Overcoming difficulties with analogies

The author makes some very good points about how people develop a sense of distance and geography and how that can help students grasp deep time. I was especially facinated by the author's p... See More

The author makes some very good points about how people develop a sense of distance and geography and how that can help students grasp deep time. I was especially facinated by the author's point that when we scale down geologic timelines too muich, the real "depth" of the timeline is lost. The author states that a timeline of at least 75 miles is necessary to make the increments something students can innately relate to. And he makes a point he uses this with adult audiences that have experienced travel in a consistant way such that they can relate to the landmarks and distances used to represent time. I agree that is important for this particular model, so that this lesson is best adapted to high school and older students. Wonderful way to help students to grasp the true size of geologic timescales and it is nice the author provides ways to modify the lesson for specific audiences/ cultures.