution of life on Earth. Using
absolute dating, scientists have calculated the ages of many different fossils and
rocks. From this information, scientists have created a “calendar” of Earth’s
history that spans more than 4.6 billion years. Scientists have divided this large
time period into smaller units called eras and periods. This calendar of Earth’s
history is called the Geologic Time Scale.

Materials: plain 14” X 8.5” copy paper for creating a layered book, colored
pencils, handouts, textbook

Procedure:
1. Use pages 156-157 of your textbook, the handouts provided, and the
Internet as resources for the events in the Geologic Time Scale.
2. Your teacher will give you instructions for creating a layered book. You will
begin with three sheets of 14” X 8.5” plain copy paper. Stagger the papers
so that there is a one inch overlap on the bottom three sheets and then flip
the top pages over so that a layered book is formed.
3. Use the template on the back of this page to label the parts of the book.
4. Label the first flap of the book, The Geologic Time Scale and decorate it.
5. Include three events for each era of the book and two events for
Precambrian time. Create a drawing of the event, label it, and identify the
period in which the event occurred. The events you choose for the eras
should be from different periods, except for the Cenozoic Era which is
made up of only two periods. See below for an example of an entry.
6. Use colored pencils for your illustrations.
The Geologic Time Scale. Layered Book Trilobite
CAMBRIAN PERIOD

The Geologic Time Scale

P Cenozoic Era
H
A 66 mya - present
N E
E O
Mesozoic Era
R N
O 245 mya – 66.4 mya
Z
O Paleozoic Era
I
C 544mya - 245 mya

PRECAMBRIAN
4.6 billion years ago – 544mya

Name: Core: