David Schmidlin
Activities:
Laboratory Title: Superposition
Lab Objectives:



Students understand that older layers of rock are beneath younger ones.
Students should be able to identify the sedimentary and igneous layers.
Students should be able to determine which fossils are older than others.
Materials and Costs: There are no material costs for this activity because the printer paper is made
available to the teacher.
Time:
Initial prep time: 10 minutes to print out all the necessary sheets.
Preparation time: 10 minutes to pass out the sheets.
Instruction time: 10 minutes
Clean-up time: 5 minutes to make sure the students papers are put away.
Assessment:
The class should come together for a group discussion on what layers are igneous & sedimentary, which
layers are the oldest and which fossils are the oldest.
Instructions:
Print out the photo in Appendix A and ask the students to answer the following questions on a separate
piece of paper.
What layers are sedimentary and which are Igneous and why?
List the Layers from oldest to youngest.
List the fossils from oldest to Youngest.
Write a short description of the history of this area.
Laboratory Title: Jello Superposition’s
Lab Objectives:

Give the students a hands on example of how sedimentary layers are deposited on top of each
other and how animals are fossilized in those layers.
Benchmark(s) Addressed:
Life Science
CCG
Organisms: Understand the characteristics, structure, and functions of
organisms.
SC.05.LS.01
Group or classify organisms based on a variety of
characteristics.
Earth and Space Science
CCG
The Dynamic Earth: Understand the properties and limited availability of the
materials which make up the Earth.
SC.05.ES.01
CCG
Identify properties and uses of Earth materials.
The Dynamic Earth: Understand changes occurring within the lithosphere,
hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth.
SC.05.ES.03
SC.05.ES.03.01
Identify causes of Earth surface changes.
Identify effects of wind and water on Earth materials
using appropriate models.
Scientific Inquiry
CCG
Forming the Question/Hypothesis: Formulate and express scientific questions
or hypotheses to be investigated.
SC.05.SI.01
CCG
Make observations. Ask questions or form hypotheses
based on those observations, which can be explored
through scientific investigations.
Designing the Investigation: Design safe and ethical scientific investigations to
address questions or hypotheses.
SC.05.SI.02
CCG
Collecting and Presenting Data: Conduct procedures to collect, organize, and
display scientific data.
SC.05.SI.03
CCG
Design a simple scientific investigation to answer questions
or test hypotheses.
Collect, organize, and summarize data from
investigations.
Analyzing Data and Interpreting Results: Analyze scientific information to
develop and present conclusions.
SC.05.SI.04
Summarize, analyze, and interpret data from investigations.
Materials and Costs:
List the equipment and non-consumable material and estimated cost of each
Item ........................................................................................................................ $
o NA ............................................................................................................................
Estimated total, one-time, start-up cost: .......................................................................
List the consumable supplies and estimated cost for presenting to a class of 30 students
Item ........................................................................................................................ $
o NA ............................................................................................................................
o Jello (8) .....................................................................................................................
o Gummie Bears..........................................................................................................
o Gummie Worms .......................................................................................................
o Paper Cups ...............................................................................................................
o Paper Plates .............................................................................................................
Estimated total cost each year: ......................................................................................
Time:
Initial prep time: This usually takes 1 hour per layer of jello used in the cups because of the wait time for
the jello to cool before pouring it into the cup.
Preparation time: It should only take about 5-10 minutes to hand out all the cups and all the plates.
Instruction time: 5 minutes , this is a simple activity
Clean-up time: This could be a pretty messy activity so I would allot about 10-15 minutes for clean up.
Assessment:
The class should come together for a group discussion on what layers are igneous & sedimentary, which
layers are the oldest and which fossils are the oldest.
Instructions:
Hand out a cup and plate to each student and instruct them to peal the paper cup away from the jello.
Don’t try to dig through the jello because that will make a mess and ruin the layers. As the student pulls
away the paper cup it will reveal the layers of jello and perhaps in animals that have been fossilized in
the sedimentary layers. There is a dark thin layer that represents igneous rock. As you are examining
the layers make sure to note which layers younger and which are older. Also pay close attention to
what type of animals are found in each layer.
Preparation:
Mix up a Jello packet , make sure the follow the jello jiggler instructions so it sets up stiffer, and place it
into the refrigerate to cool. If this is the first layer go ahead and poor it into the cup as soon as the jello
is cool enough not to melt the paper Dixie cup. Place any jello critters in to the layer you would like. If
this is not the first layer than you will need to wait until the previous layer or layers is hard enough to
support the new one before pouring it on. Make sure to save a dark jello, such as purple, to represent
an igneous layer that will not have any jello critters in it.
Background:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/dating.html :
Much of the Earth's geology consists of successional layers of different rock types, piled one on
top of another. The most common rocks observed in this form are sedimentary rocks (derived
from what were formerly sediments), and extrusive igneous rocks (e.g., lavas, volcanic ash, and
other formerly molten rocks extruded onto the Earth's surface). The layers of rock are known as
"strata", and the study of their succession is known as "stratigraphy". Fundamental to
stratigraphy are a set of simple principles, based on elementary geometry, empirical
observation of the way these rocks are deposited today, and gravity. Most of these principles
were formally proposed by Nicolaus Steno (Niels Steensen, Danish), in 1669, although some
have an even older heritage that extends as far back as the authors of the Bible. A few principles
were recognized and specified later. An early summary of them is found in Charles Lyell's
Principles of Geology, published in 1830-32, and does not differ greatly from a modern
formulation:
