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Name:  Heather Connolly

Name of Lesson Plan:  “Older Than Dirt Web quest”

Author:  Paul Elliot

Link: http://www.scsc.k12.in.us/SMS/Teachers/Elliot/Older%20than%20Dirt%20WebQuest/Older%20than%20Dirt%20Webquest.htm

Grade:  8^th grade Science

Introduction: 

Have you ever heard the expression, “It’s Older than Dirt?”  It’s a funny way of saying something is very old but you really don’t know the exact age.  Some people use it as a way of saying that something is nearly as old as the Earth itself. How old is the earth?  At one time scientists thought it was only a few thousand years old.  Is it possible for today’s scientists to accurately determine the age?  What evidence leads them to believe that the Earth is a certain age?  What discoveries have been made that have helped scientists to estimate the age of the Earth?  If the Earth is very old, how does the interior stay hot?  People have asked questions like these for a long time.  Students will discover how scientists have answered these questions as they complete this Web Quest. 

Description of lesson & how it will be implemented:

Students will imagine that they are writers for a well known science magazine in which their editor has assigned them to research the facts and details about the age of the earth.  When they have completed their research, they will write articles to be published in the magazine.  Students will have the option to work with a partner or as an individual.

Part 1:  Research

Students will be given 5 writing prompts.  These prompts will be the topic for 5 articles that they will publish in the magazine.  Students will research the facts related to each prompt by using the websites listed.  Students should find the, who, what, where, when, why and how  for their topics.

Part 2:  Write

After students have finished their research, they will write their articles.  For each article, students are required to have 3 to 5 paragraphs in length including as much detail as possible.  Students may include mock interviews with important scientists or include other “reporting” techniques as long as it adds to the historical content of the article.  (Example: Pretend you are traveling back in time to investigate an event.)

Part 3:  Publish

Students will use Microsoft Publisher to create a magazine of their own design and special style.  Students may add graphics, pictures or any other visual aids to give your magazine Pizzazz!  It is important for students to include the scientific discoveries and technological advances that have helped us to understand the age of the earth.   Below are the writing prompts along with questions and statements that may help students conduct their research.  Students are to use the websites listed below each writing prompt for their research.  The student’s five articles should address the writing prompts and be written in the order listed below. Students may create their own title or headline for each article.

 

1.  Lord Kelvin (William Thomson Kelvin) estimates the age of the
     Earth  (What did Kelvin say about the age of the Earth?  How did
    he do it?  Was he right?)

       Understanding Science:  Lord Kelvin
       Engines of our Ingenuity
       StarrySkies:  Age of the Earth
       Today in Science History:  Lord Kelvin
       Geologic Time

2.  Geologist Charles Lyell studies geologic processes.  (What
     is “Uniformitarianism”?  What does this process tell us about the
     age of the Earth?)

        History:  Uniformitarianism
        How Old is that Rock?
        Sir Charles Lyell
        Strange Science:  Charles Lyell
        Uniformitarianism

3.  Discovery!  Radioactivity!  (Write about the who, what, where,
     when and how of the discovery of radioactivity.)

        How Does Radioactive Decay Work?

        Radioactivity:  The Unstable Nucleus and it’s Uses
        Access Excellence: The Discovery of Radioactivity
        Cruising Chemistry: The Discovery of Radioactivity

 

 

4.  How do radioactive elements produce their own energy?
     (What ability do radioactive elements have that other elements
    do not?  How do radioactive elements help us to estimate the age
    of the Earth?)

        Clocks in the Rocks

        ABC’s of Nuclear Science
        USGS:  The Age of the Earth
        Uranium and Other Radioactive Elements
        Wikipedia:  Radioactive Decay

 

 

5.  Scientists explain the Earth is several billion years old
     and is still hot!  (What evidence do we have that the Earth has
    an internal source of heat?  What keeps it hot after
    all of this time?)

     The Age of the Earth
     What Definitive Proof is there for the Age of the Earth
     Online Minerals:  Age of the Earth
     Restless Earth:  A Geologic Planner
     The Earth’s Internal Heat Energy
     Earth Interior
     Earth Interior (Chapter Summary)

Evaluation:

Student’s grades will be based on a grading rubric which will be reviewed before they begin.  Students will then understand what criteria will be used to determine their grade.

What part of SCOS does this address:

Competency Goal 5:  The learner will conduct investigations and utilize appropriate technologies and information systems to build an understanding of evidence of evolution in organisms and landforms.

Explain why lesson will work & how it will help students learn:

This lesson is fun and it actively engages students.  Students are given lots of room to be as creative as they want.  Being actively engaged and given some freedom within this lesson allows for greater retention of the material learned.

Heather Connolly

 

 

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