Radiometric & Absolute Dating of Rocks | Digital Lab Activity | Editable | NGSS

In this Google Slides™ digital lab activity, the students will use absolute dating, also known as radiometric dating, to find the age of fossils and rocks samples. They will calculate the half-life of a radioactive isotope, graph the radioactive decay of a radioactive isotope and its stable product, and analyze radioactive decay curves to find the age of igneous rock samples. This is an interactive lab activity with a link to an online radioactive decay simulation and drag & drop features.

What students do:

• Online interactive radioactive decay simulation
• Calculate the half-lives of 14C, 40K and 238U
• Graph the radioactive decay of Carbon-14
• Analyze radioactive decay curves 
• Date rock samples using half-lives
• Drag & drop activities
• Review vocabulary words

ESL Strategies: This lab activity is scaffolded for English Language Learners (ELLs):

• Each slide contains a “Translate” hyperlink button to translate the text into any language supported by Google Translate. 
• It includes sentence starters to help ELLs structure their answers. The document is editable so you can remove the sentence starters if your students don’t need them.

Standards: The level of this lab is perfect for 8th grade or high school. This lab activity aligns with:

• NGSS HS-ESS1-6: Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth’s formation and early history.
• New York State Physical Setting/Earth Science Core Curriculum 1.2j - Geologic history can be reconstructed by observing sequences of rock types and fossils to correlate bedrock at various locations:
  • The regular rate of nuclear decay (half-life time period) of radioactive isotopes allows geologists to determine the absolute age of materials found in some rocks. 
  • This lab activity contains the following NYS Regents Skills/Content: absolute dating, Radioactive Decay Data table on page 1 of the Earth Science Reference Tables (ESRT), and geologic times on ESRT page 8.

Editable: You can edit the text and the diagrams of this lab activity. However, due to licensing agreements, the background images aren’t editable. 

Digital: This digital lab activity was created with Google Slides™. It can be used in person or for distance learning. Share the Google Slides™ with your students via your Google Classroom™. Make sure you select “Make a Copy for Each Student” while you are creating the assignment.

Notes & Workbook:

⭐ Geologic History Unit Notes and Workbook | Editable

⭐ Radioactive Decay Models Activity | Printable or Digital

Lab Activities:

⭐ The Relative Age of Index Fossils Activity | Project | NYS Earth Science Regents

⭐ Relative Dating | Digital Lab Activity

⭐ Correlation of Rock Layers | Digital Lab Activity

Review Activities:

⭐ Earth's History Vocabulary Review | Color by Number | NYS Earth Science Regents

⭐ Bedrock Geology & Landscapes of NYS | Earth Science Regents Review | Digital

⭐ Geologic History Digital Task Cards | Valentine's Day Science Activity | NYS

⭐ Geologic History of NYS | Regents Review | Digital | ESRT pages 8 & 9

Bundle & Save!

⭐ Geologic History Bundle | Editable

⭐ Bundle: NYS Earth Science Notes & Notebooks with Digital Review Activities

⭐ Earth Science Digital Lab Activities | Growing Bundle | NGSS & NYS Regents

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