Earth History Walk

How has Earth evolved over time? What drove these changes, and how did they impact life? In this activity, students head outside for the Earth History Walk – a journey through deep time starting 4.6 billion years ago when Earth first formed.

As students move along the trail toward the present, they stop at stations that highlight key moments in Earth’s evolution, from the formation of oceans and atmosphere to the emergence of life. Afterwards, they use what they learned to create a concept map illustrating the geological and biological forces that continue to shape our planet by answering the following questions:

• How has Earth’s climate differed in the past?
• What factors determine Earth’s climate?
• How do scientists study past climates?

Options:

• The Earth History Walk could be set up indoors (in the gym, or along a long hallway) if teachers are not comfortable taking their students outside.
• Consider pairing the Earth History Walk with a reading and a discussion of an Indigenous creation story (e.g. Skywoman Falling, as told by Robin Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants). Invite students to compare Western scientific accounts of Earth’s history with Indigenous teachings: What’s similar? What’s different? What do these stories suggest about how humans should relate to the Earth? This is a meaningful opportunity to bring Indigenous knowledge into the classroom and practice Two-Eyed Seeing.

Check out the workflow below to review the activity sequence. 

Useful resources: Concept Mapping and Gallery Walk, both include information and activities that use these strategies.

Citation to others: This activity is an adaptation of the Deep Time Walk App https://www.deeptimewalk.org/kit/app/

Students will be able to:

• Describe the vast scale of geological time and connect how recently humans appeared in Earth’s 4.6-billion-year history.
• Explain key changes in Earth’s systems and how they contributed to making Earth habitable.
• Discuss scientific methods used to study Earth’s ancient past through evidence like rocks, fossils, and isotopes.