8th Grade Science Unit:
Diversity of Living Things
Unit Snapshot
Topic: Species and Reproduction
Duration:
Grade Level: 8
9 days
Summary
The following activities engage students in exploring the diversity of
living things related to changes over time, survival, and extinction. The
geologic and fossil records will be explored in order to infer past
environments and the survival of species based on inherited traits.
Clear Learning Targets
“I can”…statements
____ explain how diversity can result from sexual reproduction.
____ describe how variations may allow for survival when the environment changes.
____ use data and evidence from geologic and fossil records to infer what the
environment was like at the time of deposition.
Activity Highlights and Suggested Timeframe
Days 1-2
Day 3
Days 4-5
Days 6-7
Day 8
and on-going
Day 9
Engagement: Students will tie previous knowledge of the Earth’s layers to fossils and
their role in explaining what the environment of the Earth was like while they were
alive through a study of Ohio’s state fossil – Isotelus (trilobite). Students will also
explore a variety of fossil specimens and the environments from which they
originated.
Exploration: Students will use the internet-based activity “Life Has a History” to
explore the diversity of life on Earth and explain how environments and living things
have changed overtime.
Explanation: Students will understand that sexual reproduction is the reason for
diversity among a species through the use of an online GIZMO. Additionally,
students will study the Peppered Moths of the 1800’s to explain how throughout
Earth’s history, populations of living organisms have changed when the
environment changes and the individual organisms of that species do not have the
traits necessary to survive and reproduce in the changed environment possibly
resulting in extinction.
Elaboration: Students will use a reference diagram of fossil foraminifera with paleowater-depth assignments to interpret the water depth of a particular area of
California during the geologic past. This data can be applied to the petroleum
industry by looking for potential reservoir rock and source rock.
Evaluation: Formative and summative assessments are used to focus on and assess
student knowledge and growth to gain evidence of student learning or progress
throughout the unit, and to become aware of students misconceptions related to
diversity and changes over time. A teacher-created short cycle assessment will be
administered at the end of the unit to assess all learning targets (Day 8))
Extension/Intervention: Based on the results of the short-cycle assessment, facilitate
extension and/or intervention activities.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
1
LESSON PLANS
NEW LEARNING STANDARDS:
Primary
8.LS.1 Diversity of species occurs through gradual processes over many
generations. Fossil records provide evidence that changes have occurred in
number and types of species.
Fossils provide important evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed. Changes in
environmental conditions can affect how beneficial a trait will be for the survival and reproductive success
of an organism or an entire species. Throughout Earth’s history, extinction of a species has occurred when
the environment changes and the individual organisms of that species do not have the traits necessary to
survive and reproduce in the changed environment. Most species (approximately 99 percent) that have
lived on Earth are now extinct.
Note: Population genetics and the ability to use statistical mathematics to predict changes in a gene pool
are reserved for grade 10.
Related
8.LS.2 Reproduction is necessary for the continuation of every species.
8.LS.3 The characteristics of an organism are a result of inherited traits received from
parent(s).
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY and APPLICATION PRACTICES:
During the years of grades K-12, all students must use the following scientific inquiry and application practices with appropriate
laboratory safety techniques to construct their knowledge and understanding in all science content areas:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering) that guide scientific
investigations
Developing descriptions, models, explanations and predictions.
Planning and carrying out investigations
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)that conclude
scientific investigations
Using appropriate mathematics, tools, and techniques to gather data/information, and analyze and
interpret data
Engaging in argument from evidence
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating scientific procedures and explanations
*These practices are a combination of ODE Science Inquiry and Application and Frame-work for K-12
Science Education Scientific and Engineering Practices
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS for LITERACY in SCIENCE:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate
summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.3 Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking
measurements, or performing technical tasks
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with
a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
*For more information: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
2
STUDENT KNOWLEDGE:
Prior Concepts Related to Species and Reproduction
PreK-2: Living things have physical traits that enable them to live in different environments. Some kinds of
individuals that once lived on Earth have completely disappeared, although they may be something like
others that are alive today.
Grades 3-5: Fossils provide a point of comparison between the types of organisms that lived long ago and
those existing today.
Grades 6-7: In any particular biome, the number, growth and survival of organisms and populations depend
on biotic and abiotic conditions.
Future Application of Concepts
Not stated in the New Learning Standards for Science
MATERIALS:
VOCABULARY:
Engage
Isotelus Article
Ohio’s Fossil Record Hand-out
Explore
Fossils pictures and specimens
Computer with Internet and Projector
Hand-lenses
Explain
Laptops, Computer Lab, or Ipads
Elaborate
Student printables for activity
Colored pencils
Primary
Diversity
Fossil Record
Variations
Traits
Geologic and Fossil Records
Extinction
SAFETY
ADVANCED
PREPARATION
ENGAGE
(2 days)
(What will draw students into the
learning? How will you determine
what your students already know
about the topic? What can be
done at this point to identify and
address misconceptions? Where
can connections are made to
the real world?)
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
Secondary
Sexual Reproduction
Genes
All CCS safety lab rules apply
Collect building fossil kits
Request computer lab/ laptop cart for Life Has a History activity.
Objective: Students will tie previous knowledge of the Earth’s layers to fossils
and their role in explaining what the environment of the Earth was like while
they were alive through a study of Ohio’s state fossil – Isotelus (trilobite).
Students will also explore a variety of fossil specimens and the environments
from which they originated.
What is the teacher doing?
The Fossil Record (Day 1)
Play the
www.unitedstreaming.com
video clip: Events in Earth’s
Past [6:11]
The teacher provides a picture
or specimen example of
ISOLTELUS TRILOBITE (the state
fossil of Ohio)…see attached
picture.
What are the students doing?
The Fossil Record (Day 1)
1. Watch the video clip.
2. Observe the fossil specimen or
picture of the ISOTELUS
TRILOBITE, the state fossil of
Ohio.
3
Facilitate a discussion:
-Describe the fossil?
-Does this fossil look like any
present-day organisms?
-What environment do you
think this organism lived?
Facilitate the close reading of
the article: ISOTELUS: Ohio’s
State Fossil.
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Por
tals/10/pdf/GeoFacts/geof06.
pdf
-Read the first paragraph as a
class. Consider assigning
sections of the article to
different student groups, and
students present a summary to
the class.
Either project the Ohio’s Fossils
graphic on the board or print
the document using legal sized
paper and distribute to
students.
Using the Ohio Fossils Info Sheet
and the provided 3-2-1
Strategy Template, have
students learn about fossils
indigenous to Ohio.
Fossil Exploration (Day 2)
Provide fossil specimens
and/or pictures of fossils from
the fossil record, as well as
hand lenses for viewing.
Consider setting up and
facilitating a station
observation lab, so that
students are able to observe
all fossil representations.
Facilitate a discussion based
on student observations; jigsaw
with the student groups to
determine the true
environment of all the fossils
represented– see teacher
page.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
3. Students participate in a
teacher-led discussion.
4. Students perform a close
reading of the article:
ISOTELUS: Ohio’s State Fossil
and discuss/summarize each
of the article sections:
-How Isotelus was chosen as
the state fossil of Ohio.
-What is a trilobite?
-Isotelus and its History in Ohio
5. Students complete the 3-2-1
Reading Strategy Chart using
the Ohio Fossils Info Sheet to
gain a better understanding of
the indigenous Ohio Fossils and
Ohio’s past environments.
Fossil Exploration (Day 2)
1. Students observe fossils and fill
in the student page by
naming, drawing a picture,
and predicting the
environment in which the fossil
lived.
2. Students observe fossil
specimens and other fossil
pictures from the fossil record.
3. Students work in groups to
learn the true environments of
the fossils and report to the
class.
4
Objective: Students will use the internet-based activity “Life Has a History” to
explore the diversity of life on Earth and explain how environments and living
things have changed over time.
What is the teacher doing?
EXPLORE
(1 days)
(How will the concept be
developed? How is this relevant
to students’ lives? What can be
done at this point to identify and
address misconceptions?)
EXPLAIN
(2 days)
(What products could the
students develop and share?
How will students share what they
have learned? What can be
done at this point to identify and
address misconceptions?)
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
What are the students doing?
Life Has a History (web quest activity)
Life Has A History (web quest activity)
(Day 3)
(Day 3)
Reserve laptops/computer lab
1. Use the Life Has a History
Facilitate as students work
interactive website and
through the Life Has A History
worksheet, to gather
interactive website and
background information about
worksheet.
life’s diverse history.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.ed
u/education/explorations/tour
2. Students should use Level 2.
s/intro/
However, there is a Level
-Life Has a History provides
1available for students that
students with an introduction
might need a modified version.
to the history of life and how it
-The provided worksheet
results in the biodiversity of
provided or this lesson aligns
today. During this tour students
with Level 2.
learn about geologic time,
fossils, ancestral relationships,
cladograms, variation, natural
selection, and extinction.
Teacher Answer Key is
provided
Follow-up with a class
discussion and/or exit ticket
about what students have
learned.
Objective: Students will understand that sexual reproduction is the reason for
diversity among a species through the use of an online GIZMO. Additionally,
students will study the Peppered Moths of the 1800’s to explain how throughout
Earth’s history, populations of living organisms have changed when the
environment changes and the individual organisms of that species do not
have the traits necessary to survive and reproduce in the changed
environment possibly resulting in extinction.
What is the teacher doing?
What are the students doing?
Gizmo: Alien Inheritance (Day 4)
www.explorelearning.com
Project the Alien Inheritance
GIZMO, but only show Activity
A. See teacher page attached
to this lesson.
The purpose of using this
GIZMO is to introduce the
ideas of sexual reproduction
and inheritance in order to
make connections related to
diversity of a species (in this
case Aliens).
Gizmo: Alien Inheritance (Day 4)
1. Students manipulate the
simulation as directed by the
teacher.
2. Students should answer
provided questions regarding
the activity.
5
Peppered Moths of the 1850’s (Day 5)
Teacher Background Video:
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=LyRA807djLc
Distribute Peppered Moths of
the 1850’s Student WS.
The teacher reads the
introduction about the
Peppered Moths to the class.
Teacher assists students with
graphing data and answering
questions.
If students are having
struggling with questions #4,
show the following
www.unitedstreaming.com
videoclip related to Dinosaur
extinction: Dinosaurs and Mass
Extinction[2:07] or What
Happened? Extinction of the
Dinosaurs [4:09]
OPTIONAL SIMULATION:
http://www.techapps.net/inter
actives/pepperMoths.swf
-click on the 4th circle (A bird’s
eye view of natural selection)
Follow-up with a discussion
related to the graph and
questions.
OPTIONAL: Show the
www.unitedstreaming.com
videoclip: Stemming the
Extinction Tide related to
current extinction issues
resulting from human impacts.
[5:43]
Peppered Moths of the 1850’s (Day 5)
3. Students graph peppered
moth data and answer
questions using the student WS.
4. OPTIONAL SIMULATION:
http://www.techapps.net/inter
actives/pepperMoths.swf
-click on the 4th circle (A bird’s
eye view of natural selection)
Objective: Students will use a reference diagram of fossil foraminifera with
paleo-water-depth assignments to interpret the water depth of a particular
area of California during the geologic past. This data can be applied to the
petroleum industry by looking for potential reservoir rock and source rock.
ELABORATE
(2 days)
(How will the new knowledge be
reinforced, transferred to new
and unique situations, or
integrated with related
concepts?)
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
What is the teacher doing?
What are the students doing?
Inferring Ancient Environments from
Fossil Foraminifera (Days 6-7)
This activity focuses on
allowing the students to apply
the knowledge of Fossils,
Geologic Time to a situation
they are not familiar with. It is
organized as a laboratory
exercise that is given in High
School or College.
Inferring Ancient Environments from
Fossil Foraminifera (Days 6-7)
1. Students will be expected to
apply their understanding of
fossils and geologic time to the
location of fossilized
foraminifera, which are an
indicator to petroleum sources
in Miocene aged rock.
6
Teacher/student Background
Info: Use this link to provide a
brief example of what an
organism that belongs to the
Foraminifera family looks like as
well as pertinent background
information:
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.ed
u/foram/foramintro.html
Inferring Ancient Environments
from Fossil Foraminifera: use
this link for the original version
of this activity.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.ed
u/fosrec/Olson3.html
All pages of this activity should
be given to the students, as it
will provide necessary
background information to
lead them to the correct
conclusion.
See Teacher Page for full
explanation.
2. Students will answer the
questions on the student sheet
and formulate a conclusion
based on their findings.
