Radiometric Dating Lab

Description

Radiometric Dating Lab Preview

SNAPs Lab Stations Activities require students to use science, math, literacy, problem-solving and engineering skills. They are designed to enhance students’ understanding of scientific concepts and help students apply scientific ideas to the real world. Each station activity promotes skills so to develop students into proficient and competent scientific thinkers.

SNAPs lab activities have five components:
• Science Skills Station to develop science skill proficiency
• Narrative Station to build science literacy
• Assessment Station to evaluate learning and understanding
• Problem-Solving Station to foster engineering design
• Synthesis Station and Project to inspire higher-order learning

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DIGITAL LABORATORY – DISTANCE LEARNING & DIGITAL CLASSROOMS
• This lab is offered in a digital format to support digital classrooms & distance learning.
• The digital lab activity is designed to work with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• The digital lab activity CANNOT be edited. However:
– Students can manipulate text boxes
– Students can create tables, graphs and diagrams
– Students can insert images and drawings

GOOGLE FORM ASSESSMENT STATION
• The assessment station is offered as a self-grading Google Form.
• Questions are all short answer and are 100% editable.
• Suggestions for use are included in the download.

DISTANCE LEARNING COMPATIBILITY
SNAPs lab activities are rated for their ease with distance – independent learning. Refer to the preview for more information about how well this laboratory works in a fully digital classroom and with distance learning.

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EDITABLE DOCUMENTS
This download includes an editable word document (docx file) of all lab components:
• Pre-Lab and Post-Lab Activities
• The Lab Overview
• Lab Station Activities and Questions
• Directed Synthesis Project (when applicable)

Important Notes:
• Diagrams, illustrations, tables and graphs essential to lab activities are included
• Illustrative clipart is NOT included
• Editable documents and rubrics are included with the FREE SNAPs Setup Guide

Editable files allow you to:
• Edit the scope of the activities so to suit your students’ needs
• Edit the materials required based on resource availability
• Create single-period “mini-labs” using activities at the individual skills stations

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The activities at each station in this lab are detailed below.

Radiometric Dating Lab Stations Activity Learning Objectives
1. Graph, analyze and interpret data so to describe the radioactive decay of a radioactive substance used in radiometric dating.
2. Analyze graphs and make calculations so to determine the age of rocks and fossils.
3. Develop a model that depicts the decay of a radioactive isotope.
4. Compare and contrast the use of carbon-14, potassium-40, uranium-238 and rubidium-87 in determining the age of rock and fossils.
5. Evaluate the benefits and limitations of using radiometric dating in determining the age of rocks and fossils.

Science Skills Station
Students will complete graphing and analysis activities at this station. Students will make calculations so to graph a radioactive decay curve of carbon-14 and uranium-238. Students will compare and contrast the decay of carbon-14 and uranium-238 and consider potassium-40 and rubidium-87 in dating old rocks and fossils.

Narrative Station
At this station, students watch videos about radiometric dating. In the first video, students will learn about carbon-14 dating. In the second video, students will learn about the use of radiometric dating in determining the age of the oldest rock on Earth.

Assessment Station
At this station, students will answer questions about key terms and ideas relating to radiometric dating. Students must employ lower, mid and higher order thinking skills to answer these questions.

Problem-Solving Station
At this station, students will use radiometric dating so to determine the age of four different samples. Students will evaluate the use of different radioactive substances to measure in the rock and the limitations to using those substances. Students will also develop a simple pictorial model that represents the decay of a radioactive isotope.

Synthesis Station
Students will compose a CER (claim-evidence-reasoning) report to summarize the lab. Students are provided the claim statement and must support the claim with observations, data and other information gathered in the lab. Students will explain how the evidence supports the claim using scientific reasoning.

Synthesis Project
Students will have a choice of 11 projects. Refer to the SNAPs Lab Stations Best Practices and Setup Guide for directions and suggestions on how to conduct the project.

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This download includes:
• A pre-lab assignment and post-lab reflection
• Directions and questions for each lab station
• Student recording sheets
• Teacher Key

Additional Materials Required:
1 Computer or tablet
1 Set of colored pencils
3 Calculators

LINKS TO VIDEOS
This laboratory requires internet to access videos. Videos are hosted on SafeShare.TV so to safely watch and share educational YouTube videos without ads, comments and other distractions. Shortened and full link(s) to SafeShare.TV included. Full link to original YouTube video(s) included.

TERMS OF USE
• All rights reserved by Stephanie Elkowitz.
• This product is to be used by the original purchaser only.
• Intended for classroom and personal use only.
• Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited.
• This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view.
• Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).