1. The principle of superposition - in a vertical sequence of sedimentary or volcanic rocks, a
higher rock unit is younger than a lower one. "Down" is older, "up" is younger.
2. The principle of original horizontality - rock layers were originally deposited close to
horizontal.
3. The principle of original lateral extension - A rock unit continues laterally unless there is a
structure or change to prevent its extension.
4. The principle of cross-cutting relationships - a structure that cuts another is younger than
the structure that is cut.
5. The principle of inclusion - a structure that is included in another is older than the
including structure.
6. The principle of "uniformitarianism" - processes operating in the past were constrained
by the same "laws of physics" as operate toda
Law of Superposition: “…states that where layers of flat-lying sedimentary rocks or a series of solidified
lava flows have not been disturbed since their formation, younger rocks overlie older rocks.” (1)
Law of Original Horizontality: “…when rock layers are found in non-horizontal positions, they were
most likely originally horizontal and later tilted to achieve their present position.” (2)
Stratigraphy: “Branch of geology concerned with the study of the formation, composition, ordering in
time, and arrangement in space of stratified rocks.” – USGS
Rock Types: There are three basic types of rocks that are found on our planet. They are Igneous,
Sedimentary and Metamorphic.
Igneous :
All rocks on Earth were initially igneous in nature. Igneous rocks form as liquid magma cools,
forming crystal structured rocks. There are many different types of igneous rocks.
Examples: Basalt and granite are two different Igneous rocks.
Igneous rocks that form deep within the Earth’s crust were temperatures are very high,
might take thousands of years to cool down. This causes the crystals to be much larger,
such as in the case of granite. Igneous rocks formed on the surface cool down in just a
matter of a few hours. The crystals in these rocks can be microscopically small.
Thus, scientists divide igneous rocks into two different categories. Those which cooled
below the surface, and those that cooled on the surface. Those which began their lives
below the surface are called intrusive rocks, while those which cooled on the surface are
referred to as extrusive rocks.
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0026-igneous-rocks.php
Sedimentary:
Over the course of millions of years, the igneous rocks are weathered down by forces of wind
and water. Fine particles of dirt begin to cover the landscape. Often, these small rock particles
end up being suspended in water, and find their way to the bottom of lakes, streams, and the
ocean. Slowly, the layer of sediment on the bottom of lakes, and especially on the bottom of
the ocean grows deeper and deeper, reaching depths of thousands of feet. The weight of all the
sediment becomes immense, pushing down on lower layers of sediment with tremendous force.
In addition, a number of minerals, which act like cement, bond the sediment together, causing it
to form sedimentary rock.
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0027-sedimentary-rocks.php
Examples: Chalk, Limestone , Dolomite, Sandstones, Conglomerate and Shale are all examples
of Sedimentary Rocks.
Metamorphic:
Metamorphic rocks form deep within the Earth, when heat and pressure are applied to
either igneous rocks, or sedimentary rocks. This heat, and pressure in essence cooks the
rocks, changing their structure substantially. The rocks are partially melted, and the
chemicals within them are rearranged, so that the final rock is very different than the
original rock.
The final state of a metamorphic rock depends on the amount of pressure the rock was
subjected to, the amount of heat the rock was subjected to, and the amount of time the
rock was subjected to pressure and heat.
One very common metamorphic rock, is marble. Marble is formed when heat and
pressure are applied to limestone for many thousands of years.
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0028-metamorphic-rocks.php
Examples: Slate, Schist, Gneiss and Marble are examples of metamorphic rocks.
Were are fossils found??
Most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks as an animal dies it get’s buried by sediment ,
perhaps along a river or lake bed, and the organic parts of the animal are replaced by minerals in
the water/sediment that. Fossils aren’t found in igneous rock because remember that igneous
rock starts out as molten lava and if an animal were to be covered by it then it would melt or
burn away. The same would apply for metamorphic rocks because they are created by high
pressure and heat beneath the earth.
How old is the rock a fossil is found in??!?!?!?
Archeologist can use two methods for determining how old a fossil could be and those are relative
dating and absolute dating. Relative dating plays into the law of super position and simply states that
layer A is older than layer B because A is found beneath B. It also states that if both A and B are igneous
rock and can be dating using absolute dating methods than that layer found between them as younger
than A and older than B.
The most widely used method for determine the age of igneous rocks is Radiocarbon dating.
Scientists discovered that rocks could be timepieces -- literally. Many chemical elements in rock exist in a
number of slightly different forms, known as isotopes. Certain isotopes are unstable and undergo a
process of radioactive decay, slowly and steadily transforming, molecule by molecule, into a different
isotope. This rate of decay is constant for a given isotope, and the time it takes for one-half of a
particular isotope to decay is its radioactive half-life. For example, about 1.5 percent of a quantity of
Uranium 238 will decay to lead every 100 million years. By measuring the ratio of lead to uranium in a
rock sample, its age can be determined. Using this technique, called radiometric dating, scientists are
able to "see" back in time. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/03/3/l_033_01.html)
Geologic Time Scale
The major divisions, with brief explanations of each, are shown in the following scale of relative geologic
time, which is arranged in chronological order with the oldest division at the bottom, the youngest at
the top.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/divisions.html
References








http://www.usgs.gov/
http://jersey.uoregon.edu/~mstrick/AskGeoMan/geoQuerry13.html
Wiki Sedimentary -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedimentary_rock
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/dating.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/03/3/l_033_01.html
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/time.html <- curvy geotime
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/0030-geologic-time.php
1.) “Geology an introduction to physical geology” , Chernicoff & Whitney, ISBN 0-13-147464-1 ,
Page 20
2.) “Geology an introduction to physical geology” , Chernicoff & Whitney, ISBN 0-13-147464-1 ,
Page 234
3.)
Appendix A.
http://www.sd41.k12.id.us/Staff/MSantos/earth%20sci/Unit%203%20Earth%20History/3%20view/superposition.gif
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/time.html