Earth and Life Science: Self - Learning Module

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
EARTH AND LIFE

SCIENCE
Quarter 1 – Module 5.2:
HISTORY OF THE EARTH
SELF – LEARNING MODULE

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Subject Teacher: Mrs. Lara Mae C. Mendoza
Assistant Principal: Ms. Jerlyn V. Lopez
Principal: Mrs. Jacqueline T. Mortel, Ed.D
Office Address: Calle G. Marella, St. Taal, Batangas
For the Learner:
Welcome to the Earth and Life Science - G11 Self-Learning Module (SLM) on Folds
and Faults and History of the Earth.
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities
for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be
enabled to process the contents of the learning resource while being an active
learner.
This module has the following parts:
Objectives: This will give you an idea of the skills or competencies you are expected
to learn in the module.
Motivation: This part includes an activity that aims to check what you already
know about the lesson to take. It also includes a brief drill or
review to help you link the current lesson with the previous one.
Instruction: This section provides a brief discussion of the lesson. This aims to
help you discover and understand new concepts and skills.
Practice: This comprises activities for independent practice to solidify your

understanding and skills of the topic.
Enrichment: In this portion, another activity will be given to you to enrich your
knowledge or skill of the lesson learned. This also tends retention
of learned concepts.
Evaluation: This is a task which aims to evaluate your level of mastery in achieving
the learning competency.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should able to:
1. explain how the movement of plates leads to the formation
of folds and faults
2. describe how layers of rocks (stratified rocks) are formed
3. describe the different methods (relative and absolute
dating) to determine the age of stratified rocks
INSTRUCTION
FORMATION OF STRATIFIED ROCKS
Most rocks are sedimentary rocks. They are formed

from older rocks that have been broken down to smaller pieces
through weathering. The olderrocks become sedimentary
particles, such as gravel, sand and mud. These particles can
also bury dead plants and animals. As time goes by, the particles accumulate, and
those that are at the bottom of the pile become rocks. Gravel becomes conglomerate;
sand becomes sandstone; and mud becomes shale or mudstone. The animals or plants
buried with them turn into fossils. These series of events that form the different layers of
rocks is known as stratification.
METHODS OF DETERMINING THE AGE OF STRATIFIED ROCKS
There are two methods of determining the age of rocks: relative dating and
absolute dating. RELATIVE DATING is a method of arranging geological events based
on the rock sequence. ABSOLUTE DATING is a method that gives an actual date of the
rock or period of an event.
Relatve dating can`t provide the actual numerical age of rocks. It can only tell
that one rock is older relative to another rock, but does not tell exactly how old each
rock is. In the early mid-1600`s, a Danish scientist, Nicholas Steno, studied the relative
positions of sedimentary rocks. He discovered that they settle based on their relative
weight or size in a fluid. The largest or heaviest particles settle first, and the smallest or
the lightest particles settle last. Any slight change in the particle size or composition
may result in the formation of layers called beds. Layering or bedding is a distinct
quality of sedimentary rocks. The layered are also called strata.
.
PRINCIPLES ASSOCIATED WITH RELATIVE DATING
1. The Principle of Superposition state that, in any sequence of layered sedimentary

rocks, the top layer is younger that the bottom layer. It is important in the interpretation
of the Earth`s history because it indicates the relative age of the rock layers and fossils.
2. The Law of Original Horizontality states that most sediments were originally laid
down horizontally. However, many layered rocks are no longer horizontal. Based on this
law, the rocks that were titled may be due to later events such as tilting episodes of
mountain building.
3. The Law of Lateral Continuity states that rock layers extend laterally or out to the
sides. These layers may cover broad surfaces. Erosion may have worn away some
parts of the rock, but the layers on either side of the eroded areas still match.
INDEX FOSSILS
One can also determined the relative age of the rocks with the use of index fossils.
To be considered as an index fossils, the following must be met:
 An organism must have lived only during a short period;
 Many fossils of the organism must be found in rock layers;
 The fossils must be found over a wide area of Earth;
 The organism must be unique;
 The shorter the time period that a species lived, the better an index it is; and
 Fossils that are found in many rock layers which means that they had lived for
long periods of time do not qualify as index fossils.
ABSOLUTE DATING
Absolute dating or radiometric dating is a method used to determine the age of
rocks by measuring their radioactive decay. A radioactive isotopes in the rock decays
into a stable daughter isotope. The decay occurs at a predictable rate, so the age of the
sample could be determined.
The table below shows characteristics of some common radiometric dating methods.
DATING METHOD MATERIAL DATED Age Range Dated
Carbon-14 to nitrogen-14 Organic remains, archaelogical Up to 60,000 years ago
(radiocarbon) artifacts
Luminescence Tephra, loess, lake sediment Up to 100,000 years ago
Fission track Tephra 10,000 to 400 million years ago
Potassium-40 to argon-40 Volcanic Rocks 20,000 to 4.5 billion years ago
Uranium-238 to lead-206 Volcanic rocks 1 million to 4.5 billion years ago
ENRICHMENT
SUMMARIZE ME
1. Explain the concept of absolute dating.

2. Differentiate relative dating from absolute dating.
3. Differentiate Folding and Faultings.
EVALUATION
Multiple Choice Direction: Read and understand each item and
choose the letter of the correct answer from the given choices. Use
a separate sheet of paper for your answer.
1. What is referred to as the age compared with the ages of other rocks?
A. Extrusions B. Intrusions C. Absolute Age D. Relative Age
2. What do you call the number of years since the rock formed?
A. Extrusions B. Intrusions C. Absolute Age D. Relative Age
3. Which of the following principles explains how layers of sedimentary rock extend
sideways in the same order?
A. Superposition B. Lateral Continuity C. Horizontality D. Unconformity
4. Which of the following principles explain how sedimentary rocks are normally laid
down in order, one on the top of another?
5. Which of the following principles explains how layers of sedimentary rocks are laid
down in flat (horizontal) layers, although these can later tilt and fold?

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

EARTH AND LIFE

SELF – LEARNING MODULE

Subject Teacher: Mrs. Lara Mae C. Mendoza

Assistant Principal: Ms. Jerlyn V. Lopez

Principal: Mrs. Jacqueline T. Mortel, Ed.D

Office Address: Calle G. Marella, St. Taal, Batangas

For the Learner:

This module has the following parts:

Practice: This comprises activities for independent practice to solidify your

Most rocks are sedimentary rocks. They are formed

METHODS OF DETERMINING THE AGE OF STRATIFIED ROCKS

PRINCIPLES ASSOCIATED WITH RELATIVE DATING

1. The Principle of Superposition state that, in any sequence of layered sedimentary

1. Explain the concept of absolute dating.

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