Teacher Monitoring Guide
Grade 7 · Cycle 7 · Week 2 — Geologic Time & Fossil Evidence

Learning Goal

Students will use radiometric dating data and the principle of superposition to construct a geologic timeline, and analyze fossil evidence to reconstruct ancient environments and evolutionary change.

Station Checkpoints

Station 1 — Hook & Phenomenon
Look for: Students connecting the phenomenon to prior knowledge and generating testable questions
Common misconception: Older rock layers are always on top — introduce unconformities, overthrust faults, and overturned folds as exceptions to simple superposition
Station 2 — Investigation / Data Collection
Look for: Accurate data recording and identification of emerging patterns in the evidence
Common misconception: Fossils must be bones to count — expand to include trace fossils, chemical fossils, microfossils, and preserved soft tissue in exceptional conditions
Station 3 — Sense-Making
Look for: Students revising their model based on evidence collected during investigation
Common misconception: Radiometric dating is inaccurate — explain that multiple isotope systems with different half-lives provide cross-checks and consistent age determinations

Exit Ticket Monitoring

Score Range Interpretation Next Step
18–23 pts Meeting target Extend with synthesis question
10–17 pts Developing Small group re-teach at day start
0–9 pts Needs support 1:1 intervention before next station

MTSS Tier 2 Supports

For students scoring below 10 pts on the exit ticket: use the sentence frames below during the next class's hook.