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teacher Prep

Lab sheet & activites

Watch Class Movie

Class Movie

Teacher Prep Movie

Lab Materials Needed

Blockey Koa Crate

from Kea STEMCrate

- 1 Springy Spring Scale per student

Student Lab Sheet

Class Movie

Fossils and Sedimentary Rocks: Mary Anning, The Princess of Paleontology

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(English/Spanish)

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(English/Spanish)

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Earth's Place in the Universe 4-ESS1-1

Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time. [Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence from patterns could include rock layers with marine shell fossils above rock layers with plant fossils and no shells, indicating a change from land to water over time; and, a canyon with different rock layers in the walls and a river in the bottom, indicating that over time a river cut through the rock.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include specific knowledge of the mechanism of rock formation or memorization of specific rock formations and layers. Assessment is limited to relative time.]

Quizlet Link - Fun Quiz Options

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Pacing Guide:

Color Key:          Green words- Hands-on Activity      Black words- Book reading      Blue words: Revisit the Phenomenon

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Instruction day 1 (pages 2 - 3):  Preview the article
 

Summary: Introduce the unit.

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn about Mary Anning and her paleontology discoveries and drawings. 

 

Instructions: Introduce the chapter and read about the amazing authors that put together this unit and discuss with the class. Then read over the riddle and have students write down their answer and discuss the correct answer as a class.

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: Before we start reading, what do you guys already know about fossils?

Example: They are the remains of ancient creatures that we find in the ground!

 

Ask: What do you guys hope to learn about fossils in this unit?

Example: I hope to learn how old the oldest fossil is! (It is okay if they say things that won’t actually be covered in the unit; you could possibly look it up online!)

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Class Video: pages 1 - 3

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Instruction day 2 (pages 4 - 5):  Explore the phenomenon
 

Summary: Discuss how rocks tell a story

 

Lesson Objective: Students look at three different rocks and discover what makes them different and what stories they tell.

 

Instructions: Get out the sedimentary rock crate and give each student or group a sample of each different rock: shale, sandstone, and limestone. Have each group discuss the characteristics of each rock and then fill out page 5 as a group. Then discuss their answers as a class and help them come to the right answer. 

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: Which stone do you guys think would be the easiest to break?

Example: Sandstone

 

Ask: Explore the phenomenon question; How do you think these rocks formed?

Example: Answers will vary.

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Class Video: pages 4 - 5

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Instruction day 3 (pages 6 - 9):  Read and discuss
 

Summary: Read about Earth’s story it tells.

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn about ways they can study fossils to discover how creatures survived long ago.

 

Instructions: Read page 6 with your students and then have them read the remaining pages either individually or as a group and then discuss as a class. 

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: What did you guys learn about how creatures survived long ago?

Example: I learned that paleontologists study rock and fossils.

 

Ask: What do we call sand or sediment that has turned into rock?

Example: Sedimentary rock.

 

Ask: How are we different or the same as the T-Rex?

Example: We eat meat, but we don’t have sharp teeth!

 

Wrap-up: Think, Pair, Share question on page 6: What can you tell about this ancient creature from its fossilized skeleton?

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Class Video: pages 6 - 9

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Instruction day 4 (pages 10 - 13):  Read, cut, and discuss
 

Summary: Read about the patterns in nature.

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn about what causes ripples in the sand, cracks in the ground, etc. They describe well sorted and well rounded grains versus poorly sorted and poorly rounded grains using their sorting charts on page 12.

 

Instructions: Read each page with the class. Stop on page 11 and have students cut out their cards and set them where they think they should go. Discuss the answers with the class and then have them glue the cards in the correct squares. On page 12 have them cut out their sorting charts card and use it to complete page 13. Discuss as a class page 12 and then have them fill out page 13 on their own. Discuss their answers as a class. 

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: Which picture was the hardest for you to identify?

Example: I thought that the sedimentary rock was hard to identify. I thought it was just round.

 

Ask: How did the dinosaur’s footprint go from mud to solid rock?

Example: They get buried and compacted under sediment over time.

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Class Video: pages 10 -11

Class Video: pages 12 - 13

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Instruction day 5 (pages 14 - 17):  Hands on activity: Describe your rocks!
 

Summary: Use microscopes to discover details about each sedimentary rock.

 

Lesson Objective: Time to go on a sedimentary rock hunt! Students get to describe sandstone, mudstone and limestone like an earth scientist would. Students use grain size cards to describe grains within their rock samples. They will need microscopes to fully characterize their rocks. 

 

Instructions: Guide students through a hands-on lab. Watch this class video and start exploring! Give each student or group a sample of one type of rock and let them loose! Have them look at the rocks under the microscope and use their sedimentary rock card to describe it. Have them fill out pages 15-17 as individuals or groups and then discuss their answers as a class.

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: What was the coolest thing you guys saw or discovered under the microscope?

Example: I could see each individual grain on sand on my sandstone rock!

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Class Video: pages 14 -17

Additional Resource

Sedimentary Rocks

Grain size cards and rock descriptions

Lab Video

Student Lab Sheets

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Instruction day 6 (pages 18 - 21):  Read and discuss
 

Summary: Read about the things rocks have hidden inside!

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn about plant and animal remains from years and years ago that have been preserved in layers of sedimentary rock.

 

Instructions. Read the pages as a class and discuss. Go over the chart with your students and help them answer the question on page 21.

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: What are some examples of how rocks can move?

Example: Earthquakes, plate movements, etc. (Students can name things that aren’t in the reading such as water, landslides, etc.)

 

Ask: Have any of you seen Ice Age? What kind of things make it possible for the mammoth to live in such a cold place?

Example: Really thick fur and a lot of body fat!

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Class Video: pages 18 -19

Class Video: pages 20 -21

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Instruction day 7 (pages 22 - 23):  Read and discuss
 

Summary: Read about the drop and rise in sea level during cold versus warm climates.

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn why sea levels drop when it’s cold and why they rise when it is warm.

 

Instructions: Read the pages as a class and discuss.

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: Why do the sea levels drop when the climate is cold?

Example: Ice is formed from the sea water, so there is less water in the ocean.

 

Ask: Why do sea levels rise in a warm climate?

Example: The ice melts and goes back into the ocean.

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Class Video: pages 22 - 23

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Instruction day 8 (pages 24 - 25):  Read and discuss
 

Summary: Read about ocean sediments found on land and discuss

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn that ocean life long ago can be fossilized in rock that is now on land.

 

Instructions: Read the pages with your class and discuss. Have them fill out page 24 on their own and then discuss their answers. 

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: What difference do you notice between sediment deposited under water versus on land?

Example: The sediment deposited underwater is smooth and almost sand looking. The sediment deposited on land is rough and looks like it has lots of rocks coming out of it.

 

Wrap-up: Think, Pair, Share questions on page 24: Were these rocks formed underwater or above land?

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Class Video: pages 24 - 25

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Instruction day 9 (pages 26 - 29):  Read, discuss, and write
 

Summary: Read, write, and discuss the different layers of rock found on the Rocky Mountain Range of Colorado.

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn how landscapes change overtime and what you can tell from the way each landscape looks. They learn different types of rock and their features.

 

Instructions: Read and discuss page 27 and 28 with your students. Help them answer the first question on that page and then let them answer the rest of the questions on their own. Discuss as a class the answers they put. 

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: What other things can you guys think of that have different layers?

Example: cake, stacked books, a jaw breaker, etc.

 

Ask: What kind of rock do you guys notice has the most sea life fossils?

Example: Siltstone.

 

Wrap-up: Think. Pair, Share question on page 26: How many times has sea level risen and fallen in this area? How do you know?

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Class Video: pages 26 - 27

Class Video: pages 28 - 29

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Instruction day 10 (pages 30 - 31):  Read and discuss
 

Summary: Read about the steps it takes to make a fossil and discuss.

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn that it takes millions of years and lots of steps for things to fossilize.

 

Instructions: Read pages 30 and 31 as a class and discuss. 

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: Which step talks about mud covering the bones?

Example: Step 3

 

Ask: How long do you guys think it takes an animal to decompose and become only bone?

Example: Answers will vary. (It can range from 6 months to 18 years!)

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Class Video: pages 30 - 31

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Instruction day 11 (pages 32 - 34):  Writing Workshop
 

Summary: Have students write about the chapter.

 

Lesson Objective: Students reflect on what they’ve learned during the unit and summarize their understanding.

 

Instructions: Have students talk about what they learned with the class and then give them time to write down what they learned or liked about the unit. Then have students cut out their dinosaur fossil bones for the story on the next couple of instruction days.

Guiding Questions:

Ask: Do you see any fossils that look like something we have on Earth today?

Example: Yes! I see a shell that looks similar to sea shells we can find in the ocean!

Ask: Do you guys know any animals that could live in a sea shell?

Example: A squid or octopus can live in a sea shell! (other ex. crabs, snails, slugs)

Ask: Some of these fossils look familiar and some do not, what do you notice about the ones that are not familiar? What animals or parts of animals do you think these fossils came from?

Example: There is a fossil that looks like it might have been tar that got bones stuck in it. The bones look like they could have been part of the spine of an ancient animal!

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Class Video: pages 32 - 33

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Instruction day 12 (pages 35 - 39):  Read "The Princess of Paleontology" and discuss
 

Summary: Read Part 1 and Part 2 of “The Princess of Paleontology” and discuss.

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn about Mary Anning and her amazing discoveries as a paleontologist.

 

Instructions: Read the story with your students and stop on each page that has a square for students to glue their fossils into. Discuss with the class which paper fossil they think should go where and have them glue in the correct fossil piece. 

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: What kind of creature do you think lived in the fossilized shell?

Example: snail, crab, sea slug, etc.

 

Wrap-up: Think, Pair, Share question on page 36: Name two ways in which the landscape is changing. 

Page 39: How do layers of sedimentary rock tell a story?

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Class Video: page 35

Class Video: pages 36 - 37

Class Video: pages 38 - 39

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Instruction day 13 (pages 40 - 45):  Read "The Princess of Paleontology" and discuss
 

Summary: Read Part 3 and Part 4 of “The Princess of Paleontology” and discuss.

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn about Mary Anning and her amazing discoveries as a paleontologist.

 

Instructions: Read the story with your students and stop on each page that has a square for students to glue their fossils into. Discuss with the class which paper fossil they think should go where and have them glue in the correct fossil piece. 

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: Do you think the Plesiosaurus lived on land or in the water? Why?

Example: The water, because it has fins for swimming!

 

Wrap-up: Think, Pair, Share questions on page 40: What processes can cause rocks to weather away and expose fossils?

Page 42: What did Mary do that made her a scientist and not just a fossil hunter?

Page 44: What clues do fossils give us about ancient environments?

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Class Video: pages 40 - 43

Class Video: pages 44 - 45

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Instruction day 14 (pages 46 - 49):  Read "The Princess of Paleontology" and discuss
 

Summary: Read Part 5 and Part 6 of “The Princess of Paleontology” and discuss.

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn about Mary Anning and her amazing discoveries as a paleontologist.

 

Instructions: Read the story with your students and stop on each page that has a square for students to glue their fossils into. Discuss with the class which paper fossil they think should go where and have them glue in the correct fossil piece. 

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: What was something new you learned during the story?

Example: I learned that people from all around wanted to come see Mary’s discovery.

 

Wrap-up: Ask students what their favorite part of the story was.

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Class Video: pages 46 - 49

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Instruction day 15 (pages 50 - 52):  Hands on activity: Discover micro-fossils (Lab Day 1)
 

Summary: Guide students through a hands-on lab sorting microfossils.

 

Lesson Objective: Students learn close up how to differentiate between rock, sand, and fossils!

 

Materials Needed: Meeka Microscope (one per student or pair), Toby Tweezers and a petri dish (one of each per student)

 

Introduction/Instructions: Today you get to try your hand at sorting through real fossil sediment containing numerous marine fossils from 22 MYA (million years ago). In the Miocene age the ocean covered parts of the continental United States and shallow marine life thrived where we now drive our cars. Students will find fossils of species that are similar to species that exist today and others that are now extinct. Most teachers can't help themselves and will want to join in with the fun of discovering ancient life! Tally and graph what you can find.

 

Guiding Questions:

 

Ask: What kind of fossils did you guys find?

Example: I found a shark tooth!

 

Ask: What kind of things did you guys see under the microscope?

Example: I saw all the lines in a shell fossil I found!

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Microfossil Sorting

Dig into 20 million year old fossil sediment. Your students will reconstruct an ancient ecosystem.

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Additional Resources

Teacher Lab Assistant

Student Lab Sheet

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Instruction day 16 (pages 53 - 56):  Hands on activity: Fossil Bingo! (Lab Day 2)
 

Summary: Guide students through a game of Fossil Bingo

 

Lesson Objective: Students get to make their own bingo card and play a fun game of fossil bingo.

Materials Needed: Scissors and glue sticks

 

Instructions: Have students cut out their fossil cards and glue them onto their bingo card in whatever order they wish. Then call out random fossil names from those cards and have students mark them when they’re called. Come up with a fun prize for those who get bingo! (Class points, stickers, candy, etc). Then have students fill out page 56 and discuss as a class.

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Instruction day 17:  Pop cards
 

Summary: Reflect, write and make quiz cards.

Lesson Objective: Students review key concepts they learned about fossils.

Introduction: We already finished learning about fossils! Turn to a partner and share what the most interesting thing you learned was. (After giving them time to talk, invite students to share with the class what their partner found most interesting, and see if any students came up with similar answers!)

Instructions: Get out scissors for each student before you start the lesson. Students follow the instructions for cutting out and creating pop cards they can use to review and test themselves on important concepts from the chapter.

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Instruction day 18:  Evaluate
 

Google Forms Quiz: Teachers can access what students understand through this google forms quiz.

 

Click the link to copy this google form into your personal Google classroom. 

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Click to copy quiz to your Google classroom.

*No password is required for the quiz*

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