LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Earth/Environmental Science

Goal 3: The learner will build an understanding of the origin and evolution of the earth system.

Objective 3.01. Assess evidence to interpret the order and impact of events in the geologic past:

  • Relative and absolute dating techniques.
  • Statistical models of radioactive decay.
  • Fossil evidence of past life.
  • Uniformitarianism.
  • Stratigraphic principles.
  • Divisions of Geologic Time
  • Origin of the earth system.
  • Origin of life.

Additional related resources

We’re in the process of aligning our content for students to the Standard Course of Study. As we do, you’ll find it here.

General resources

Aligned lesson plans

Resources on the web

Radioactive decay: A sweet simulation of half-life
This Science NetLinks lesson is the second lesson in a three-lesson series about isotopes, radioactive decay, and the nucleus. In this lesson, students will be asked to simulate radioactive decay by pouring small candies and counting which candies fall... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Physical characteristics of places: The fossil record
This lesson asks students to consider how the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates alters the physical characteristics of places over geologic time. They'll investigate how climate has changed in specific world regions since the time of the dinosaurs and... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Science)
Provided by: National Geographic
Paleo-what? The life and work of Emerging Explorer Zeray Alemseged
In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore the field of paleoanthropology. They consider how National Geographic Emerging Explorer Dr. Zeray Alemseged chose paleoanthropology as his career as they learn more about the multifaceted field itself. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 Science)
Provided by: National Geographic
Layers of the Grand Canyon
In this Xpeditions lesson, after learning the basics of how the Grand Canyon was formed, students investigate the canyon's layers and learn about the geologic time periods when they were deposited. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Science)
Provided by: National Geographic
Frosty the Snowman meets his demise: An analogy to carbon dating
In this Science NetLinks lesson, students will be asked to consider the case of when Frosty the Snowman met his demise (began to melt). The exercise they will go through of working backwards from measurements to age should help them understand how scientists... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Crocs, then and now
Students investigate the geographical distributions, habitats, and other features of modern crocodilians and the so-called SuperCroc (Sarcosuchus imperator). Students will consider the things they can learn about one species by studying the other. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 Science)
Provided by: National Geographic