FOSSIL Lesson 1

Grade4
FOSSILS:
Use&Comparison
ScienceStandard(s):ScienceStandard4ObjectiveI
ContentObjective(s):
Thestudentswillworkaspartnerstoidentify4
definingfeaturesoffossils[size,color,shape,texture]
inasimulatedfossildiginordertocomparethemto
familiarobjectsasawaytohelpidentifyeach‘find.’
Icanworkwithpartnerstodescribe4defining
featuresoffossils[size,color,shape,texture]to
comparethemwithfamiliarobjectsandidentifyeach
‘fossil.’
EssentialQuestions:
Whatisafossil?
Whatcanwelearnfromfossils?
Materials:
• Objectiveswrittenaheadoftime
• DefiningFeaturessheet[oneperstudent]
• MAPgrid[oneperstudent]
• FossilBoxes[shoebox,sand,fossils](fossils:real
fossils,plastercasts,cleanedturkey&chicken
bones,plasticinsectstrappedinhotglue,etc.)
• Paintbrushes[onepergroup]
• 5SentenceFrameswrittenaheadoftime
4thGradeScienceStandardIV-
Fossils(lesson1of5)
LanguageObjective(s):
Thestudentswillrecordadjectivesassociatedwiththe4
definingfeaturesandwillusetheminsentenceframes
tomakecomparisonsandtoidentifyeachfossil.
Icanrecord2ormoreadjectivesassociatedwithall4
definingfeaturesandwillusetheminsentenceframes
tomakecomparisonsandtoidentifyeach‘fossil.’
RequiredAcademicVocabularyforWordWall:
Listen:archaeologist,fossils,tools,map,defining
feature,size,color,shape,texture,identify
Speak:archaeologist,fossils,tools,map,defining
feature,size,color,shape,texture,identify
Read:archaeologist,fossils,tools,map,definingfeature,
size,color,shape,texture,identify
Write:archaeologist,fossils,tools,map,definingfeature,
size,color,shape,texture,identify
SentenceFrames:
___is(bigger/smaller)than______________;itisthe
sizeof______.
___is(redder/darker)than______________;itisthe
colorof_____.
___is(rounder/flatter)than______________;itisthe
shapeof____.
__is(rougher/slicker)than______________;itisthe
textureof___.
Thesize,color,shape,&textureofthisfossilidentifyitas
______.
AdditionalLessonVocabulary:
bigger,smaller,redder,darker,rounder,flatter,rougher,
slicker,
Lesson:
InstructionalTime:45min.
Opening:(5minutes)
Ÿ EstablishorReinforceManagementRoutines/Procedures.Expectationsinplaceandmethodtohavethe
studentsrespondtoyou.[i.e.MagicWord‘fossil’–whenIsaythemagicwordyouwill__,__,&___.Ready?
‘Fossil!’]
T:“Haveyoueverdiscoveredsomethinginasandbox,ontheplayground,inyourdesk,orsomewhereelsethat
wasfromlongago?”[wait,theninviteresponses]
Ÿ IntroducetheEssentialQuestionsforFossils&EstablishapurposefortheFossilunitofstudy–[5lessons]
Havethisinformationwrittenaheadoftimetopostbeforetheclassorpreparetorecorditontheboardasitis
discussed.
T:“Theessentialquestionsforthisunitrelatetofossils,relicsoflongago.Let’sreadthemtogether.Whatisa
fossil?Whatcanwelearnfromfossils?”
S:Whatisafossil?Whatcanwelearnfromfossils?
T:“Thesewillbethequestionswelearnaboutforthenextfivelessons.Iwanttoseewhatconnectionyou
alreadyhavetofossils.Iwillaskthreequestionstofindoutmore.Pleasedonotansweralouduntilallhave
beenaskedandthenyouhavebeengivenachancetoshare.Thequestionsare1-Whatisafossil?[wait]2-Have
youeverseenafossil?[wait]3-Whatdoesafossillooklike?[wait]Youwillhave30secondseachtosharewitha
partneryouranswerstothesethreequestions.Thatwillbeatotalof1minuteforthetwoofyoutoshare.
PointtoyourpartnersothatIknowyouarereadytobegin.WhenIsay‘fossil’youmayshare.Good,everyone
ispointingtoapartnersoIknowthatyou’reready.‘Fossil.’”[inviteresponsesasstudentswishtosharewhole
class.]