Objective: The objective of the assessments is to focus on and assess student
knowledge and growth to gain evidence of student learning or progress
throughout the unit, and to become aware of students misconceptions related
to diversity of living things, fossils, past environments, and changes overtime.
Formative
How will you measure learning as it occurs?
EVALUATE
(What opportunities will students
have to express their thinking?
When will students reflect on
what they have learned? How
will you measure learning as it
occurs? What evidence of
student learning will you be
looking for and/or collecting?)
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
1. Consider developing a
teacher-created formative
assessment.
2. The Fossil Exploration can
formatively assess students
prior knowledge related to
fossils and past environments.
3. Peppered Moths of the 1850’s
activity will assess student
understanding related to how
variation due to sexual
reproduction and
environmental change can
impact a species’ survival or
extinction.
Summative
What evidence of learning will demonstrate to
you that a student has met the learning
objectives?
1. Inferring Ancient Environments
from Fossil Foraminifera will
assess the students’ ability to
apply all previous knowledge as
well as use fossil data and other
information to draw conclusions
about certain environments.
2. Teacher-created short cycle
assessment will assess all
student-learning outcomes.
7
EXTENSION
1. The following website discusses
Trace Fossils. Students can infer the
type of environment from the
examples of trace fossils.
http://paleo.cc/ce/tracefos.htm
EXTENSION/
INTERVENTION
COMMON
MISCONCEPTIONS
2. www.explorelearning.com GIZMO:
Natural Selection
INTERVENTION
1. www.unitedstreaming.com related
videos
2. Biodiversity Interactive Module:
Stories from the Fossil Record
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/ed
ucation/explorations/tours/stories/m
iddle/B2.html
3. Pearson/Prentice Hall Life Science
3. Consider having students develop
Textbook All-In-One Resources.
their own research question related to
changes over time including pursuing
research about these topics based on
real-world applications (i.e.
endangered species, human impact
on the environment as it relates to the
impact on living things.
Environmental conditions are responsible for changes in traits
Organisms develop new traits because they need them to survive
-Traits are passed onto offspring through sexual reproduction resulting in
diversity. These variations can then improve or lessen the chance for the
organism’s survival .
Species adapt to environmental changes quickly.
-It takes many generations over many years for species to develop
adaptations through the inheritance of desirable traits that are helpful
for survival.
Strategies to address misconceptions:
Misconceptions can be addressed through the use of Discovery Ed video clips,
pictures/diagrams, simulations, as well as through the use of models.
Lower level: Provide additional text resources (trade books, articles) that are
appropriate for the reading level of the students. For the group
work, consider mixed grouping strategies. For the Life Has A History
Activity, consider having students complete Level 1. Allow students
additional time to complete assignments.
DIFFERENTIATION
Higher-Level: Consider assigning extension activities. Consider having students
create their own fossil species with variations for other student to
infer a past environment. Customize the instructions based on the
interest of the student. Consider allowing the students to create
their own activity related to this topic.
Strategies for meeting the needs of all learners including gifted students, English Language Learners
(ELL) and students with disabilities can be found at the following sites:
ELL Learners:
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/DocumentManagement/DocumentDownload.aspx?DocumentID
=105521
Gifted Learners:
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/DocumentManagement/DocumentDownload.aspx?DocumentID
=105522
Students with Disabilities:
http://www.education.ohio.gov/GD/DocumentManagement/DocumentDownload.aspx?Docume
ntID=105523
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
8
Textbook Resources:
Pearson/Prentice Hall Earth Science Textbook
Chapter 10: A Trip Through Geologic Time
Section 6: Eras of Earth’s History pp.334-345
Pearson/Prentice Hall Life Science Textbook
Chapter 11: Fishes Amphibian and Reptiles
Section 5: Vertebrate History in Rocks pp.395-396
Chapter 6: Changes Over Time
Section 3: The Fossil Record pp.189-197
All-In-One Teaching Resources: The Fossil Record pp.381
Websites:
Ohio’s Paleontology and Geology
http://www.paleoportal.org/index.php?globalnav=time_space&section
nav=state&name=Ohio
Fossil Collecting in Ohio:
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/10/pdf/GeoFacts/geof17.pdf
Ohio’s Fossils Poster:
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/portals/10/pdf/Posters/OhioFair2002_Van%2
0Doren.pdf
The Fossil Record:
http://woodstown.org/cms/lib4/NJ01001783/Centricity/Domain/8/Texts/
ACS/resources/ab/ch10/act4.pdf
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
Discovery Ed:
Fossil Life: An Introduction [20:39]
Interpreting the Fossil Record [4:26]
Daily Planet: Uncovering Fossils [17:57]
Dinosaurs and Mass Extinction[2:07]
What Happened? Extinction of the Dinosaurs [4:09]
Literature:
College level text can be adapted for middle school: The Use of Fossils
in Interpreting Past Environments.
http://www.ableweb.org/volumes/vol-13/9-breithaupt.pdf
Pellant, Chris. (2009). Fossils. Gareth Stevens Publishing.
Movies/Videos:
Fossil Life in Ohio[videotape]. This is a look at the ancient life which
once lived in the oceans that covered Ohio. Fossil remains of plants and
animals have been found in Ohio rocks dating back a half billion years.
Many plants and animals have become extinct. but some have
managed to survive even to this day. This program investigates how
fossils are formed; the major types of fossils found in sedimentary rock;
and what the lands and seas looked like when this entire area was a
shallow sea or a swampy marsh. (1991)
-This video can be found at the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
9
GeoFacts
No. 6
OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES • DIVISION OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
On June 20, 1985, Ohio House Bill 145 designated the trilobite
genus Isotelus as the official state invertebrate fossil of Ohio. With
the signing of this bill, Isotelus joined Ohio’s other official state
symbols, which include the ladybug (insect), red carnation (flower),
flint (gemstone), cardinal (bird), white-tail deer (animal), tomato
juice (beverage), and of course, the state tree, the buckeye.
HOW ISOTELUS WAS CHOSEN AS
THE STATE FOSSIL OF OHIO
Ohio has long been known worldwide for the
abundant and well-preserved fossils collected throughout the
state. Individuals involved in geologically related activities in
Ohio, either as professionals or hobbyists, had long thought
that Ohio should have an official state fossil. This idea finally
became a reality largely through the efforts of two Dayton,
Ohio, area elementary school classes, Doris Swabb’s third
graders at Beavertown School in Kettering and Virginia
Evers’ fourth graders at St. Anthony School in Dayton.
