Course: SCED 4368 Instructor: Dr. Pei-Ling Hsu 1 Centennial Museum Lesson Plan UTEP Course: SCED 4368- Teaching Science in Intermediate and Middle Grades Designers: Melissa Martinez, Viridiana Perez 1. Lesson Title: Fossils: The Treasures of the Earth 2. Grade: Grades 10, 11, or 12. 3. Time: 45 minutes 4. Learning Objectives (1) Learner will be able to determine what is a fossil (2) Learner will be able to explain that fossils provide evidence for geological and biological evolution. (3) Learner will be able to analyze fossil types and evaluate a variety of fossil formation (4) Learner will be able to explain how a fossil is created 5. TEKS Alignment §112.36. Earth and Space Science, Beginning with School Year 2010-2011 (8) Earth in space and time. The student knows that fossils provide evidence for geological and biological evolution. Students are expected to: (A) Analyze and evaluate a variety of fossil types such as transitional fossils, proposed transitional fossils, fossil lineages, and significant fossil deposits with regard to their appearance, completeness, and alignment with scientific explanations in light of this fossil data; (B) Explain how sedimentation, fossilization, and speciation affect the degree of completeness of the fossil record; and (C) Evaluate the significance of the terminal Permian and Cretaceous mass extinction events, including adaptive radiations of organisms after the events.
Transcript
Course: SCED 4368 Instructor: Dr. Pei-Ling Hsu
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Centennial Museum Lesson Plan
UTEP Course: SCED 4368- Teaching Science in Intermediate and Middle Grades
Designers: Melissa Martinez, Viridiana Perez
1. Lesson Title: Fossils: The Treasures of the Earth 2. Grade: Grades 10, 11, or 12. 3. Time: 45 minutes 4. Learning Objectives (1) Learner will be able to determine what is a fossil (2) Learner will be able to explain that fossils provide evidence for geological and biological evolution.
(3) Learner will be able to analyze fossil types and evaluate a variety of fossil formation
(4) Learner will be able to explain how a fossil is created 5. TEKS Alignment
§112.36. Earth and Space Science, Beginning with School Year 2010-2011
(8) Earth in space and time. The student knows that fossils provide evidence for geological and biological evolution. Students are expected to:
(A) Analyze and evaluate a variety of fossil types such as transitional fossils, proposed transitional fossils, fossil lineages, and significant fossil deposits with regard to their appearance, completeness, and alignment with scientific explanations in light of this fossil data;
(B) Explain how sedimentation, fossilization, and speciation affect the degree of completeness of the fossil record; and
(C) Evaluate the significance of the terminal Permian and Cretaceous mass extinction events, including adaptive radiations of organisms after the events.
Course: SCED 4368 Instructor: Dr. Pei-Ling Hsu
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6. Concept Map
Course: SCED 4368
7. Materials and Tools (List(1) tracing paper/crayons (2) leaves (3) paleontologist activity kit(4) clay (5) small dinosaur/ fake fossil(6) magnifying glass (7) posters/info (8) bottle/sediment layering(9) white board/markers
8. Safety Consideration
• Students participating in the paleontologist kit activity must wear safety goggles.• Students must be careful when using pick in fossil kit.• Students must not eat or place in their mouths small toys or
When going out to find fossils on your own.
• Do not go collection for fossils byyou will be and when you expect to be back home.
• Check on the weather. Remember to protect yourself from the sun and bring plenty of water and some lunch.
• Wear gloves when picking up rocks or digging holesof creatures that are around
• Stay away from deep water• Stay away from cliffs and rock slides• Pay careful attention w• Always wear safety goggles
9. Opening Activity (hook) ( The role of the teacher is to present some tools that the teacher will useguided practice. The learner will see a sandbox with sand, some small toys, clay, and they will also see crayons and tracing. Raise some questions about what the learner might know about fossils.
Example: What are fossils? How do fossils form What might fossils tell us about Earth’s history? The Teacher will then briefly explain to the learners about the geological timescale using the bottle with the different layering of sand inside along with some visible fossils, which will help explai
Instructor: Dr. Pei
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Lists and Pictures)
paleontologist activity kit
/ fake fossil toys
layering
Students participating in the paleontologist kit activity must wear safety goggles.Students must be careful when using pick in fossil kit. Students must not eat or place in their mouths small toys or clay
When going out to find fossils on your own.
Do not go collection for fossils by yourself and always let someone know where and when you expect to be back home.
