11

Earth Science
Quarter 1 – Module 12:
History of the Earth:
Relative vs. Absolute Dating
Earth Science – Grade 11
Self-Learning Module (SLM)
Quarter 1 – Module 12: History of the Earth Relative vs Absolute Dating
First Edition, 2020

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 11
Earth Science
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
History of the Earth:
Relative vs. Absolute Dating
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Grade 11 Earth Science Self-Learning Module (SLM) on History of

the Earth: Relative vs. Absolute Dating.
This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming
their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
For the learner:

Welcome to the Grade 11 Earth Science Self-Learning Module (SLM) on History of

the Earth: Relative vs. Absolute Dating.

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner
is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and
skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the

lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will

help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns.
 Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your
level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also tends retention of
learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in developing

this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!
 What I Need to Know

The Earth is about 4.6 billion years old while the oldest fossil was dated 3.5
billion years. Do you wonder how scientist determine their age? What material did
they used? Also, meteorites have been dated at 4.6 billion years. They are considered
to be remnants of an asteroid that originally formed at the same time as the Earth,
so that our planet’s age is currently estimated the same as these rocks.

Rock? Billion
years old? How
do they know?

Fig. 1 The Earth history timeline

Source: Andree Valley/University of Wisconsin-Madison

In this topic, you will learn how our planet evolved through times using rocks
and fossils.

 Lesson 1 – History of the Earth: Formation of Stratified Rocks

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Describe the different methods (relative and absolute dating to determine the
age of stratified rocks. (
2. Explain how relative and absolute dating were used to determine the
subdivisions of geologic time.
 What I Know

Let me know how far your knowledge on this topic is. Begin your journey by
answering the ten-item test below.

Good luck!

Pre- Assessment

Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Use a separate sheet of
paper for your answer.

1. The phrase younger or older can be used to remember the idea of;
a. Horizontality
a. Cross cutting
b. Absolute dating
c. Superposition

2. Which of the following DOES NOT belong to the group?

a. law of superposition
b. law of original horizontality
c. cross cutting principle
d. radiometric dating

3. Which of the following is TRUE about the age of the rock produced from
intrusion?
a. It is older than existing rock.
b. It has the same age as the existing rock.
c. It is younger than the existing rock.
d. It is not determined.

For questions 4-6, refer your answer to the picture below.

4. Based on the picture (right), which rock is the

oldest?
a. conglomerate
b. siltstone
c. sandstone
d. limestone

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE

about faulting and magma intrusion?
a. Magma intruded before faulting.
b. Faulting happened after magma intrusion.
c. Magma intrusion and faulting happened at the same time.
d. After faulting, magma intrusion happened.
6. Arrange the sequence of rocks from youngest
to oldest?
a. conglomerate, siltstone, sandstone, shale, limestone
b. conglomerate, siltstone, limestone, sandstone, shale
c. siltstone, conglomerate, sandstone, limestone, shale
d. siltstone, conglomerate, sandstone, shale, limestone

7. Isotopes with short half-lives are not useful for dating very old rocks
because;
a. very old rocks would never have contained these isotopes
b. not enough of the parent isotope remains to measure accurately
c. not enough of the daughter product has formed to be detectable
d. neither the parent isotope nor the daughter product will be detectable.

8. What happens to the parent and daughter atoms after first half life?
a. The number of parent atom is the same as the daughter atom.
b. The parent atom decreases about a quarter from the initial number.
c. The daughter atom increases twice as much as the parent.
d. The parent atom decreases twice as much as the original.

9. If you found fossils of young wood and charcoal, which of the following
isotopes can be used?
a. Carbon-14
b. Potassium-40
c. Lead-206
d. Uranium-235

10. A rock formed with 1,000 atoms of a radioactive parent element, but only
contains 250 radioactive parent atoms today. If the half-life is 1 000 000
years, how old is the rock?
a. 250 000 years
b. 500 000 years
c. 2 000 000 years
d. 3 000 000 years
 Lesson
History of the Earth:
1 Relative vs. Absolute Dating
No one knows how our planet became what it is now. So, man continues to
study the origin of the Earth. In order to know more about it, scientists used rocks-
the evidences of our past. It tells a story of past events and eventually predicting our
future. It is only then that human will realize what has to be done soon. By knowing
its history will give us an idea of how we ought to manage earth and its components.

What’s In

The topic on stratification allows you to understand how the products of

weathering and other materials that go with the different agents of erosion become
part of creating rock layer.

This time your knowledge from the previous topic will be further discussed.
This part lets you realize the essence of rock formation. This helps to determine how
old our planet by just simply using the evidences that formed a long time ago.