After visiting the Dayton Museum of Natural History
(now known as the Boonschoft Museum of Discovery) and
viewing a cast of the famous Huffman Dam specimen of
Isotelus, the students and teachers came up with the idea of
trying to have the Huffman Dam trilobite designated as the
official state fossil of Ohio. The students wrote letters to
Representatives Robert L. Corbin and Robert E. Hickey of
Dayton, who agreed to sponsor legislation in the Ohio House
of Representatives to make the Huffman Dam Isotelus the
official state fossil. Senator Charles Horn of Dayton agreed
to do the same in the Ohio Senate.
The proposal for a state fossil received widespread
publicity in newspapers and on television. Support for the
idea came from various geologic interest groups throughout
the state. Rather than naming only one specimen as the
state fossil, the bill, which was drafted with technical
assistance from the Division of Geological Survey, actually
designated the trilobite genus Isotelus as the official state
invertebrate fossil. Ultimately, the bill passed both the Ohio
House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate with little
opposition.
Isotelus is a most suitable selection for the state
fossil. Not only are specimens of this trilobite, or at least
fragments, moderately abundant in the rocks exposed in
southwestern Ohio, but they are represented by the Huffman
Dam specimen, which is one of the largest complete
trilobites ever collected.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
WHAT IS A TRILOBITE?
Trilobites are an extinct class of the
Phylum Arthropoda, which includes among its
living members the horseshoe crab, crabs,
lobsters, shrimp, scorpions, spiders, and
insects. Trilobites first appeared in the fossil
record about 542 million years ago and
became extinct about 251 million years ago.
Trilobites lived in marine environments, where
they burrowed in sediment, crawled along the
sea floor, or were free swimming. Most
trilobites ate
mud from the sea floor, whereas others
filtered food directly from the water,
scavenged, or were predators. They grew
by periodically molting their exoskeleton, a
hard, outer shell similar in composition to
fingernails. Thus, one trilobite could leave
behind numerous fossil fragments
representing shed exoskeletons. For defense
against predators, some trilobites had sharp
spines on their exoskeletons, and all had the
ability to enroll, much like the pill bug or
armadillo of today, thereby enclosing their
legs and softer underside within their hard
outer exoskeleton.
10
ISOTELUS AND ITS HISTORY IN OHIO
Isotelus has had a long and illustrious history in Ohio,
in terms of both geologic time and scientific study. Isotelus is
known from rocks of Ordovician age, about 488 to 443
million years ago. In southwestern Ohio, only rocks of Late
Ordovician age (455 to 443 million years ago) are exposed.
These rocks consist of about 820 feet of comparatively thin,
alternating layers of limestones and shales. These beds
were deposited as limy mud and clay on the floor of a warm,
shallow, tropical sea that covered Ohio during the
Ordovician.
The first serious study of Ohio’s Ordovician rocks was
undertaken by the first Geological Survey of Ohio in 18371838. At this time John Locke mapped portions of the
southwestern corner of the state. Among Locke’s many
discoveries were partial remains of a large specimen of
Isotelus. Because of its size, Locke named the trilobite
Isotelus maximus. He later changed the name to Isotelus
megistos, but today I. maximus is the accepted species
name. Locke collected only the pygidium (tail) of the trilobite
but, by proportional comparison, he estimated that the
complete trilobite would have been about 21 inches in length.
Perhaps the most famous Isotelus specimen was
discovered in 1919 by workmen digging an outlet tunnel
during the construction of the Huffman Dam on the Mad
River northeast of Dayton. This giant specimen of Isotelus
measures 141/2 inches long by 101/4 inches wide. Through
the efforts of Arthur E. Morgan, chief engineer of the Miami
Conservancy District, the trilobite came into the hands of
August F. Foerste, a Dayton area high school teacher and
one of Ohio’s most renowned and prolific paleontologists.
Foerste’s research association with the National Museum
of Natural History (the Smithsonian Institution) in ashington,
D.C., resulted in the specimen being transferred to that
institution for permanent display. The Huffman Dam trilobite
still occupies a prominent position in the paleontological
exhibits at the Smithsonian and is still one of the largest,
complete trilobites of any kind ever collected.
FURTHER READING
Eckert, A. W., 1961, The mammoth trilobite of Dayton: Science Digest,
July, p. 67-70.
Feldmann, R. M., and Hackathorn, Merrianne, eds., 1996, Fossils of Ohio:
Ohio Division of Geological Survey Bulletin 70, 577 p.
Foerste, A. F., 1919, Notes on Isotelus, Acrolichas, Calymene, and
Encrinus:
Denison University Scientific Laboratories Journal, v. 19, p. 65-82.
Hansen, M. C., 1985, Isotelus—Ohio’s State Fossil: Division of Geological
Survey, Ohio Geology, Summer, p. 1-4.
__________ 1989, Large Isotelus found: Division of Geological Survey,
Ohio Geology, Spring, p. 6.
Locke, John, 1838, Geological report (on southwestern Ohio): Ohio
Division
of Geological Survey Second Annual Report, p. 201-286.
__________ 1842, On a new species of trilobite of very large size
(Isotelus
megistos): American Journal of Science, v. 42, no. 2, p. 366-368.
Shrake, D. L., 1994, Ohio trilobites: Ohio Division of Geological Survey
GeoFacts No. 5.
This GeoFacts compiled by Douglas L. Shrake • Revised May
2005
The Division of Geological Survey GeoFacts Series is available
on the World Wide Web: www.OhioGeology.com
*This Article has been reformatted by the CCS Science
Department.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
11
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/portals/10/pdf/Posters/OhioFair2002_Van%20Doren.pdf
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
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12
Name___________________________________Date_______________________Period_____
3-2-1
Title: Ohio’s Fossils
Source of Article: The Ohio Department of Natural Resources
3 things you discovered:
1.
2.
3.
2 interesting things:
1.
2.
1 Question you still have:
1.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson951/strategy.pdf
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Curriculum Leadership and Development
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13
Fossil Information: Teacher Page
Ammonite: Ammonite shell shapes were directly linked to their
environment. Narrow streamlines shells could withstand a more
open water environment, whereas more robust and ornamented
forms were structurally stronger but less agile. The most common
type of environment for Ammonites was in shallow waters that
were calm and gentle closer to a Bay.
