Name: ______Date: ______Period: ______
Station 1: Who’s on First?
Materials: Who’s on first worksheet
Pencil
Who’s on first cards.
Procedures:
1. Get a sheet of paper that has the different syllable cards on it (Set A).
2. Cut apart the different syllable cards on the dotted lines.
3. Spread the cards with the nonsense syllables on the table to determine the correct sequence of the 8 cards. To do this compare letters that are common to individual cards, and therefore overlap.
4. The first card in the sequence has “Cards 1, Set A” in the lower left hand corner and represents the bottom of the sequence. If the letters “t” and “C” represent fossils in the oldest rock layer, they are the oldest fossils, or the first fossils formed in the past for this sequence of rock layers.
5. Look for another card that has either a “T” or a “C” written on it. Since this card has a common letter with the first card, it must go on top of the “TC” card.
6. The fossils represented by this card are younger than the “T” or “C” fossils on the “TC” card.
7. Sequence the remaining cards by using the same process.
8. When you finish you should have a vertical stack of cards with the top card representing the youngest fossils of this rock sequence and the “TC” card at the bottom of the stack representing the oldest fossils.
Analysis Questions:
1. After you have arranges the cards in order, write your sequence of letters (using each letter only once) in the following space. Starting with the top card, the letters should be in order from youngest to oldest.
2. How do you know that “X” is older than “M”?
3. Explain why the “D” fossil in the rock layer represented by DM is the same age as the “M” fossil.
4. Explain why the “D” fossil in the rock layer represented by OXD is older then the “D” fossil in the rock layer represented by DM.
5. Based on your investigation, write a scientific law to explain how layers of rocks are deposited and explain how this activity illustrates this law.
Station 2: Principle of Original Horizontality
1. Take the square Little Debbie cake. This cake models a rock unit made up of different sedimentary rock layers (the cake and the frosting). Cut the Little Debbie cake in half and draw the layers of “rock”. Then describe the layers of “rock” using QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE observations.
2. Give several examples of other places where you see rock or sediment in this same orientation
3. Based on your observations of the cake and real life, write a rule that describes the orientation sedimentary rock layers that are deposited. (The title above should give you a hint)
Station 3: Principle of discontinuity
1. Take the Little Debbie cake from station 2. Hold your knife perpendicular to the top layer and scrape to model weathering (like you would scrape a burnt piece of toast). When you are finished wipe away all of the crumbs to symbolize erosion. Describe the texture and horizontality of the top of the Little Debbie cake.
2. Based on your observations write a rule describing how you know when erosion has occurred in a series of rock layers.
Station 4: Principle of cross-cutting relationships
1. Take 1/2 of the Little Debbie cake from station 1 and cut it in half but do not separate the two pats you have cut. Draw a picture of the cake. The cut models a fault in the geologic layers. Is the fault younger or older than the layers of the cake and how do you know?
2. Now build a double decker cake by the other half of the cake on top of the cut piece of cake. Draw a picture of the new cake. How can you tell that you cut the bottom part of the sandwich before adding the last layers rather than cutting the sandwich after you made it a double decker?
3. Based on your observations write a rule that describes how you would determine the age of a fault or intrusion that cuts across some layers, but not all of the layers.
Station 5: The Principle of Superposition
1. Stack the different objects at your station on top of one another. Describe your process, drawing a picture of the stack and numbering each step. (Which layer came first and where is it positioned now?)
2. Based on your observations write a rule that describes the RELATIVE AGE of a layer based on its position in the stack.
Station 5: Principle of Intrusions
1. Unwrap your Twinkie. Write down qualitative and quantitative observations of your Twinkie. What unusual characteristics do you notice about your Twinkie? (Especially the bottom)
2. Cut the Twinkie in half LONG WAYS exposing the insides. Draw a picture of it and describe the relationship between the cake and cream.
3. What do you think came first, the cake or the cream? How do you know?
4. Based on your observations, write a rule that describes which is older, a rock into which magma has been intruded, or the magma that has intruded.
STOP! Do not move on until we take notes!
Station 7: Using what you know
1. Obtain a picture of a cross section of the layers of a rock formation. List the layers and processes that occurred from YOUNGEST to OLDEST and explain how or why you chose each layer. (You can use the rules above to help you)
Station 8: Jell-O Layers
1. You have a cup of Jell-O in front of you. You are to use your straw to take “core samples” from the Jell-o. (Stick your straw in the Jell-O and pull out a section of the Jell-O. You may take 10 core samples from your Jell-O. Draw your 10 samples below (make sure you color them in).
2. Once you have taken your core samples you need to construct a large core sample to show what you think they layers would look like if they had all been undisturbed. (Remember some layers are not present throughout the entire rock formation because of unconformities).
Station 9: Geologic Columns
1. Open your book to page 86-87.
2. Follow the procedures in your book then answer the following questions.
3. How many layers are in your finished geologic column?
4. Which is the oldest layer in the column? Which layer is the youngest? How do you know?
5. List the fossils in your column from oldest to youngest.
6. Look at the unconformity in outcrop 2. Which rock layers are partially or completely missing? How do you know?