Ectasian

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ectasian

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geologic period?Ectasian
2. What is the era?Mesoproterozoic
3. What was the Ectasian period and when did it happen?The Ectasian was a time in Earth's history from about 1.4 to 1.2 billion years ago when continents grew and new life started to appear.
4. Why were days longer during the Ectasian?Earth's day was longer because the Moon's gravity slowed Earth's spin, making a day about 17.5 to 18.5 hours long.

Chronometric Dating: Determining the age of rocks and fossils using radioactive decay rates.
Platform Covers: Stable, extensive, low-lying areas of continental crust.
Tidal Friction: The slowing of a planet's rotation due to gravitational interactions with its moon.
Eukaryote: An organism whose cells possess a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.