. Remember to protect yourself from the sun and bring plenty of water and some lunch.
hen picking up rocks or digging holes. Always be aware othat are around
Stay away from deep water from rivers or creeks. from cliffs and rock slides.
when using tools like picks and hammers. Always wear safety goggles when breaking rocks.
(5 minutes)
The role of the teacher is to present some tools that the teacher will useguided practice. The learner will see a sandbox with sand, some small toys, clay, and they will also see crayons and tracing. Raise some questions about what the learner might
What are fossils? How do fossils form? What might fossils tell us about Earth’s history?
The Teacher will then briefly explain to the learners about the geological using the bottle with the different layering of sand inside along with some
which will help explain to the learners the mechanisms of evolution
Instructor: Dr. Pei-Ling Hsu
Students participating in the paleontologist kit activity must wear safety goggles.
and always let someone know where
. Remember to protect yourself from the sun and bring plenty
lways be aware of the type
The role of the teacher is to present some tools that the teacher will use for the guided practice. The learner will see a sandbox with sand, some small toys, clay, and they will also see crayons and tracing. Raise some questions about what the learner might
The Teacher will then briefly explain to the learners about the geological using the bottle with the different layering of sand inside along with some
the mechanisms of evolution.
Course: SCED 4368 Instructor: Dr. Pei-Ling Hsu
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10. Teaching Lesson Topics A. Fossils 1. Earth’s History a. Geological timescale b. Evolution
2. Fossilization a. Body fossils b. Fossil fuels
Course: SCED 4368 Instructor: Dr. Pei-Ling Hsu
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c. Trace fossils d. Cast fossils e. Mold fossils 3. Formation a. Death/decay b. Layers of sediment/ pressure c. Erosion of sediments d. Exposure of Fossils I. Mold II. Cast 11. Guided Practice (5 minutes) The teacher will use the clay to demonstrate how a Mold/Cast fossil is made by covering the small toy with clay. Explain to the learners that the toy is a dead animal and will begin to decay. Ask the learner how they think it is possible that bones can turn into stone. The clay is an example of sediment layering and with pressure the clay can begin to mold out the hard parts of the remains of organism (toy). Ask questions to the learners about what they think may happen if they pulled away the clay from the toy. The learner should understand that an imprint (trace fossil) will be left behind on the clay. -What must be applied in order to obtain an imprint of this toy dinosaur? - What type of fossil due you believe will likely form? -Can you name the process of fossilization?
12. Independent Practice (10 minutes each) With the paleontologist activity kit the learner is to carefully expose the hidden fossils. The learner is act as a paleontologist and use brushes to carefully remove the sand to find a fossil. Relate to the sand as sediments and explain how erosion is a helpful tool to expose some fossils.
Course: SCED 4368 Instructor: Dr. Pei-Ling Hsu
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Then the learners will be given a tracing paper and a leaf of their choice. Placing the tracing paper on top of the leaf, the learner will then use a crayon to make an imprint of the leaf. This is demonstrating a trace fossil.
13. Assessments The learner is to understand how a geological timescale can tell you about Earth’s history. The geological timescale explains when or how old a fossil is. The fossils explain who can be fossilized, which the organisms found can then tell you about their environment and the climate around them. Learning when, who, and where a fossil came from can help your learners understand what happened in the history of Earth. Fossils can tell your learns about extinction, evolution, and adaption. The Learner is to understand the kinds of fossilization and the different ways of how a fossil is formed. Evaluate your learners using a worksheet as shown below (Y-chart). Using a white board, have the learner fill out one section of the worksheet making it visible for everyone else to follow along. Afterwards have the learner fill out the rest on their own. This worksheet will help the teacher distinguish if their learners learned about fossils. 14. Ways of Facilitating Students’ Science Inquiry Abilities (1) Engagement: Opening Activity (2) Elaborate: Guided Practice (3) Explain: The teacher will help answer questions so that the learner can get a full understand of fossils.
(4) Explore: Independent Practice (5) Evaluate: The Teacher will give the learners a quiz and handout.
Course: SCED 4368 Instructor: Dr. Pei-Ling Hsu
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15. Hands Out for Students (15 minutes)
Answers: 1. Types of Fossils: Trace fossils, Body fossils, Mold and cast fossils 2. How fossils form: First the organism die and then decompose. Sedimentation must form over the organism causing pressure. Sediments then uplift and erosion occur.
Course: SCED 4368 Instructor: Dr. Pei-Ling Hsu
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3. What fossil can tell us: Earth’s history and what kinds of organisms lived in the past.