Bryozoa: A colonial organism that resembles a coral that lived in
temperate-tropical waters. They need a hard or firm substrate
(sand grains, rocks, shells, wood etc.) on which to attach or encrust
and clear agitated water from which they obtain their suspended
food.
Petrified Wood: Thick forest of gymnosperms (ginkos and conifers)
that covered much of the Earth during the Triassic period.
Volcanic eruptions triggered tremor, lightning and heavy rains,
which washed trees from higher elevations down to swampy
valleys. This action caused the bark to be striped from the tree
and once buried the fossilization process could begin.
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Gastropod: Gastropods live just about everywhere on Earth - salt
water, fresh water, and on land. In the ocean, they live in both
shallow, intertidal areas and the deep sea.
Fossil Fern/ Plant Matter: Fossilized plant matter indicates a moist,
shaded environment found across the Earth starting with the
Cretaceous Period. Most ferns and other plants grew to a size
much larger than we see today.
Crinoid Stem: Stalked crinoids live in the deep ocean, in quiet
water below the lighted zone where it is too dark for predators to
see them. They are attached to the sea floor and therefore
cannot escape predators in lighted water. Crinoids attached
themselves to the ocean floor (mostly limestone).
Colony Coral: Shallow seas with a water depth of no more than 61
meters (200ft) and in most places much less. Coral lived with
Algae and required sunlight to grow. Corals were not affected by
torrential water and storms the deeper they planted their roots.
Shark’s Tooth: Ancient Sharks lived in the deep oceans for 450
million years. They could have been found at a variety of depths
with the exception of the shallow seas, which was home to
Crinoids, Corals, and Bryozoans.
Brachiopod: Brachiopods live on the ocean floor. They have
been found living in a wide range of water depths from very
shallow waters of rocky shorelines to ocean floor three and a half
miles beneath the ocean surface. They are known from many
places, ranging from the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean to
cold Antarctic seas. Fossil brachiopods in sedimentary rocks
indicate ancient marine environments.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
15
Name:_____________________________________________Date______________________Period__________
Fossil Identification Chart
Write the Fossil name; Draw a picture; Predict the environment in which the fossil lives
Name of Fossil 1:
Name of Fossil 2:
Name of Fossil 3:
Where does it live:
Name of Fossil 4:
Where does it live:
Name of Fossil 5:
Where does it live:
Name of Fossil 6:
Where does it live:
Name of Fossil 7:
Where does it live:
Name of Fossil 8:
Where does it live:
Name of Fossil 9:
Where does it live:
Where does it live:
Where does it live:
Possible Environments: Forest, Deep Ocean, River Beds, Intertidal area. Alluvial Fan, Coastal Plain,
Shallow Seas, and Beaches.
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Name: ___________________________Date_______________________________Period____________
Google: Life Has A History
-Click on 1st website then Click on Level 2
1. How many different species of living things do you think exist on Earth today? ____________
2. Of the species identified today, how many are:
Arthropods? __________________
Roundworms? _____________________
Molluscs? ____________________
Flatworms? _______________________
Mammals? ___________________
Land Plants?_______________________
Fungi? ______________________
Protists? __________________________
3. If the pictures of the various life forms show the relative number of organisms alive today,
which group would be the largest? _________________________
4. The diversity of life we have today is the result of ______________________. The easiest way to
define evolution just takes three words: _________________ ___________ ___________.
Click on one the images for a peek at life at sea.
A. 470 Million Years Ago - ________________________ Period
What were the dominant predators at sea?
What are a few of their relatives?
B. 160 Million Years Ago – Middle __________________ Period
What animals dominated the land?
What were two vertebrates that lived in the sea?
C. The Ocean Today – Cenozoic Era
___________ _________ provide habitats for a staggering number of life forms.
Look at the bottom picture. Name as many marine organisms that you can that live in
this habitat.
5. The history of Earth can be traced back ________________________ years.
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Explore the timeline to discover the dates of other important events.
Put the major events in order of their occurrence beginning with the formation of Earth.
Click on the box on the timeline where you think each event should appear. Then write the
correct event in the chart below.
6. How do we know these events took place? Well, we look at evidence. One of the best
sources of evidence is: __________________________
7. Find each type of Fossil. Write a fact about each one.
Foram: ___________________________________________________________________________
T-Rex: ____________________________________________________________________________
Brachiopod:_______________________________________________________________________
8. What do fossils help us to understand? _______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Click on the word “Therapods”, “Birds”, and “Modern Birds” to see how shared features
help us put closely related organisms into groups.
How did the teeth change from the Therapods to the Birds to the Modern Birds?
10. Continue to explore to the end.
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Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
All images are from:
18
Google: Life Has A History
-Click on 1st website
- Click on Level 2
Answer Key
Name: _____________________
Date: ______________________
1. How many different species of living things do you think exist on Earth today? __30 million years________
2. Of the species identified today, how many are:
Arthropods? __1,000,000________________
Roundworms? ___25,000__________________
Molluscs? __70,000__________________
Flatworms? _____20,000__________________
Mammals? _____4,600____________
Land Plants?_____287,000__________________
Fungi? _____72,000_________________
Protists? _______80,000___________________
3. If the pictures of the various life forms show the relative number of organisms alive today, which
group would be the largest? ________Arthropods_________________
4. The diversity of life we have today is the result of __evolution____________________. The easiest way to
define evolution just takes three words: _____change____________ __through_________ ___time________.
Click on one the images for a peek at life at sea.
A. 470 Million Years Ago - ___Ordovician _____________________ Period
What were the dominant predators at sea?
Cephalopods
What are a few of their relatives?
Squids and Octopus
B. 160 Million Years Ago – Middle ___Jurassic_______________ Period
What animals dominated the land?
Dinosaurs
What were two vertebrates that lived in the sea?
Ichthyosaur and Ammonite
C. The Ocean Today – Cenozoic Era
___Coral________ _Reefs________ provide habitats for a staggering number of life forms.
Look at the bottom picture. Name as many marine organisms that you can that live in this habitat.
5. The history of Earth can be traced back __over 4 billion_________________ years.
Explore the timeline to discover the dates of other important events.
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Put the major events in order of their occurrence beginning with the formation of Earth.
Click on the box on the timeline where you think each event should appear. Then write the correct event in the
chart below.