Ÿ Comeupwithaclassdefinitionofwhatafossilis.Writedownsomeoftheresponsesalreadysharedand
inviteanyadditionalonessothatthestudentscandiscussandcometoconsensusonwhattheywouldliketo
include.Writethefinalresultontheboard.
T:“Wewanttoincludethemostimportantpartsofyourdescriptionsinaclassdefinitionofa‘fossil.’[work
throughtheprocessmentionedinthebulletabove]Good,wehavedecidedthatadefinitionforfossilsthatwe
cansupportisthefollowing;‘Fossil:theremainsorevidenceofanancientorganism.’Let’sreadthistogether.
‘Fossil:theremainsorevidenceofanancientorganism.’“
S:‘Fossil:theremainsorevidenceofanancientorganism.’
Ÿ Postorwritecontent&languageobjectiveswheretheycanbeseenandreferredto.Guidestudentsto
understandtheexpectationsforthelessonbeforecontinuingon.Usenon-examplesasdemonstratedbelow
todrawattentiontodetail.
T:“Herearetheobjectivesforthelesson.Theywillhelpusknowexactlywhatweareexpectedtodosothat
wecanmeetthisgoalduringthenext30minutes.PleaselookatthecontentobjectivefirstasIreaditaloudto
you.“TodayIwillworkwithapartnertodescribe4definingfeaturesoffossils[size,color,shape,&texture]to
comparethemwithfamiliarobjectsandidentifyeach‘fossil.’”Youwillworkaloneforthistask?[wait…no]no?
Youwillfind10featuresofthefossils[wait…no]no?Howmanyfeatures?[wait…four]Whatarethesefour?
[wait…]showmewithyourhandsthatyouunderstandthesefourdefiningfeaturesasyousaythemaloudwith
me.Size[handssmalltolarge],color[pointtodifferentcolors],shape[handstoshowround,flat,curved…]and
texture[rubsurfaceofdesk,clothing,carpettodistinguish].Allofthatistohelpuscompare.Nowreadthe
objectiveagainwithmeanduseyouractionstodemonstratethemeaningofthelessongoals.”
S:TodayIwillworkwithapartnertodescribe4definingfeaturesoffossils[size,color,shape,&texture]to
comparethemwithfamiliarobjectsandidentifyeach‘fossil.’
T:“Now,followalongasIreadthelanguageobjective.Icanrecordadjectivesassociatedwithall4defining
featuresandwillusetheminsentenceframestomakecomparisonsandtoidentifyeach‘fossil.’[wait]Sowe
aregoingtouseverbstocompare?[wait…no]no?Adjectivesthen…connectedtosize,color,shape,&texture.
Howaboutaquickexample.Ihaveabrotherwhomyoudon’tknow.Iwillusecomparisonadjectivesto
describehimasheiscomparedtome.Thenyoucanmaybeidentifyhim,likeinapicturewithotherpeople.
MybrotheristallerthanI,hasblonderhair,hehasanosethatismorepointedthanmineandhishairiscurlier
thanmine.Iusedfourcomparisonadjectivesofsize,color,shape,&texture.Thesesametypesofadjectives
willbeusedtodescribefossilsduringtoday’slesson.Pleasereadthelanguageobjectivealoudthinkingofthe
goalsyouarecommittedtomakehappen.”
S:TodayIwillrecordadjectivesassociatedwithall4definingfeaturesandwillusetheminsentenceframesto
makecomparisonsandtoidentifyeach‘fossil.’
IntroductiontoNewMaterial(DirectInstruction):(10minutes)
Ÿ Sharebasicvocabularyrelatedtothescienceoffossilssothatitcancorrectlybeassociatedwiththesimulation
taskthestudentswillengagein.Structurethisinstructionaroundthe6questionsillustratedononehand
[fingers&palm].Usethehandasareferenceand/ordrawitontheboard.Invitestudentstofollowalong
withtheirownfinger-associationastheyarefamiliarwithdoingfrompriorexposure.
T:“Agoodwaytoorganizewhatwewillbeexpectedtolearnanddoduringthisstudyoffossilsistoask
ourselvesafewquestionsandthenseeifwecanfindtheanswerstothem.Todaywewilluseourhandwiththe
6questionstoguideourstudy.Who?–What?–When?–Where?–Why?–How?[demonstratewithhand]1-
Whofindsandstudiesfossils?Whatisthenamegiventothescientistswhomakethistheirmainjob?2-What
aretheobjectsdiscoveredandthetoolsusedtodothework?(thesewouldbenouns)Whatarethemethods
usedtodiscoverthemandstudythem?(thesewouldbeverbs)3-Whendidtheplantsandanimalsrepresented
bythefossilsliveontheearth?Whenweretheydiscovered?4-Wheredidtheseorganismsliveontheearth?
