Do you have fossils laying around that you don't know what to do with? Incorporate them into your absolute dating unit! Included in this download are 3 activities you can use to practice absolute dating, half life, and reading radiometric decay curves.

Activity 1: For this activity, students will read a half life graph of carbon-14. Note: This should be review, as students should already have a basic understanding of decay curves prior to this lesson.

Activity 2: For this activity, students will look at pictures of four geologic samples / locations and determine their age based on the ratio of parent to daughter atoms.

Activity 3: For this activity, students will be dating real fossil specimens you have on hand. (If you don't have any fossils, you can skip this section!)

Set up fossils around the room, and place a name label next to each fossil that lists the ratio of parent to daughter radioactive atoms. Students will reference the half life graphs to determine the age of your fossils. A list of 12 common fossils with their age has been included, along with name tags you can set up at each station.