CONTENT STANDARD

The learners demonstrate an understanding of how the planet Earth evolved in the last 4.6 billion
years (including the age of the Earth, major geologic time subdivisions, and marker fossils).
LEARNING COMPETENCIES
S11/12ES-Ie-29

The learners shall be able to describe how the Earths history can be
interpreted from the geologic time scale.
1. Scout for an area or location that is ~ 50 m long (e.g. a hallway, gym, multipurpose hall, open
area);

2. Assess for hazards specially if area chosen is outdoors (e.g. interaction with vehicles);

3. Cut cartolina (four different colors) into notebook size pieces

4. Using a permanent marker, write down on the cartolina the significant events in Earths History ,
Use a separate color per event type (Event Tags)

5. Print out several copies of the blank geologic time scale which can be downloaded from: http://
serc.carleton.edu/files/introgeo/interactive/examples/bgeotime.pdf
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Presentation of objectives and terms 5 mins

1. Introduce the following learning objectives :

a. Appreciate the immensity of geologic time and recognize that the Earth has a very long history;

b. Identify the timing and duration of the major events in Earths History;

c. Recognize how short human history is in relation to the history of the Earth
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History of the Earth 10 mins

1. The teacher draws a 24 hour clock on the board. He or she then proceeds to ask the students
How old is the Earth? When the correct age of the Earth has been established, the teacher then
compares geologic time to a 24 hour clock. The teacher then marks some important events in
Earths History in the 24 hour clock:
 a. First prokaryotes

b. First Eukryotes

c. First multicellular organisms

d. Extinction of the Dinosaurs

2. Inform or remind students that modern humans emerged during the last ~200,000 years. Ask the
students to place the emergence of man in the 24 hour clock of Earths History. We are relatively
new to the Earth yet the our impact to the Earth System has been profound!
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Lecture proper and discussion 45 mins

Give a demonstration/lecture/simulation Lecture proper (Outline) This lesson was adapted

Activity

Divide class into groups of 5 -10 students. Distribute the blank geologic time scale to each student.
Each group will create their own time scales. In the preselected area, use a measuring tape to lay-
out a line measuring 46 meters. Use a plastic straw or draw a line using colored chalks (if the ground
surface allows). Mark one end as Today and the other end as 4.6 billion years. Subdivide the line
into 46 one meter sections each representing 100 million years. Mark each subdivision with a
masking tape or with colored chalk. Ask the students to arrange the event cards along their
respective time scales according to their date.

Optional : Ask the students to represent some of significant events by means of drawings (if the
surface allows) using colored chalk.

Evolutionary events (Light Blue):

a. First evidence of life (3,850 ma)

b. Photosynthesizing bacteria (3,700 ma)

d. First Eukaryotes (2,700 ma)

e. Ediacaran Fauna (600 ma)

f. The Cambrian Explosion (530 ma)

g. First land plants and fish (480 ma)

h. Arthropods on land (420 ma)

i. First insects (407 ma)

j. First amphibians land vertebrates (375 ma)

k. First dinosaurs (220 mya)

l. Early mammals (220 mya)

m. First birds (150 ma)

n. First flowering plants (130 ma)

o. Early Primates 60 ma

p. First hominids (5.2 ma)

q. Modern humans (0.2 ma)

Extinctions (Red):

a. End Ordovician 25% of marine vertebrates families and 57% of genera became extinct (443 ma)

b. Devonian 50 -55% of marine invertebrate genera and 70-80 % of species go extinct (364 ma)

c. Permian greatest extinction event; 90% of all species became extinct (250 ma)

d. End Cretaceous extinction of the Dinosaurs; 60-80% of all species became extinct (65 ma)

e. Late Pleistocene nearly all large mammals and birds (>45 pounds) became extinct (.01 ma)
Geologic Events (Yellow):

a. Formation of the great oceans (4,200 ma)

b. Oxygen Levels reach 3% of the Atmosphere (1.9 ma)

c. Protective Ozone in place (600 ma)

d. Gondwana forms (500 ma)

e. Oxygen nears present day concentration (400 ma)

f. Formation of Pangaea supercontinent (280 ma)

g. Pangaea supercontinent breaks up (200 ma)

h. Continents near present-day positions (40 ma)

i. Initiation of Seafloor Spreading of South China Sea (32 ma)

j. Initiation of the Philippine Fault (4 ma)

k. Global ice ages begin (2 Ma)

The teacher selects one of the time scales made by the students and leads the discussion of the
History of the Earth. Ask the students to recall how the solar system formed at around 4.6 billion of
years ago

The Precambrian or Cryptozoic Era (4.6 Ga 540 Ma)

a. Represents 80% of Earths history

b. Eon of Hidden Life fossil record obscure. Ask the students why there is very little record of life
during the Precambrain
Hadean Eon (4.56 -3.8 Ga)

a. From Haedes Greek god of the underworld

b. Chaotic time, lots of meteorite bombardment

c. Atmosphere reducing (Methane, Ammonia, CO2)

d. Start of the hydrologic cycle and the formation of the world oceans

e. Life emerged in this hostile environment

Archean Eon (3.8 2.5 Ga)

a. Anaerobic (lack of oxygen)

b. No Ozone

c. Photosynthetic prokaryotes (blue green algae) emerged and started releasing oxygen to the
atmosphere

d. Life forms still limited to single celled organisms without a nucleus (prokaryotes) until 2.7 Ga when
Eukaryotes emerged.

Proterozoic Eon (2.5 Ga to 540 Ma)

a. Oxygen level reaches ~ 3% of the atmosphere

b. Rise of multicellular organisms represented by the Vendian Fauna

c. Formation of the protective Ozone Layer

a. Eon of visible life

b. Diversification of life. Many life forms represented in the fossil record

c. Life forms with preservable hard parts

Paleozoic Era (540 245)

d. Age of Ancient Life

e. Rapid diversification of life as represented by the Cambrian Fauna (Cambrian Explosion)

f. Dominance of marine invertebrates

g. Plants colonize land by 480 ma

h. Animals colonize land by 450 ma

i. Oxygen level in the Atmosphere approaches present day concentration

j. Massive Extinction at the end (End of Permian Extinction)

Mesozoic Era (245 65 Ma)

a. Age of Reptiles

b. Dominance of reptiles and dinosaurs

c. Pangea starts to break-apart by 200 ma

d. Early mammals (220 mya)

e. First birds (150 ma)

f. First flowering plants (130 ma)

Cenozoic Era (65 ma to present)

a. Age of Mammals

b. Radiation of modern birds

c. Early Primates 60 ma

d. Continents near present-day positions (40 ma)

e. First hominids (5.2 ma)

f. Modern humans (0.2 ma)

g. Global ice ages begin (2 Ma)

At the end of the activity, ask the students, using their notes, to populate the blank geologic time
scale with important events in Earths History.

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Essay 25 mins
0 REMIXES

Ask the students to write a report (200 to 300 words) on one of the following topics:

1. Theories on the Origin of Life

2. Possible Causes of Mass Extinction Events

3. How mankind is driving the next mass extinction event