STANDARD 3 MODULE 6
Objective 3 Describe how rock and fossil evidence is used to infer Earth’s history.
A. Describe how the deposition of rock materials produces layering of sedimentary rocks over time.
B. Identify the assumptions scientists make to determine relative ages of rock layers.
C. Explain why some sedimentary rock layers may not always appear with youngest rock on top and older rocks below
(i.e., folding, faulting).
Vocabulary:
Law of Superposition: A law that says the older layers are on the bottom and the younger near the top if they
are undisturbed.
Law of Cross Cutting Relationships: A law that states the thing that is cut is older than the thing cutting
through it.
Law of Original Horizontality: A law that states sedimentary layers will be horizontal unless they have been
disturbed.
Fault: A break in the earth’s crust.
Fold: A wrinkle, twist, or bend in rock layers.
Deposition: Accumulation of sediments into layers. A synonym for sedimentation.
Intrusion: A mass of magma that cooled inside the earth to become igneous rock.
Unconformity: A surface that represents lots of erosion and missing time. Older than the layers on top of it.
Relative age: The age of a rock compared to other rocks.
Absolute age: The number of years since a rock formed.
Learning Activities
Deposition and Superposition Demo and Notes
Unravelling Earth’s Past Notes and Puzzles
Horse Fossil Lab-Younger on Top
Faults Folds and Flipping
STANDARD 3 MODULE 6 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS KEY
1.) Describe how the deposition of rock materials produces layering of sedimentary rocks over time.
2.) Draw a sequence representing how sedimentation creates layers of rocks.
First Step Drawing
2nd Step Drawing
3rd Step Drawing
4th Step Drawing
a.) Which layer has been there the longest?
b.) Which layer has been there the shortest?
c.) Which layer is the oldest?
Explain
d.) Which layer is the youngest?
3.) What can intrustions tell us about the past?
4.) What can unconformities tell us about the past?
5.) What is older in the figure below? The fault or the intrusion? Explain
6.) What is older in the figure below? Layer Y or layer T? Explain.
D Unconformity
M
S
X
C
A
T
B
Y
7.) Place all the events in order using the figure below.
Use the diagram to the left to
place the events in order.
D Unconformity M
S
Youngest
X
C
7.)
6.)
5.)
A
T
B
4.)
Y
3.)
2.)
1.)
Oldest
8.) How can older layers actually get on top of younger layers? Explain 2 ways. Maybe draw a picture.
STANDARD 3 MODULE 6 PRACTICE CONTENT QUIZ
1. What is older D or M? And what law helps you determine the answer?
A. M, because of Cross Cutting Relationships
B. D, because of Cross Cutting Relationships
C. D, because of the Law of Superposition
D.M, because of the Law of Superposition
D
M
X
G
X
C
G
2. What is older G or M? And what law helps you determine the answer?
A. G, because of Cross Cutting Relationships
B. M, because of Cross Cutting Relationships
C. M, because of the Law of Superposition
D. G, because of the Law of Superposition
D
M
X
G
X
C
G
3. Which is the correct order starting with oldest to youngest in the
diagram?
A. C, M, G , X, D
B. C, G, M, X, D
C. C, G, M, D, X
D. C, G, D, X, M
D
M
M
X
G
X
G
C
4. In the diagram above what is the oldest rock layer and what law helped you determine
this?
A. X, Law of Original Horizontality
B. M, Law of Cross Cutting Relationships
C. G, Law of Uniformitarianism
D. C, Law of Superposition
5. What best explains how older layers can be on top of younger layers?
A. intrusions and magma
B. intrusions and unconformities
C. faults and folds
D. unconformities and magma
STANDARD 3 MODULE 6 PRACTICE VOCABULARY QUIZ
1. A law that states the thing that is cut is older than the thing cutting through it.
A. Law of Original Horizontality
B. Law of Cross Cutting Relationships
C. Law of Superposition
D. Law of Conservation of Energy
2. A law that says the older layers are on the bottom and the younger near the top if they are
undisturbed.
A. Law of Original Horizontality
B. Law of Cross Cutting Relationships
C. Law of Superposition
D. Law of Conservation of Energy
3. A law that states sedimentary layers will be horizontal unless they have been disturbed.
A. Law of Original Horizontality
B. Law of Cross Cutting Relationships
C. Law of Superposition
D. Law of Conservation of Energy
4. A surface that represents lots of erosion and missing time. Older than the layers on top of it.
A. Fault
B. Intrusion
C. Unconformity
D. Fold
5. A wrinkle, twist, or bend in rock layers
A. Fault
C. Unconformity
B. Intrusion
D. Fold
6. A break in the earth’s crust.
A. Fault
C. Unconformity
B. Intrusion
D. Fold
7. The age of a rock compared to other rocks.
A. Deposition
B. Intrusion
C. Relative Age
D. Absolute Age
8. Accumulation of sediments into layers. A synonym for sedimentation
A. Deposition
B. Intrusion
C. Relative Age
D. Absolute Age
9. A mass of magma that cooled inside the earth to become igneous rock
A. Fault
B. Intrusion
C. Unconformity
D. Fold
10. The number of years since a rock formed.
A. Deposition
B. Intrusion
C. Relative Age
D. Absolute Age
STANDARD 3 MODULE 6 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS KEY
1.) Describe how the deposition of rock materials produces layering of sedimentary rocks over time.