Whereweretheydiscovered?5-Whyarefossilsusefultous?Whyaretheyalinktodiscoveringaboutthings
thatlivedsomewherealongtimeago?6-Howdoesthestudyoffossilswork?Howdotheygivecluesofwhat
happenedduringatimeandplacethatwecannevergobackto?Pleaseuseyourownhandtoasktheone-word
questionsaloudwhileyouconsidersomeofthepossiblequestionsyouwouldaskaboutthestudyoffossils.
[demonstratewiththehandandrepeatwiththeclass]Who?–What?–When?–Where?–Why?–How?”
S:Who?–What?–When?–Where?–Why?–How?
• Nowtakethetimetoreviewsomeofthedetailsofthesequestionsasachancetohelpthestudentsretainthe
keyvocabularyandconceptsthatwillshapewhattheyretainfromthelessonactivity.Addressthe6questions
two-at-a-time:who&what,when&where,andwhy&how.Writethemontheboardthatwayasaguidetohelp
thestudentsfollowtheinstructionalpiece.Recordthekeyvocabularyanswersaftereachquestionword.
T:“FirstwewilldiscussthequestionsWho?&What?Thescientistswhodiscoverandstudyfossilsarecalled
ARCHAEOLOGISTS.[recordbesidethequestionWho?]Pleasesaythatwithmeinsyllables.Thenwewillrepeat
itthreetimes:soft,medium,loud.Thiswillhelpourmouthslearntopronouncethenewterm.Ready?…magic
word[wait]‘Fossil’AR-CHAE-E-OL-O-GIST,archaeologist,archaeologist,archaeologist.”
S:AR-CHAE-E-OL-O-GIST,archaeologist,archaeologist,archaeologist.
T:“Thesespecialsfossilscientists,archaeologistshavecertainnounsandverbsconnectedtotheminanswerto
thenextquestionWhat?Iwouldlistfossilsandtools[writefossils,tools&recordsbesideWhat?]asthemain
associatednouns.Therearedifferentkindsoffossilsasyouwilldiscoverintoday’s‘fossildig’andwilllearnthe
namesofinthenextlesson.Someofthetoolsarchaeologistsusearelikepicksandshovelsfordiggingand
brushestoremovethedirtfromthefossils.So,wecouldalsowritetheverbsofWhat?archaeologistsdoas1dig&clean.Theydothisverycarefullysotheydonotruinthefossil.Thenthey2-map,and3-observe&record
informationinorderto4-identifythefossils.[writethese4verbsbesideWhat?]Pleasetakeamomentandsay
thesenounsandverbswithmeandperformsomeactionthatgoeswitheachone.”
S:fossils,tools,records,[actionsincluded]dig&clean,observe,record,identify.
Ÿ Performactionswitheachofthewordstohelpthestudentscomprehendandretaintheinformation.Fossils
(cuppedhandsasifholding),tools(turningwrist),records(twohandsasifholdingapaper),dig&clean
(scooping&dustingoffmotion),map(fingermotionintheairasifplottingonagrid),observe&record(hold
cuppedhanduptoeyeforcloserlook&writingmotiononehandontheother),identify(an‘Aha’look&quick
writingmotionasifgivingitanameorlabel).
T:“TheanswerstoWho?&What?areprettyspecificandwecanlearnthewordsthatareconnected.Forthe
nexttwoquestionsWhen?&Where?,theydescribethesettingandsurroundingsofthefossils,justlikethe
settinginastory.Theanswerstothesequestionsaredifferentfordifferentfossilsandareoftenunknown.
Whendidtheplantoranimalliveontheearth?Wherediditliveandmoveandgrow?Thosearequestionsthat
havetobeinferredorconcludedbyhelpfromthetworemainingquestions.However,aboutwhentheywere
discoveredandwheretheywerediscoveredthosearedetailsthatarchaeologistskeepcarefultrackof.Thatis
whytheykeeprecordstorecordthedateofdiscoveryandthelocationonamap.[writedatebesideWhen?and
mapbesideWhere?]Theanswerstowhen&wherecanbeansweredforhere&now,butaremoredifficultto
answerforthere&then,meaningalongtimeago.Thinkofwhen&whereyouknowoffossildiscoveries
happening.”[wait…invitetoshare]
Ÿ ThelastpieceofnewmaterialrelatestoInferences,perhapsthemostimportantconceptthestudentswill
retainduringthefossilunit.Helpthemmaketheconnectiontopreviouslearninginlanguageartsetc.about
drawingconclusions,inferringfrominformationgivenetc.