Before you proceed to the activity, consider to differentiate the two life
timescale for a brief introduction of the concept.

Life Timescale
Relative Timescale Absolute Timescale
I was born. I was born April 22, 1983
I took my first step. I took my first step. April 1, 1984
I entered I entered elementary June 5, 1991
elementary.
My little sister was My little sister was September 8,
born. born on September 8, 1988
1988

What details in the absolute timescale are not evident in the relative timescale?

___________________________________________________________________
 What’s New

Now, you are going to simulate the process of rock formation in order
to determine the age of the rocks.

Activity 1: Dating a rock!

Objective: Demonstrate stratification process to determine the age of rock

Materials:
2 transparent drinking glasses
stones
sand
soil
shells/gems

Procedure:
Activity 1
Set Up A.
1. Pour the sand evenly in a clear bottle/glass by
shaking it gently in a horizontal/left to right manner.
2. Do the same to soil and stones creating bands or
layers until fully filled. Fig. 4 stones
What material is at the bottom? What material is on soil
topmost layer? sand
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

Imagine the bottle as an ocean basin, and the materials

became the rocks after millions of years. Which do you
think is the oldest? youngest? Why?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

Set Up B.

1. Create another bands of the same materials in

a separate glass. This time, add the shells or gems
in each layer. 10
2. Label each layer by 10. Start it from the top. Fig. 5 20
3. Each value represents millions of years.
30

How old is the oldest layer? youngest layer?

__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Compare the two set ups. Which set up describes the age
relative to its position? Which tells the exact or absolute
age?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
A B
What do shells represent in set up B?
__________________________________________ Fig. 6
__________________________________________

What is It

This rock is
This rock 225 million
is younger years old.
than
this rock.

Fig. 7 Comparison of rock layers

Methods of Dating Stratified Rocks

There are two methods of telling how old rock is. When one sample is
compared by simply describing as older or younger than the other, it is called as
relative dating (Figure 10). The bottom part is older than the one above it. This is
the Law of Superposition. In the activity, materials were distributed evenly which
also holds true to an actual process of deposition. This idea is called as the Law of
Original Horizontality. However, rock layers are subject to deformation which
includes folding, tilting and faulting. Magma intrusion can also uplift these layers.
This intrusion is younger than the rock based on the cross cutting principle. In
case, pieces of rocks are contained within another, inclusions are older than the one
containing it.

Fig. 8 The folding (purple), uplifting (red), tilting, faulting (green, and intrusion of rock layers (pink)
Screenshots from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYSeM63Fv0s
 Based on the activity, the shells serve as the organisms that lived and buried
in each layer. The organisms become fossilized after thousands or more years. These
are called index or guide fossils and are used as indicators to define and identify
geologic periods. The best index fossils are of organisms that existed for a very short
time over a large area of Earth. In a sequence of rock layers below, an index fossil
would not be found in very many layers vertically but would be widespread
horizontally from one place to another. If the age of a certain fossil is determined, the
rock where it was found carries its age.

Fig. 9 Index fossils embedded in rock layers found at different locations

Source:https://4.files.edl.io/bfb7/01/23/20/223508-1163729b-f99a-4a52-9563-be2ca32c67e1.pdf

It is likely that a long time from now, humans will be an excellent index fossil.
Humans have existed for a relatively short time, yet our remains and signs of our
existence can be found worldwide.

In absolute dating specific existence of rocks and organisms can be traced.

This means that rocks are given exact age expressed in years, millions (mya) and
billions of years (bya). In the activity, the values
indicated in each layer of sample shows the absolute
time the rock formed. The lowest layer labeled 30 mya
is the oldest while the younger layers (middle and top)
have ages 20 and 10 mya respectively. However, in
nature, this is not the real scenario because no one
knows the exact date when layers were formed.

The age of sedimentary rocks is determined

based on volcanic ash found above and below it
through bracketing (Fig. 10). During volcanic
eruption, volcanic ash travels long distances and
deposited in different areas forming igneous rock.
The radioactive elements found in these rocks are
used to calculate the exact time of formation.
Fig.10 Bracketing of sedimentary rocks
Source:https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrar
y/article/0_0_0/lines_10
 What’s More

The fossil of the animal in the first layer was found older than the second
layer. Thus, in relative dating, rock layer 1 (left) is older than 3 (right) regardless of
their rock types (Fig. 11).

Even though these two outcrops are separated by a large distance, the same
rock layer can be correlated with the other because of the presence of the fossils.
This lets scientists know that the two layers were deposited at the same time, even if
the surrounding rocks look dissimilar from each other.