First Life
First
Multi-Cell
First Fish
Life
First Land Plants
First Dinosaurs
Dinosaur
Extinction
Modern Humans
6. How do we know these events took place? Well, we look at evidence. One of the best sources of
evidence is: ____Fossils_______________
7. Find each type of Fossil. Write 1 fact about each one.
Foram: __________answers may vary_______________________________________________________________
T-Rex: ___________ answers may vary ______________________________________________________________
Brachiopod:_________ answers may vary ______________________________________________________________
8. What do fossils help us to understand? ________________...how life forms are related________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Click on the word “Therapods”, “Birds”, and “Modern Birds” to see how shared features help us put
closely related organisms into groups.
How did the teeth change from the Therapods to the Birds to the Modern Birds?
Continue to explore to the end.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
20
Inheritance GIZMO: www.explorelearning.com – Teacher Page
This is a whole-class activity using only the simulation. Individual computers and
GIZMO lesson materials are not necessary.
1) Log-on to the explorelearning website and project the Inheritance GIZMO for the
class to see.
2) Consider using student volunteers to manipulate the simulation either on the
Smartboard or computer.
3) Make sure the Sexual Reproduction tab is selected.
Simulation Tasks/Probing Questions:
1. Form a hypothesis: Which traits do you think are passed
down from alien parents to their offspring, and which traits
are not? Explain.
2. What is the difference between inherited and acquired
traits?
3. Suppose a human child had a mother with dyed-pink hair
and a father who was missing a finger (lost in an accident).
Would the child inherit these traits? Explain.
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Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
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Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________Period______________
Student Exploration: Inheritance
Vocabulary: acquired trait, asexual reproduction, clone, codominant traits, dominant trait, offspring, recessive
trait, sexual reproduction, and trait
Activity A:
Get the Gizmo ready:
Select Sexual reproduction.
Drop all remaining aliens (if any) in the Exit hole.
Inherited traits
Question: Are all parental traits inherited by offspring?
1. Observe: In sexual reproduction, two parents pass traits to the offspring. Create and breed a variety of
aliens. Discuss the observations with your neighbor.
2. Form a hypothesis: Which traits do you think are passed down from alien parents to their offspring, and
which traits are not? Explain. ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Experiment: Set the Food supply to 2 bushes. Create two identical parents with thick bodies, green skin,
curly antennas, and triangle tattoos. Make two offspring and record their traits in the table below.
Offspring
Body type
Skin Color
Antenna shape
Tattoo
Offspring 1
Offspring 2
4. Analyze: Compare the offspring traits to the parent traits.
A. Which traits were passed from parents to offspring? ____________________________________
B. Which traits were not passed down? ________________________________________________
Traits that are not passed down (not inherited) are called acquired traits.
5. Investigate further: Create offspring with a few different levels of Food supply. How does food supply
affect the body type of offspring?
___________________________________________________________________________________
6. Think and discuss: Suppose a human child had a mother with dyed-pink hair and a father who was missing
a finger (lost in an accident). Would the child inherit these traits? Explain.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
*Worksheet adapted from www.explorelearning.com
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Science Department June 2013
22
Name____________________________________________Date___________________Period______
Peppered Moths of the 1850’s
The bark of the trees around Manchester, England was covered with white lichens
before the Industrial Revolution. Light colored peppered moths that rested on the
trees were camouflaged against bird predators, while dark colored moths were
easily preyed upon.
During the 1850s many areas in England began to industrialize, causing an
increase in air pollution. The soot and smoke particles in the air killed the lichen
covering the trees and caused the trunks of the trees to turn black with soot.
http://www.flutterbyinfo.com/what-about-the-pepperedmoth/
http://www1.umn.edu/ships/db/kettlewell.ht
m
The table below represents a change in the number of light and dark colored
moths within the peppered moth population over a period of 6 years from the
beginning of industrialization.
End of Year
1
2
3
4
5
6
# of Light Moths
556
537
484
392
246
225
# of Dark Moths
64
112
198
210
281
357
On the graph paper, graph the information from the chart above.
Let the y-axis be the number of moths and the x-axis the end of the year.
Be sure to label both the x-axis and y-axis.
Use an appropriate scale.
Provide a key
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Curriculum Leadership and Development
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Name______________________________________Date__________________Period_____
KEY
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
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Name_____________________________________Date_________________Period________
Questions:
1. Based on your graph, what do you notice about the change in moth
population?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Explain how the environment changed prior to the change in moth population.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. Explain how the moth variation played a role in the survival of the species after
the change in environment occurred,
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. Describe an example in which a species did not survive after an environmental
change occurred.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
25
Name_
TEACHER ANSWER KEY __Date__________________Period_____
KEY
Light Moths
Dark Moths
600
500
# of Moths
400
300
200
100
1
2
3
4
5
6
End of the Year
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Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
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Name
TEACHER ANSWER KEY ___Date_________________Period________
Questions:
1. Based on your graph, what do you notice about the change in moth
population?
The number of black moths increased, and the number of white moths
_______________________________________________________________________________
increased.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. Explain how the environment changed prior to the change in moth population.
The white colored trees were covered in black soot due to the pollution caused
_______________________________________________________________________________
by the industrial revolution.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. Explain how the moth variation played a role in the survival of the species after
the change in environment occurred,
The color variation of the moths, allowed for survival of the species since the
_______________________________________________________________________________
white black moths were now more adapted. Had there not been any variation
_______________________________________________________________________________
in the species when the environment changed, the peppered moth species
_______________________________________________________________________________
most likely would have become extinct in this area due to predation.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. Describe an example in which a species did not survive after an environmental
change occurred.
One theory of Dinosaur extinction is that the environment changed due to a
______________________________________________________________________________
meteor striking Earth’s surface, impacting the environment. The dinosaurs were
______________________________________________________________________________
not able to adapt to the sudden environmental changes and became extinct.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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27
Teacher Page
How to read/use Inferring Ancient Environments from Fossil Foraminifera
This activity is organized similar to a High School/ College level formatted laboratory
exploration. The background information (Introduction to the Foraminifera and
Introduction to Petroleum Geology) is included as aids for both teacher and student and
should be included in the packet.
The role of the teacher is to facilitate the activity. Students will be asked to use
background knowledge (from previous unit on Geologic Time as well as the provided
material) and apply it to an unfamiliar situation based on their interpretation of charts and
maps. (The steps of the Scientific Process are labeled in each section of this activity).
The students will be asked to organize the data already collected and reported in maps
and charts while answering comprehension questions about the data.