T:“ThelasttwoquestionsareWhy?&How?Thesequestionsreallyhelpustoconsidertheimportanceoffossils
tothescientificworldandwhattheycantellus.Whyarefossilsusefultous?Theyhelpustolearntheanswers
tothe‘thenandthere’oflongagobecausetheyareevidencethatthosetimesandplacesexistedevenwhenwe
cannotgobacktovisitthem.[writeevidenceof‘thenandthere’besideWhy?]Howdoesthestudyoffossils
work?Howdotheygivecluesofwhathappenedduringatimeandplacethatwecannevergobackto?Thisis
whenwebegintolookatthedefiningfeaturesofeachfossilanddrawconclusionsaboutitsidentity.Howitis
doneisbylookingandweighingandmeasuringandthenguessing.[writeobservedefiningfeatures&identify
besideHow?]Whatwerethedefiningfeatureswelistedinourobjectivesfortoday’slesson?“
S:size,color,shape,texture
Ÿ Reviewtheinformationsharedondefiningfeaturesduringtheopeningwiththeobjectives.Befairlybriefas
thestudentsdemonstratecomprehensionofthekeydefiningfeatures:size,color,shape,&texture.
T:“Wehavealreadydiscussedsomeofthedefiningfeaturesthatwillbeusedtodefinethe‘fossils’thatwedig
uptoday.Thesearesize,color,shape,&texture.Theotherimportantwordswe’lllearnaswegoarethetypes
ofwordsassociatedwiththesedescriptions.Forsizewecanuseverygeneraltermslikebigorlittle.Wecan
alsogivemoredetailsuchastheweight,height,lengthofanobject.That’sthesameforeachoftheother
definingfeatures,therearesomegeneraltermsandthensomemorespecific.Today’staskwillgiveyousome
flexibilitytochoosewhichtermsdescribeeachfossilthebest,usingallthevocabularythatyoucan.”
Ÿ Refertothequestionsandanswersyouhavelistedontheboardtohelpstudentsreviewthechunksof
informationtheyhavereceivedduringthislesson.Thischartmaybeahelpfultool.Reviewasfollows.
WHO?
archaeologist
WHAT?
fossils,tools,records/dig&clean,map,observe&record,
identify
WHEN?
dates[then&there]/[here&now]
WHERE?
maps[layersofrock]
WHY?
evidenceofthen&there
HOW?
observedefiningfeatures&identify
T:“Pleaselookonemoretimeatthe6questionslistedhereandthetypesoffossilanswersthatwehave
provided.AsacheckforunderstandingIwillcalloutthequestionsatrandomandIwantyoualltoprovidethe
answers.Ready?[wait]When?”
S:dates
T:“Who?”
S:archaeologist
T:“How?”
S:observedefiningfeatures&identify
T:“Where?”
S:maps
T:“Why?”
S:evidence
T:“What?”
S:fossils,tools,records
T:“theotherWhat?”
S:dig&clean,map,observe&record,identify
T:“Excellent.Thesefourstepswillhelpusbecomearchaeologistsinthenextpartofourlesson.”
GuidedPractice:SimulatedFossilDig(15minutes)
• TeacherNote:Createfossilboxesbeforeclassbegins.Fillashoeboxwithalayerofsandandburyavarietyof
fossils.Fossilscanincluderealfossils,plastercasts,cleanedturkeyorchickenbones,plasticinsectstrappedin
hotglue,etc.
Ÿ Explainthetaskofthefossildigandholdupthenecessarymaterialstoexplain.Thefossilbox,thebrushesetc.
WritethefourstepsfromWhat?ontheboardinamoreprominentplaceorjustbringattentiontowherethey
arealreadywritten.
T:“Todaywearegoingonourownfossildig.Iwillexplainhowwewilldothis.Ifyourememberthefourverbs
fromWhat?wedowithfossils1-dig&clean,2-map,3-observe&record,4-identifythenyouwillbepreparedto
carryoutyourownfossildig.WhileIdemonstratewillyouholdupafingerforeachofthesefourstepsyou
considerthatIamexplaining.”