Fig.11 Rock layers and guide fossils

Source:https://4.files.edl.io/bfb7/01/23/20/
223508-1163729b-f99a-4a52-9563-
be2ca32c67e1.pdf

The trilobite (magnified view) is commonly used index fossils because they are
easy to recognize. The trilobites lived 550 million years ago. It is an
extinct fossil marine arthropod easily recognized by their distinctive three-lobed,
three-segmented form. We know exactly when certain species became extinct, such
that we can compare rock layers that contain trilobites with a second rock layer and,
based on position, determine if the second rock layer is younger.

Using the guide fossils, which layers have the same age? Why?

___________________________________________________

Naturally, organisms have radioactive elements inside their body such as

carbon-14. Rocks contain uranium and other isotopes. These elements undergo a
process of decay. But how was it exactly found out? In absolute dating, the elements
found in fossilized organism or rocks are used by determining the half-life. It is the
time required for a parent element to reduce to half of its original value. For instance,
a sample of rock that has 1000 atoms of uranium-235 will decay after 704 million of
years. Half of its initial number will become Lead-207 (Pb). Thus, the rock has 50
percent Uranium and 50 percent Lead.
 Parent Parent Daughter

Fig.10 Atoms of Uranium-235 before and after first half life

Table 1. Commonly used radioactive elements

Parent Half-life Daughter
Thorium-232 14 BY Lead-208
Uranium-238 4.5 BY Lead-206
Uranium-235 704 MY Lead-207
Potassium-40 1.2 BY Argon-40
Carbon-14 5730 yr Nitrogen-14
*BY means billions of years

How many atoms of uranium will be left after the second decay? How about lead?
___________________________________________________________________

How many years have passed starting from the first decay?
___________________________________________________________________

A sample of fossil has 25 percent carbon-14, of what percentage is the daughter

element?
___________________________________________________________________

Is it possible to use carbon-14 to 11, 460 years old rock? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________________

Can you use Uranium-235 to a 500 million years old rock? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________________

Always remember that half-life is used for radioactive element. The process of
decay decreases the number of parent element and increases the daughter element.
This also results to a new element. Using this technique helps the scientist to find
out the exact age of rock and organism that existed before man’s time.
 What I Have Learned

1. The picture on the right shows a cross section of

a land mass. What geological activity is being
pointed by the arrow?
a. folding c. magma intrusion
b. faulting d. tilting

2. Arranged the layers of rocks in increasing age.

a. DCBA c. either A nor B
b. ABCD d. neither A nor B

3. Layer C shows an intrusion of magma, what layers

came first and second?
a. E and D
b. D and E,
c. D and B
d. none of the choices

4. Which of the following radioactive elements was used to get the age of the
earth?
a. Carbon-14 c. Uranium-235
b. Potassium-40 d. Uranium-238

5. The fossil of a certain organism contains carbon-14. Based on the lab result,
the sample is 11 460 years old. How much parent element is left?
a. 25% c. 60%
b. 50% d. 75%
 What I Can Do

To apply what you have learned from the topic, a simple activity will help you
realize the importance in determining the relationship of time and changes in your
own locality.

Activity 1: Back in Time!

Objective: Identify the relative and absolute time of changes in the local area

Materials:
Local place/area
Pen and paper

Procedure:
1. Identify the changes that your local area had undergone.
2. Gather information from your parents, local leaders and elders. You may try
researching online if necessary.
3. Fill in the table below.

Location:

Dating
Changes of Local Area
Relative Absolute

1. Forms of life *trees and wild animals *1800s -forested area

dominated the area
*1850s-monkeys and
before human
birds dominated the
(Start your dating from forest
as far as the locals
*1900- decrease in the
could remember. You
number of animals
may include in-
between-changes) (Please provide an
estimated/exact time of
change based on the
interview or research.)
 2. Topography (feature of
the area such
presence of
mountains, plains and
hills)

3. Bodies of water (if

present)

4. Barangay and/or
National road

5. Human inhabitants

6. Foundation of the area

(Ex. from sitio to
barangay)

*Given examples
Note: a. You can use before and after, first and last and younger and older in
relative dating.

Guide Questions:

1. What caused the changes in;

a. Forms of life
b. Topography
c. Bodies of water
d. Roads
e. Human inhabitants
f. Foundation

2. How do you see your local area twenty years from now? Support your answer
based on the changes it underwent.
______________________________________________________________

3. Which information was more difficult to get, relative or absolute dating? Why?
______________________________________________________________

4. How does a record of events help in gathering information?

______________________________________________________________
 Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. It is very rare to see fossils in metamorphic rocks because;

b. metamorphic rocks are exposed to extreme heat and eventually becomes
magma.
c. metamorphic rocks are found deep in the crust which made it hard to
find fossils
d. metamorphic rocks are exposed to very high pressure and temperature
that it deforms the preexisting rocks.
e. metamorphic rocks change its composition thereby changing the fossils.