Encourage students to continually read the background information as they answer the
questions in the activity.
The final product will include students making a “scientific recommendation” based on
their findings as to simulate what an actual scientist does in their particular field.
This lesson has been adapted for CCS students from the following website:
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/fosrec/Olson3.html.
Teacher ONLY background information:
When the San Joaquin Valley first formed it was an inland sea between two mountain
ranges. This configuration remained even after formation of the San Andreas fault.
However, as the volcanic cover of the Sierras was eroded off, the resulting sediment was
dumped into the Valley below. At the same time, The Coast Ranges was also being worn
down and dumped into the valley. Thus, the inland sea was filled to create the continental
basin we know today.
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Introduction to the Foraminifera
In order to complete this activity, the student should have a concept of the foraminifera and how
different benthic (ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water) foraminifera prefer a
particular environment that is associated with a certain water-depth.
The background knowledge the students received from the previous unit (Geologic Time) will also be
extremely helpful in completing this activity.
Introduce the concept that benthic foraminifera live in a preferred environment; but, after their death
their shells may be transported to a different environment. Transportation occurs downslope due to
gravity processes. Therefore, in a sample the students will find a mixture of foraminifera, specifically a
death assemblage, representing foraminifera living at one time in that environment and foraminifera
transported from shallower water-depths into that environment.
Foraminifera (forams for short) are single-celled protists with shells. Their shells are also referred to as
tests because in some forms the protoplasm covers the exterior of the shell. Depending on the species,
the shell may be made of organic compounds, sand grains and other particles cemented together, or
crystalline calcite. Fully grown individuals range in size from about 100 micrometers to almost 20
centimeters long.
Source: http://www.foraminifera.eu
A typical foram: In the picture about, the dark
brown structure is the test, or shell, inside
which the foram lives. Radiating from the
opening is fine hair like reticulopodia, which
the foram uses to find and capture food.
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29
Introduction to Petroleum Geology
Petroleum refers to any naturally occurring hydrocarbons that are found beneath the surface of the earth,
no matter whether these hydrocarbons are solid, liquid or gas. The solid and semi-solid forms of
petroleum are called asphalt and tar. Whereas liquid petroleum is called crude oil if it is dark and
viscous, or condensate if it is clear and volatile. And of course there is natural gas, which can be
associated with oil, or found entirely by itself.
Several geologic elements are necessary for oil and gas to accumulate in sufficient quantities to create a
pool large enough to be worth producing. These elements include an organic-rich source rock to
generate the oil or gas, a porous reservoir rock to store the petroleum in, and some sort of trap to
prevent the oil and gas from leaking away. Traps generally exist in predictable places - such as at the
tops of anticlines, next to faults of sandstone beds, or beneath unconformities.
Geologic History of the San Joaquin Basin
http://www.sjvgeology.org/oil/exploration.html
http://www.sjvgeology.org/geology/index.html
The San Joaquin Valley is a sediment-filled depression,
called a basin, which is bound to the west by the California
Coast Ranges, and to the east by the Sierra Nevadas. It is
classified as a forearc basin, which basically means that it is
a basin that formed in front of a mountain range.
The Valley dates back more than 65 million years ago to the
Mesozoic, when subduction was taking place off the coast
of California. However, the plate tectonic configuration of
western North America changed during the Tertiary, and the
ancient trench that once characterized offshore California
was transformed into a zone of right-lateral strike-slip
motion that we know today as the San Andreas Fault.
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Inferring Ancient Environments from Fossil Foraminifera
Name:
Date:
Follow the instructions given below and those of your teacher to complete this
activity.
(Problem) Task: As a research scientist for Earthquest Inc., you have been
assigned to work in a field area in the southeastern part of the San Joaquin Basin
of California. Earthquest Inc. is interested in the Miocene rocks of this area
because other parts of the basin (the rock is the same age) contain petroleum
reserves under the surface. Your job is to collect samples and discover what
environments were present here approximately 6 Mya.
o
Examine Figure 1 to learn about the habitats of benthic foraminifera (forams) during
Miocene time 6 million years ago. For this exercise, the Miocene ocean is divided into
four zones based on water- depth
1) 0 - 50 m
2) 50-150 m 3) 150-500 m
4) 500-1500 m
The names of the foraminifera, which prefer each environment, are listed and a
drawing for each species is shown.
Hint: beach sands have been found to be good reservoir rocks for containing oil.
Silt and clay sediments with abundant organic material deposited in waterdepths of greater than 1,000 m have been found to be good source rocks for
oil. Your job is to evaluate the potential for both good reservoir rock and source
rock in the study area.
(Data Collection) Figure 1 (on the next page). This diagram illustrates which
particular species of foraminifera lived on the ocean floor at the four different
water-depth intervals marked on the right side of the diagram. Remember that
after the forams die, they may be transported downslope into deeper water.
For example, you can see that species Hanzawaia boueana and Lagena
hexagona live on the seafloor at water depths of 50 to 150m. However when
they die they may be transported into deeper water by gravity. This would
mean you might find these species in samples deeper than expected.
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Questions Figure 1
1. Which species of Forams are most common at depths of 0-50m?
2. Which species of Forams are most common at depths of 50-150m?
3. Which species of Forams are most common at depths of 150m-500m?
4. Which species of Forams are most common at depths of 500m-bottom of the basin?
5. Why do you think that certain Forams live at a particular depth? Explain why the
Bolivina granti species could not survive at a depth of 150-500m below sea level?
(Answers should relate to diversity)
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Figure 2 (below): is a map of the different area you chose to sample in the study area.
Notice that the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range borders the basin you are studying to the
east. There are 10 samples collected from Miocene rocks. You prepare the sample material
to obtain any foraminifera from the rock. Next, you examine the fossil material and sediment
under a microscope. Your analysis of the various samples is shown in Figure 3. (You will use
this map to draw the locations of each sample).
Figure 2. This map illustrates the location of various samples taken from Miocene rocks in the San
Joaquin Basin of California. All of the samples represent the same time during geologic history.
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Figure 3 (below): This diagram illustrates which particular species of Forams obtained from
the sample locations from Figure 2. Remember that after Forams die, they may be
transported downslope into deeper water; however you would not find them in samples
upslope. Example, the species Hanzawaia boueana can be found deeper than 150 m, but
not at a depth of 10m.