Very slow accumulation of sediments pile up over large amounts of time.
2.) Draw a sequence representing how sedimentation creates layers of rocks.
First Step Drawing
2nd Step Drawing
3rd Step Drawing
4th Step Drawing
a.) Which layer has been there the longest?
bottom
b.) Which layer has been there the shortest?
top
c.) Which layer is the oldest?
Explain bottom cause it has been there the longest
d.) Which layer is the youngest?
Explain top because it has been there the shortest
3.) What can intrustions tell us about the past?
That there was melting (subduction zone) or maybe volcanoes nearby.
4.) What can unconformities tell us about the past?
There was uplift and lots of erosion
5.) What is older in the figure below? The fault or the intrusion? Explain
The fault because th intrusion is cutting through it. The Law of Crosscutting Relationships
6.) What is older in the figure below? Layer Y or layer T? Explain.
Y because it is on the bottom. Law of Superposition
D Unconformity
M
S
X
C
A
T
Y
B
7.) Place all the events in order using the figure below.
Use the diagram to the left to
place the events in order.
D Unconformity
M
S
Youngest
X
C
A
T
B
Y
7.)
X
6.)
D
5.)
A
4.)
B
3.)
C
2.)
T
1.) Y
8.) How can older layers actually get on top of younger layers? Explain 2 ways. Maybe
draw a picture.
Oldest
faults and extreme (overturned/recumbent) folds
STANDARD 3 MODULE 6 PRACTICE CONTENT QUIZ KEY
1. What is older D or M? And what law helps you determine the answer?
A. M, because of Cross Cutting Relationships
B. D, because of Cross Curring Relationships
C. D, because of the Law of Superposition
D.M, because of the Law of Superposition
D
M
M
X
G
X
G
C
2. What is older G or M? And what law helps you determine the answer?
A. G, because of Cross Cutting Relationships
B. M, because of Cross Curring Relationships
C. M, because of the Law of Superposition
D. G, because of the Law of Superposition
D
M
X
G
X
G
C
3. Which is the correct order starting with oldest to youngest in the diagram above?
A. C, M, G , X, D
B. C, G, M, X, D
C. C, M, D, X, G
D. C, D, G, X, M
D
M
X
G
X
C
G
4. In the diagram above what is the oldest rock layer and what law helped you determine
this?
A. X, Law of Original Horizontality
B. M, Law of Cross Cutting Relationships
C. G, Law of Uniformitarianism
D. C, Law of Superposition
5. What best explains how older layers can be on top of younger layers?
A. intrusions and magma
B. intrusions and unconformities
C. faults and folds
D. unconformities and magma
STANDARD 3 MODULE 6 PRACTICE VOCABULARY QUIZ KEY
1. A law that states the thing that is cut is older than the thing cutting through it.
A. Law of Original Horizontality
B. Law of Cross Cutting Relationships
C. Law of Superposition
D. Law of Conservation of Energy
2. A law that says the older layers are on the bottom and the younger near the top if they are
undisturbed.
A. Law of Original Horizontality
B. Law of Cross Cutting Relationships
C. Law of Superposition
D. Law of Conservation of Energy
3. A law that states sedimentary layers will be horizontal unless they have been disturbed.
A. Law of Original Horizontality
B. Law of Cross Cutting Relationships
C. Law of Superposition
D. Law of Conservation of Energy
4. A surface that represents lots of erosion and missing time. Older than the layers on top of it.
A. Fault
B. Intrusion
C. Unconformity
D. Fold
5. A wrinkle, twist, or bend in rock layers
A. Fault
B. Intrusion
C. Unconformity
D. Fold
6. A break in the earth’s crust.
A. Fault
B. Intrusion
C. Unconformity
D. Fold
7. The age of a rock compared to other rocks.
A. Deposition
B. Intrusion
C. Relative Age
D. Absolute Age
8. Accumulation of sediments into layers. A synonym for sedimentation
A. Deposition
B. Intrusion
C. Relative Age
D. Absolute Age
9. A mass of magma that cooled inside the earth to become igneous rock
A. Fault
B. Intrusion
C. Unconformity
D. Fold
10. The number of years since a rock formed.
A. Deposition
B. Intrusion
C. Relative Age
D. Absolute Age