Rock Layers & Relative Dating
Understand that rock layers (strata) form in sequence with the oldest at the bottom and the youngest at the top, and that fossils found in deeper layers are older — this is the principle of relative dating
Teaching approaches
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If your child saw a cliff with layers of rock, could they explain that the bottom layers are the oldest and that fossils found deeper down lived longer ago?
Understand that rock layers (strata) form in sequence with the oldest at the bottom and the youngest at the top, and that fossils found in deeper layers are older — this is the principle of relative dating
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Check understanding
- Explain that sedimentary rock forms in layers with the oldest at the bottom
- Use a diagram of rock strata to determine which fossil is older based on its position
- Define relative dating as working out the age of something by comparing its position in rock layers
“If your child saw a cliff with layers of rock, could they explain that the bottom layers are the oldest and that fossils found deeper down lived longer ago?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Dinosaurs & Paleontology
- Age range
- Ages 9–11