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(Data Analysis) Questions Figures 2 & 3
1. You must now make an interpretation for water-depth for the various samples
you have analyzed. Notice that each box displays the various foraminiferal
species found in the sample. Compare each sample in Figure 3 with the key to
Miocene environments in Figure 1. In the blank for paleo-water-depth
interpretation under each sample, put a water-depth range inferred from your
analysis. Notice that Sample 2 has been interpreted for you.
2. What would cause the lack of foraminifera in Sample 9? Look at the sample's
position relative to other samples on the map in Figure 2.
__________________________________________
3. After you have made an interpretation for each sample, mark these paleo
water-depth numbers on your map (Figure 2). Notice that the interpretation for
Sample 2 has been done for you.
4. Look at the distribution of water-depths on your map. Based on this information
could you give an estimate of where the beach was located during Miocene
time in the study area?
5. Using a colored pencil, highlight and label the potential direction of the beach
(shoreline) and its location.
6. Do you see potential for source rocks in the study area during this time (go back
to the introduction on petroleum for help)?
7. Highlight and label the potential source rock area with a different colored pencil.
State your recommendation to Earthquest Inc. below.
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(Conclusion)
1. Recommendation on reservoir rock:_____present_____absent.
2. Recommendation on source rock:_____present_____absent.
3. Description of the general environment of this area during Miocene time:
_____
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36
Inferring Ancient Environments from Fossil Foraminifera
Name:
Answer Key
Date:
Follow the instructions given below and those of your teacher to complete this activity. (Problem) Task: As a research scientist for Earthquest Inc., you have been assigned to work
in a field area in the southeastern part of the San Joaquin Basin of California. Earthquest Inc.
is interested in the Miocene rocks of this area because other parts of the basin (the rock is
the same age) contain petroleum reserves under the surface. Your job is to collect samples
and discover what environments were present here approximately 6 Mya.
Examine Figure 1 to learn about the habitats of benthic foraminifera (forams) during Miocene
time 6 million years ago. For this exercise, the Miocene ocean is divided into four zones based on
water- depth
o 1) 0 - 50 m
2) 50-150 m 3) 150-500 m
4) 500-1500 m
The names of the foraminifera, which prefer each environment, are listed and a drawing for each
species is shown.
Hint: beach sands have been found to be good reservoir rocks for containing oil. Silt and
clay sediments with abundant organic material deposited in water-depths of greater than
1,000 m have been found to be good source rocks for oil. Your job is to evaluate the
potential for both good reservoir rock and source rock in the study area.
(Data Collection) Figure 1 (on the next page). This diagram illustrates which particular
species of foraminifea lived on the ocean floor at the four different water-depth intervals
marked on the right side of the diagram. Remember that after the forams die, they may be
transported downslope into deeper water. For example, you can see that species
Hanzawaia boueana and Lagena hexagona live on the seafloor at water depths of 50 to
150m. However when they die they may be transported into deeper water by gravity. This
would mean you might find these species in samples deeper than expected.
Columbus City Schools
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Science Department June 2013
37
Questions Figure 1
1. Which species of Forams are most common at depths of 0-50m?
Nonion costiferum and Quinqueloculina akneriana
2. Which species of Forams are most common at depths of 50-150m?
Hanzawaia boueana and Lagena hexagona
3. Which species of Forams are most common at depths of 150m-500m?
Uvigerina peregrine and Valvulineria californica
4. Which species of Forams are most common at depths of 500m-bottom of the
basin?
Bolivina granti and Bolivina marginata multicostata
5. Why do you think that certain Forams live at a particular depth? Explain why the
Bolivina granti species could not survive at a depth of 150-500m below sea level?
(Answers should relate to diversity) Through species diversity each Foram
developed particular features that benefit them for the environment in which they
live. For example, a species of Foram found in the rough, shallow part of the basin
has developed different features than that of a species from the calm depths of
the basin. No, the Bolivina granti species of Foram could not survive at a shallower
depth due to the specific characteristics it developed for deep water.
Columbus City Schools
38
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
Figure 2 (below): is a map of the different area you chose to sample in the study area.
Notice that the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range borders the basin you are studying to the
east. There are 10 samples collected from Miocene rocks. You prepare the sample material
to obtain any foraminifera from the rock. Next, you examine the fossil material and sediment
under a microscope. Your analysis of the various samples is shown in Figure 3. (You will use
this map to draw the locations of each sample).
Figure 2. This map illustrates the location of various samples taken from Miocene rocks in the San
Joaquin Basin of California. All of the samples represent the same time during geologic history.
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Figure 3: This diagram illustrates which particular species of Forams obtained from the
sample locations from Figure 2. Remember that after Forams die, they may be transported
downslope into deeper water; however you would not find them in samples upslope.
Example, the species Hanzawaia boueana can be found deeper than 150 m, but not at a
depth of 10m.
For Answers see Figure 2
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(Data Analysis) Questions Figures 2 & 3
1. You must now make an interpretation for water-depth for the various samples you
have analyzed. Notice that each box displays the various foraminiferal species found
in the sample. Compare each sample in Figure 3 with the key to Miocene
environments in Figure 1. In the blank for paleo-water-depth interpretation under each
sample, put a water-depth range inferred from your analysis. Notice that Sample 2 has
been interpreted for you.
2. What would cause the lack of foraminifera in Sample 9? Look at the sample's position
relative to other samples on the map in Figure 2.
Sample 9 came from the Serria
Nevada Mountains; this location was not underwater during the Miocene.
3. After you have made an interpretation for each sample, mark these paleo waterdepth numbers on your map (Figure 2). Notice that the interpretation for Sample 2 has
been done for you.
4. Look at the distribution of water-depths on your map. Based on this information could
you give an estimate of where the beach was located during Miocene time in the
study area?
The beach will be located in-between sample 9 and samples 2 &10
5. Using a colored pencil, highlight and label the potential direction of the beach
(shoreline) and its location.
6. Do you see potential for source rocks in the study area during this time (go back to the
introduction on petroleum for help)?
yes
7. Highlight and label the potential source rock area with a different colored pencil.
State your recommendation to Earthquest Inc. below.
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(Conclusion)
1. Recommendation on reservoir rock:___X__present_____absent.
2. Recommendation on source rock:__X___present_____absent.
3. Description of the general environment of this area during Miocene time:
Answers can vary as long as an ocean type of environment is described.
An incorrect answer would include dessert, grasslands or mountains.
____________________________________
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Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
42