Geological Timeline of Earth
With your group you will be going through the Hall of Paleontology. You have 2 sessions for a total
of 1.5 hours to tour this area. Your group will make a Geological Timeline of the Earth Documentary
of the Hall of Paleontology that will be turned in Thursday/Friday, May 8,9. This date is subject to
change.
Overview of the Project:
The project will be broken down into 12 stages of Earth’s history that you will be gathering pictures
and information on. They are:
Precambrian Era
Cambrian Period
Ordovician Period
Silurian Period
Paleozoic Era
Devonian Period
Carboniferous Period
Permian Period
Triassic Period
Jurassic Period
Mesozoic Era
Cretaceous Period
Tertiary Period
Quaternary Period
Cenozoic Era
The documentary will consist of 10 pictures that your group will take in the museum and information
to go with those pictures. You must take the pictures at the 5 stations listed below and your group may
choose the other 5 pictures to total up to 10. The other 10 pictures you may choose from other
sources. You will have a total of 20 pictures to cover the above 12 stages of Earth’s history. In
addition you will include 3 maps and 3 extinctions.
You will use a documentary format with a voice over to tell the story of the information.
Please DO NOT use a Prezi format.
The documentary will have a voice over explaining the pictures, maps, extinctions, etc.
You may certainly have more pictures and information than is required. This will be your biggest
grade for the 9 weeks so get creative!!
Specific Criteria for the Documentary:
You will do the project in groups within your science periods. Groups of 4-5 students each.
1.
You will take pictures with your cell phone of 10 different stations in the Hall of
Paleontology. So one person in the group needs to have a cell phone to take with them to the
museum.
These stations are important for different reasons. Some are significant because of the
fossils present, some because that station indicates a major change in the geological time line.
Five of the stations are mandatory and listed below. Your group may choose the other five
pictures.
2.
The pictures will have all but one of your group members in the picture. That person
should be taking the picture.
3.
For the Museum: For each station/museum picture you will include the following information
in your documentary. Be sure to explain all of this.
a. Age of the earth
b. The names of the Geological Era and Period
c. What was the geography of the Earth like at that point? What was happening to
Earth’s crust? What land forms were being created or destroyed? What
geologic activity was occurring?
d. What was the climate like and why? Composition, amounts of each gas, was the
climate changing? If so, how? Temperatures? Precipitation?
f. What were the oceans like and why? Composition, shallow or deep? Were the oceans
levels rising and falling? Why? Ocean temperatures?
4.
For the Project - For each geological age listed above:
Do 3a-3f. In addition include:
g. Name 2 examples of a typical plant from that period or era? Some time periods don’t
have plants.
(some of these examples may be the pictures you take at the museum)
h. Name 2 examples of a typical animal, invertebrate or vertebrate from the period.
(some of these examples may be the pictures you take at the museum)
Included in the documentary in addition to the 10 pictures you take at the museum:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3 maps of how land masses on Earth have changed
5 pictures of plants
5 pictures of animals
3 out of the 5 major extinctions
You must have at least one picture for each geological age that we talked about (12).
Museum Pictures: All groups will have these 5 pictures.
1. Trilobites
2. Stromatolites
3. Tree Rings
4. Model of Dimetrodon
5. Megalodon Jaws
The other 5 pictures that you get to chose from the Museum:
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Pictures of 5 Plants:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Pictures of 5 Animals:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3 Maps:
1.
2.
3.
3 Extinctions:
1.
2.
3.
Annotated Bibliography: Must be typed or can be included as the last page of the documentary.
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
The museum will be one of your sources.
In addition you must have 5 other sources.
One of the sources must be a written, paper source.
The other sources may be internet sources.
You may have more than these 6 sources.
Research Notes: Must be typed.
1.
2.
3.
One page of research notes per text source. (This does not apply to pictures.)
One page of research notes per extinction.
Each person in the group is responsible for at least one text source and the notes that go with it.
You must have some information about each geological age that we talked about. (12)
Resources:
Google – geological timeline of earth history
Some suggested sites:
pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/time.html
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/etc/timeline/timeline.html
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/prehistoric-time-line/
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.php
https://www.sdnhm.org/archive/exhibits/mystery/fg_timeline.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/history_of_the_earth
Timeline for Earth’s Geological Timeline Project
1.
Pictures from the Museum
Plus information packet
________________________
2.
Research for 2 Sources
Who’s doing this
________________________
________________________
3.
Research for 3 Sources
Who’s doing this
________________________
________________________
4.
5 pictures of plants, 5 of animals
________________________
5.
3 pictures of maps
________________________
6.
3 extinctions research
________________________
7.
Copy of the Annotated Bibliography
________________________
8.
Final Documentary Due
________________________
Research for ______________________________________ Picture
Age of the Earth
Name of the Geological Era and Period
Geography:
Climate:
Oceans:
Extinctions during this time:
Research for ___________________ERA and ___________________PERIOD
Age of the Earth
Geography:
Climate:
Oceans:
Pictures from Museum:
Other Pictures:
Maps:
2 Plants and 2 Animals:
Info on Extinction during this time: