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fascinating
fossils
teacher’s guide
Editors:
Brian A. Jerome Ph.D.
Stephanie Zak Jerome
Assistant Editors:
Louise Marrier
Josh Hummel
Graphics:
Fred Thodal
a message from our company | viewing clearances | use and copyright
a message from our company . . .
Visual Learning is a Vermont-based, family owned company specializing in
the creation of science programs. As former classroom science teachers,
we have designed our programs to meet the needs and interests of both
students and teachers. Our mission is to help educators and students meet
educational goals while experiencing the thrill of science!
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use and copyright
The purchase of this video program entitles the user the right to reproduce
or duplicate, in whole or in part, this teacher’s guide and the black line
master handouts for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this video,
fascinating fossils. The right is restricted only for use with this video program.
Any reproduction or duplication, in whole or in part, of this guide and student
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The video and this teacher’s guide are the exclusive property of the copyright
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2
Copyright © 2012
ISBN 1-59234-773-5
fascinating fossils
index
teacher’s guide
a message from our company
2
viewing clearances
2
use and copyright
2
student learning objectives
4
assessment
4
introducing the program
5
program viewing suggestions
5
literature connections
5
key vocabulary
6
video script
6
answer key to student assessments
9
answer key to student activities
9
student activities
what do you know now?
10
what have you learned?
11
video review
12
video quiz
12
types of fossils
13
make a fossil
15
fascinating fossils
3
student learning objectives | assessment
student learning objectives
Upon viewing the video and completing the enclosed student activities,
students will be able to do the following:
1  Explain
that fossils are the traces or remains of things from the distant
past.
2  Know that we are able to learn a lot about life long ago by studying
fossils.
3  Understand that fossils can form in different ways.
4  Describe how an imprint fossil is formed. Identify an imprint fossil.
5  Know that imprint fossils are most often formed by hard parts such as
bones, teeth, and shells.
6  Explain that some fossils consist of the actual fossilized remains of living
things. Examples include bones and petrified wood.
7  Describe how fossils are formed in other ways such as by being preserved
in amber or tar.
8  Cite some of the many benefits of fossils. These include providing
information about ancient life, as well as providing us with materials such
as fossil fuels and cement.
assessment
what do you know now? (p. 10):
This preliminary assessment is an assessment tool designed to gain an
understanding of students’ preexisting knowledge. It can also be used as a
benchmark upon which to assess student progress based on the objectives
stated on the previous pages.
what have you learned? (p. 11):
This post assessment can be utilized as an assessment tool following
student completion of the program and student activities. The results of
this assessment can be compared against the results of the preliminary
assessment to assess student progress.
video review (p. 12):
The video review can be used as an assessment tool or as a student activity.
There are two sections. The first part contains questions displayed during
the program. The second part consists of a five-question video quiz to be
answered at the end of the video.
4
fascinating fossils
Before showing the video ask students if they like studying dinosaurs. Then,
ask them what they know about dinosaurs. Write their ideas on the board.
Perhaps, even have them draw pictures of their favorite dinosaurs. Next, ask
them if anyone has ever seen a dinosaur. Then, ask them how we know so
much about dinosaurs if no one has ever seen one.
Explain to students that we know a lot about dinosaurs from fossils that people
have found and studied. Show students an image of a dinosaur skeleton. If
you have some fossils in your classroom, show these to students. Explain that
there are many different types of fossils that tell us a lot about ancient living
things. Tell students to pay close attention to the video to learn more about
fossils.
program viewing suggestions
The student master “video review” is provided (p. 12) for distribution to
students. You may choose to have your students complete this master
while viewing the program or do so upon its conclusion.
The program is approximately 10 to 12 minutes in length and includes a
five-question video quiz. Answers are not provided to the video quiz in the
video, but are included in this guide on page 9. You may choose to grade
student quizzes as an assessment tool or to review the answers in class.
introducing the program | program viewing suggestions | literature connections
introducing the program
The video is content-rich with numerous vocabulary words. For this
reason you may want to periodically stop the video to review and discuss
new terminology and concepts.
literature connections
Aliki. Fossils Tell of Long Ago. New York: Collins, 1990.
Barner, Bob. Dinosaur Bones. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2001.
Burns, Jasper. Fossil Beach. Charleston: CreateSpace, 2012.
Pellant, Chris. The Best Book of Fossils, Rocks, and Minerals. New York:
Kingfisher, 2007.
Storad, Conrad J. Fossil Fuels (Early Bird Earth Science). Minneapolis:
Lerner, 2007.
fascinating fossils
5
key vocabulary |video script
key
vocabulary
fossils
fossil imprint
imprint
fossilized
petrified wood
fossil fuels
cement
limestone
video script
1
01 
introduction
02  The
bones of this ancient turtle,...
this piece of petrified wood,...
04  ... and the imprint of this shell are all examples of fossils.
05  Fossils are fascinating because they give us clues to what life was like long
ago. And, they also provide us with many useful things.
06  What exactly are fossils?
07  What are some of the different kinds of fossils?
08  How did fossils form?
09  And, what can they tell us about ancient life?
10  During the next few minutes we’re going to explore these questions and
others,...
11  ... as we investigate the fascinating features of fossils.
03  ...
2
12 
what are fossils?
13  These
dinosaur tracks located in Arizona were formed millions of years ago.
14  These tracks made by a snake were made last night.
15  Even though these tracks were both made by reptiles they are quite different
from each other.
you 16  How are these tracks different?
compare 17  The fossil dinosaur tracks were made millions of years ago.
18  The
snake tracks are only a few hours old so they’re not fossils.
19  Fossils are the traces or remains of living things from the distant past thousands or millions of years ago.
20  Some fossils such as those of ancient bacteria are billions of years old.
21  Fossils take many forms. Some are imprints of once-living things.
22  Others can be actual fossilized remains of an organism. And, some are formed
in other ways.
23  Let’s now take a closer look at some of the different kinds of fossils.
6
fascinating fossils
24 
video script
3
types of fossils
25  This
fossil of a fern,...
and this fossil of a shell were made in similar ways.
27  They’re called imprint fossils. A fossil imprint is formed when a once-living
thing leaves a mark.
28  Imprint fossils are most often made when a plant or animal dies and falls into
soft mud, clay or sand.
29  The dead thing is covered with sediment. And, over time the sediment
hardens into rock.
30  An imprint of the organism is left in the rock. The hard remains of living things
such as bones, teeth, and shells are often the best fossil formers.
31  There are other ways fossils are formed.
32  Sometimes an actual part of a once-living thing becomes fossilized.
33  For example, these bones are the actual fossilized remains of dinosaurs that
lived nearly 150 million years ago.
34  They have become rock-like over time.
35  A similar process has taken place with these fossilized trees that grew here in
Arizona about 225 million years ago.
36  Today, we call these tree fossils petrified wood.
37  Other fossils are formed when living things become trapped in materials that
become solid.
38  This insect, for example, became fossilized when liquid sap covered it and
then hardened. The insect is a completely preserved fossil.
39  Another way living things become fossilized is when they become covered in
sticky tar.
40  Animals that fell into the sticky tar here were quickly buried and preserved.
41  The complete skeletons of these animals are studied today by scientists.
42  .These are just a few of the many ways fossils are formed.
26  ....
4
43 
how fossils help us
44  Fossils
are clues to the past.
45  By studying fossils scientists are able to learn a lot about life long ago.
46  Fossils also tell us interesting things about past climates, and how climates
have changed.
47  Almost all of what we know about ancient life forms has been learned from
fossils.
48  Fossils also tell scientists a great deal about how life has changed through
time.
49  But, there are many other ways that fossils help us.
50  Have you ever heard of fossil fuels?
fascinating fossils
7
video script
51  Every
time you ride in a car or in a bus you are using fossil fuels.
fuels include oil, natural gas, and coal.
53  The fuels were formed millions of years ago from the remains of plants and
animals.
54  Cement is another important thing that we use that comes from fossils.
55  Cement is used in making concrete. And, concrete is used to make
buildings, sidewalks, and roads.
56  Cement comes from a fossil rock called limestone. This limestone rock is
formed from the dead remains of ocean animals.
57  Notice the fossils in this piece of limestone.
58  These are a few examples of ways that fossils are helpful to us.
52  Fossil
5
6
8
59 
video review
60  During
the past few minutes we explored some of the fascinating features
of fossils.
61  We began by seeing how fossils are the traces or remains of things from
the distant past.
62  We then explored some of the different types of fossils.
63  And, we investigated some of the ways they’re formed.
64  Last, we discussed ways fossils help us today,...
65  ... and help us understand the past.
66  This rounded out our fascinating investigation of fossils.
67 
video quiz
68  Fill
in the correct word to complete the sentence.
Fossils are the remains of things from the distant ___.
70  2. A fossil ____ is a mark left in a rock.
71  3. These fossils are dinosaur _____.
72  4. Oil and coal are fossil ___.
73  5. _____ is made from limestone.
69  1.
fascinating fossils
what do you know now?
1  fossils
2  once-living things
3  mark
4  bones, teeth, and shells
5  trees
6  tree sap (gum)
7  the ancient past
8  the future
9  wind energy
10  limestone
video review (p. 12)
1  The fossilized dinosaur tracks were
made millions of years ago. The snake
tracks are only a few hours old so
they’re not fossils.
what have you learned? (p. 11)
1  tree sap (gum)
2  wind energy
3  fossils
4  the future
5  mark
6  limestone
7  trees
8  once-living things
9  the ancient past
10  bones, teeth, and shells
video quiz (p. 12)
1  past
2  imprint
3  bones
4  fuels
5  cement
answer key to student activities
answer key to student assessments | answer key to student activities
answer key to student assessments
types of fossils (pgs. 13-14)
1  A dinosaur made the fossil. It is a fossil
called a track.
2  This was made by a leaf from a tree. It
is an imprint fossil.
3  This is the preserved remains of an
animal called an ammonite.
4  This is the fossil of an insect. It is called
amber.
make a fossil (p. 15)
This is a fun activity that helps students understand how imprint fossils are
formed. Explain to students that the flour and water mixture represents mud,
clay, or sand. Tell them that this is just one of many ways fossils are formed.
fascinating fossils
9
what do you
know now?
Name:
Select the best answer for each of the following questions.
1
Much of what we know about
ancient life is learned from:
6
old buildings
trees
stories
fossils
2
7
What are often the best fossil
formers?
8
Petrified wood is a fossil formed
from:
flowers
trees
animals
shells
10 | fascinating fossils
Fossils cannot tell us about:
ancient life
past climates
changes in life over time
the future
9
skin and muscles
hair
bones, teeth, and shells
internal organs
5
Fossils are traces or remains of
living things from:
a year ago
the ancient past
less than 1,000 years ago
a few weeks ago
An imprint fossil makes the
following in a rock:
home
painting
photograph
mark
4
tree sap (gum)
ice
sand
clay
Fossils are made by:
once-living things
volcanoes
earthquakes
scientists
3
Living things fossilized in amber
were formed when they were
trapped in what?
Which is not a fossil fuel?
oil
wind energy
natural gas
coal
10
Cement comes from a fossil
rock called:
coal
granite
limestone
magma
visual learning systems
what have you
learned?
Name:
Select the best answer for each of the following questions.
1
Living things fossilized in amber
were formed when they were
trapped in what?
6
coal
granite
limestone
magma
tree sap (gum)
ice
sand
clay
2
Which is not a fossil fuel?
7
oil
wind energy
natural gas
coal
3
Much of what we know about
ancient life is learned from:
Fossils cannot tell us about:
8
An imprint fossil makes the
following in a rock:
home
painting
photograph
mark
visual learning systems
Fossils are made by:
once-living things
volcanoes
earthquakes
scientists
9
ancient life
past climates
changes in life over time
the future
5
Petrified wood is a fossil formed
from:
flowers
trees
animals
shells
old buildings
trees
stories
fossils
4
Cement comes from a fossil
rock called:
Fossils are traces or remains of
living things from:
a year ago
the ancient past
less than 1,000 years ago
a few weeks ago
10
What are often the best fossil
formers?
skin and muscles
hair
bones, teeth, and shells
internal organs
fascinating fossils | 11
video review
Name:
you compare
How are these tracks different?
video quiz
Fossils are the remains of things from the distant
___________________.
A fossil ___________________ is a mark left in a rock.
These fossils are dinosaur __________________.
Oil and coal are fossil __________________.
___________________ is made from limestone.
12 | fascinating fossils
visual learning systems
types of fossils
Name:
There are many different types of fossils. Fossils are often described by
how they are made. Here are some of the common types of fossils:
Imprint fossils - made when a mark is left by a once-living thing.
Fossilized remains - made when a part of a once-living thing is preserved.
Amber - made when a living thing is preserved in hardened tree sap.
Track - made when a footprint is left by a living thing.
Directions:
Describe the type of ancient animal that made the fossil. Color the fossil.
Also, describe the type of fossil.
1
visual learning systems
fascinating fossils | 13
types of fossils
Name:
2
3
4
14 | fascinating fossils
visual learning systems
make a fossil
Name:
In this activity you will make an imprint
fossil. An imprint fossil is made when a
living thing or once-living thing leaves a
mark in something. Marks are often left in
mud, sand, or other soft places. Over time,
the material hardens into rock and a fossil
is formed.
Materials:
shells, leaves, or nuts
flour
salt
plastic bowl and spoon
Directions:
1 Get a small amount of flour and salt from your teacher.
2 Put the flour and salt in a plastic bowl.
3 Add a small amount of water.
4 Stir - not too thin and not too stiff.
5 Smooth the top with the spoon.
6 Now, it’s time to make the imprint. Carefully press the hard object into
the top of the mixture.
7 Leave it overnight.
8 The next day, carefully take out the hard object.
9 You now have your own imprint fossil. Color the fossils with paint or
marker if you want.
visual learning systems
fascinating fossils | 15