2. Placing geologic events in sequential order as determined by their position in

the rock record is called:
a. absolute dating
b. uniformitarianism
c. relative dating
d. correlation
3. Which of the following is used by geologist to determine the relative ages in a
rock sequence?
a. stratification of rocks
b. fossils
c. geological time scale
d. all of the above

4. The relative age of rock is

a. its age of other rocks.
b. the number of years since the rock formed.
c. its age based on how much carbon-14 the rock contains.
d. less than the age of the fossils the rock contains.

5. The ____________ age of rock is the number of years since the rock formed.
a. relative
b. apparent
c. temporary
d. absolute

6. The law of superposition states that, in horizontal layers of sedimentary

rock, each layer is,
a. older than the layer above it and younger than the layer below it.
b. younger than the layer above it and older than the layer below it.
c. always older than any vertical layers.
d. Neither older nor younger than the other layers.
 7. What is the age of an intrusion of igneous rocks in relation to the
sedimentary rock layers through which it passes?
a. always older
b. always younger
c. sometimes younger, sometimes older
d. the same age as the other rock layers

For questions 7-10, please refer your answer to picture on the right.

8. Rock layer ______ is the youngest while _____

is the oldest.
a. G, A
b. A, G
c. G, H
d. H, B

9. Layer ____ and _____ are the same layer.

a. B and C
b. C and H
c. D and H
d. B and C

10. The boundary (blue) shows missing and

incomplete layer (unconformity). What is the possible cause
of this?
a. It was struck by an asteroid.
b. The layer moved out.
c. It melted with the magma.
d. It underwent weathering and erosion.

11. Which is NOT TRUE about layer F?

a. It is a conglomerate rock layer.
b. It is folded.
c. It is younger than sandstone.
d. Inclusions (pebbles) in conglomerate are younger than the layer itself.

12. The index fossils are useful because they tell the ____________ of the
rock layers in which they occur.
a. relative age
b. absolute age
c. temporary age
d. apparent age

13. Why are isotopes with short half-lives not useful for dating very old
rocks?
a. because not enough of the parent isotope remains to measure accurately.
b. because not enough of the daughter product has formed to be detectable
c. because neither the parent isotope nor the daughter will be detectable
d. because very old rocks would never have contained these isotopes
14. The following are radioactive isotopes. Which is useful for dating very
young sample (<20, 000 years) of insect?
a. Potassium-40
b. Uranium-23
c. Thorium-232
d. Carbon-14

15. Which of the following materials might be dated using carbon-14?

a. sandstone
b. wood
c. iron ore
d. pebbles
What I Know What's More Assessment
1. d 1. c 1. c
2. d 2. b 2. c
3. c 3. a 3. a
4. d 4. c 4. a
5. d 5. a 5. d
6. d 6. a
7. d 7. b
8. a 8. b
9. a 9. b
10.c 10.d
11. d
12. a
13. c
14. d
15. b
Answer Key
References
Chen, Zhe, Chuanming Zhou, Mike Meyer, Ke Xiang, James D. Schiffbauer, Xunlai
Yuan, and Shuhai Xiao. "Trace fossil evidence for Ediacaran bilaterian
animals with complex behaviors." Precambrian Research 224 (2013): 690-701.
EASE Module
Teaching Guide for Senior High School Earth Science

Online sources
http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/glow/files/Understanding-Geologic-Time-6-8.pdf
https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringGeology/time/Fossilfocus/trilobite.html
https://www.britannica.com/animal/trilobite
https://www.teacherph.com/earth-science-senior-high-school-teaching-guide/
https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/SHS-Core_Earth-and-
Life-Science-CG_with-tagged-sci-equipment.pdf
https://4.files.edl.io/bfb7/01/23/20/223508-1163729b-f99a-4a52-9563-
be2ca32c67e1.pdf
https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/lines_10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYSeM63Fv0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7Nh1ABk-FE
 DISCLAIMER
This self-learning Module (SLM) was developed by Deped
SOCCSKSARGEN with the primary objective of preparing for and
addressing the new normal. Contents of this module were based on
DepEd’s most essential Learning Competencies (MELC). This is
supplementary material to be used by all learners of Region XII in all
public schools beginning SY 2020-2021. The process of LR development
was observed in the production of this module, This is version 1.0 We
highly encourage feedback, comments, and recommendations.

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

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