PhET
Radioactive Dating Game
Uranium 235 has a half-life of over 700 million years and is the fuel used in the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Pupils see the half-lives and decay rates of Carbon-14 and Uranium-238. They also take measurements of these two...
Curated OER
Regents High School Examination: Physical Setting Earth Science 2008
Throughout this earth science exam, high-school geologists complete a series of multiple choice and short answer questions about the solar system, atmosphere, and earth system. This is an amazing test, as are all of the exams developed...
EngageNY
Logarithmic and Exponential Problem Solving
Just how old is it? The 22nd portion to a 23-part Precalculus unit uses radiocarbon dating and other exponential modeled real-world problems. Learners use the inverse relationship between logarithms and exponentials to solve the problem...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Using the Scientific Process to Study Human Evolution
Did humans and dinosaurs coexist? How do we know? Scholars dig in to the tools and methods researchers used to study the process of human evolution by watching a slideshow with embedded video clips. Pupils learn the importance of asking...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Deep History of Life on Earth
Take it all the way back! Young scientists discover the changes that took place from the time Earth became solid to present day through an interesting interactive. The resource guides users through key events that have shaped our world...
Channel Islands Film
Arlington Springs Man: Lesson Plan 2
West of the West's documentary Arlington Springs Man and a two-page scientific article about the same topic provide the text for a reading comprehension exercise that asks individuals to craft a one page summary of information gathered...
CK-12 Foundation
Radiocarbon Dating
How do we know how long ago a dinosaur lived or an ancient fire pit was used? Scholars learn about the application of carbon dating and half lives to discover things about the past. They adjust the amount of radioactive carbon in the...
Illustrative Mathematics
Carbon 14 Dating in Practice I
How old is the plant? Here is a task that presents the exponential decay function for carbon 14 in a plant. Pupils use the function to estimate the amount of carbon 14 in the plant when it died and analyze the function to find what...
Virginia Department of Education
Determining Absolute Age
How can radioactive decay help date old objects? Learners explore half-life and radioactive decay by conducting an experiment using pennies to represent atoms. Young scientists graph data from the experiment to identify radioactive decay...
Illustrative Mathematics
Accuracy of Carbon 14 Dating II
The scientific issue of carbon-14 dating and exponential decay gets a statistics-based treatment in this problem. The class starts with a basic investigation of carbon content, but then branches out to questions of accuracy and...
Curated OER
What Contains Carbon?
Young scholars explore elements by analyzing everyday objects and materials in class. In this carbon lesson, students define several vocabulary terms such as carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon, and carbonate. Young scholars view a group of...
Curated OER
Connection to Fine Arts: Carbon-Dating Masterpieces
For this carbon dating worksheet, students read about how carbon-14 is used to date historical paintings. They answer questions about carbon dating and its importance.
Curated OER
I'm Late, I'm Late, for a Radioactive Date!
Through the use of an interactive Web site, students explore C-14 and C-14 dating. Then students analyze an article written about the C-14 dating of the Shroud of Turin and draw conclusions.
Curated OER
Half Life Analogy
Eighth graders explain half life. In this hands on activity, 8th graders use licorice to explain radioactive decay and graph their results.
Curated OER
Methods of Mystery
Students utilize the scientific method to discover the age of an item. In this historical dating lesson, students compare and contrast a 400 year old cabinet to one made within a few years by using carbon dating. Students...
Curated OER
The History of Life
In this history of life activity, students complete a crossword puzzle by figuring out the vocabulary words associated with the 11 clues given. Then students review how paleontologists use fossils to learn more about past living things...
Curated OER
Using Radioactive Decay To Determine Age
Students explore the process of carbon dating fossils to determine their age. They simulate radioactive decay using pennies in a shoe box. Heads represents a decayed atom each time they shake the box. They use the data to calculate the...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Radioactive Dating Game
Learn about different types of radiometric dating, such as carbon dating. Understand how decay and half-life work to enable radiometric dating. Play a game that tests your ability to match the percentage of the dating element that...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Radioactive Dating Game
Learn about different types of radiometric dating, such as carbon dating. Understand how decay and half life work to enable radiometric dating. Play a game that tests your ability to match the percentage of the dating element that...
PBS
The Dating Game: Radiocarbon Dating
Part of PBS-NOVA Online. An excellent explanation of how radiocarbon dating is done and why it works. Great material for earth science, history or biology classes.
Other
Radiocarbon Web Info: What Is Radiocarbon Dating?
This article explains radiocarbon dating and its development.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Radioactive Dating Game
Explore various types of radiometric dating.
California State University
California State University Virtual Courseware Project: Radiocarbon Dating
Use interactive graphs and other diagrams to answer questions about carbon dating.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Numb3 Rs How to Get a Date for Episode
Students will learn how to estimate time of death by using a lab that models carbon dating and radioactive decay. Activity pages complete with calculator keystroke instructions and screenprints are included in this lesson plan based on...