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Stratigraphy

Half-life

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Stratigraphy

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Assessment

Classroom

Glossary

For this activity, a series consists of four cups.  If you have two students in a group, there will be eight students to each series of four cups.  Repeat the series of cups according to the number of groups in your class.

Preparation

Materials needed:

1. Styrofoam cups ( 8.5 oz work best)

2. Five colors of gelatin (Jell-o works great), each representing a different coastal or upland sedimentary environment (Suggested:  blue for marine, red for beach, green for marsh, yellow for subtidal (tidal creek or estuary), and orange for fresh-water swamp.)

3. Clear straws with a large diameter (Arby's straws work great)

4. Two rolls of dental floss

Time:  Three to five days outside of class preparation. One period of lab time.

Directions:

1. Label the outside of cups 1-4.    Labeling is very important because there will be different environments (freshwater swamp, tidal creek, marsh, beach and marine) represented in each cup, which cannot be seen through the Styrofoam cups 

2. Begin with the freshwater swamp (orange).  Make enough orange gelatin** to fill 1/3 of cup number one in each series.

3. After the orange gelatin is set, make the tidal creek (yellow).  You will need tidal creek for cups number one, two, and three.  On top of the orange in cup number one, fill 1/3 of the way more with the yellow.  In cup number two, fill 2/3 of the way with yellow. Cup number three will need to be filled 1/3 of the way.

4. After the yellow gelatin is set, make the marsh (green).  You will be adding marsh to each cup in the series.  Fill cup number one the remaining 1/3 with the green gelatin.  Do the same for cup number two.  Add marsh 1/3 of the way up from the yellow in cup number three.  Cup number four begins with green.  Fill 1/3 of the way. At this point, cups number one and two are complete.

5. After the green gelatin is set, move on to the beach (red).  You will be adding beach to cups number three and four.  Fill the remaining 1/3 of cup number three with red Jell-o.  Add 1/3 of the way up from the green in cup number four.  At this point, cup number three is now complete.

6. Complete cup number four in each series with marine (blue).  Fill the remaining 1/3 of cup number four with blue.  The series is now complete.

**  So that the gelatin will be firmer for later coring with a straw, make with directed amount of hot water only.  DO NOT add additional cold water (as listed in instructions for some gelatins).