• Demonstrateholding1fingerup,then2,3,&4asyousaythestepsaloud.Invitestudentstoparticipate.
S:1-dig&clean[1finger],2-map[2fingers],3-observe&record[3fingers],&4–identify[4fingers]
T:“Youwillbegivenaboxofsandwhichhassomefossilsinsideforyoutofind.Realarchaeologistshavetobe
verycarefulwhentheydigfossils.Wedon’twanttodamagethefossils.Theyusetoolstohelpthemcarefully
removethefossilfromthesurroundingrockwithoutdamagingit.Todaywewillbeusingpaintbrushesforour
tools.Thehandleofthepaintbrushcanbeusedtodiginthesandandfindfossils.Onceafossilislocated,use
thebristlestocarefullybrushawaythesand.”
• Pauseandmakesurethatstudentsareholdinguponefingerforstepnumberone,‘dig&clean’
T:“Archaeologistsalsokeepverycarefulrecords.First,theycreateagridaroundtheareainwhichtheywillbe
digging,sotheyknowwherefossilsarefound.Youhaveagridonyourrecordingpagewhereyouwilldrawa
sketchofeachfossilasitisfound,soweknowwhereitwasinthebox.”
• Pointoutthegridthestudentshavetorecordtheirfindingsandshowhowthedifferentpointscorrelatewith
thefossilbox.Makesurethatstudentsareholdingup2fingersforstep2-mapthefossillocation.Reinforce
theirefforts.
T:“Onceafossilisremovedfromtheground,archaeologistsmakearecordofitssize,color,shape,texture,and
anydefiningfeaturesthathelpusknowwhatitis.Let’stalkabitmoreaboutdefiningfeatures.Howwillyou
beabletotellthedifferencebetweenaleafimprint,afootimprint,andalegbone?Aleafwillhaveveins,a
footprintwillbedeeperandmayshowtoeorclawmarks,alegbonewillbecylindrical.We’llrecordthese
definingfeaturesinthechartbesidethegrid.”
• Pointoutthechartwiththedefiningfeatureslistedintheleft-handcolumn.Studentsshouldbeholdingup3
fingerstoshowthatitisstep3-observe&record.
T:“Useyourobservationsanddefiningcharacteristicstomakeaguessforeachfossil’sidentity.Thatiswhen
youreallygettobedetectives,oneofthejobsofarchaeologists.Youwilldeterminewhatthefossilisby
comparingittofamiliarobjectsaroundyouandwillrecordthatinformationonthesamechartwiththedefining
features.”
• Pointoutthechartwiththedefiningfeaturesandnotethespottorecordtheidentification.Studentsshould
beholdingup4fingerstoshowthatitisstep4-identify.
T:“Onceyou’vehadtimetofind,dig,remove,andrecordinformationaboutyourfossils,we’llshareour
findingsusingsentenceframesthathighlightthecomparisonofthefossilstootherfamiliarobjects.”
Ÿ Distributethefossilboxestothetableswherethegroupssit.[likelynomorethan8differentboxes,5or6
ideaduetomaterialpreparation].Remindthestudentsnottotouchthemuntiltheyaretoldtodoso.Then
gathertheminafishbowlformationtomodelthetask.Reviewtheprocedurefor‘fishbowl.’
T:“Thankyouforbeingresponsiblewiththematerials.InordertoshowyouwhateachsteplookslikeIwillask
youtojoinmeinour‘fishbowl.’Remembertheonesclosesttothetableshouldkneelsothatthosebehindcan
stillseeintothefishbowl,orwhatI’mdoingatthetable.Table___willyoushowusthatyourememberhowto
comeformthefishbowl,whenIsaythemagicword[wait]‘fossil.’[wait]Excellent.Now,theoddnumbertables
canjoinus…[wait]…fossil![positivereinforcement]Andnowtheevennumbertablesmayjoinus…[wait]when
theygetherewewillallbereadytobegin…fossil!”
Ÿ ModelingCycle:teacherdoes,teacherw/student,twostudentsdo,wholeclass
Ÿ Refertothefourstepsthatwillbemodeledandexplicitlydescribethematerialsneededandtheprocess
involved.
T:“Iwillusethefossilbox,andtherecordingsheetwiththegridandthecharttomodelONLYthefirsttwo
steps.Asareview:1-dig&clean[1finger],2-map[2fingers],3-observe&record[3fingers],&4–identify[4
fingers].WhatarethefirsttwostepsIamgoingtomodel?”
S:1-dig&clean…2-map
Ÿ Non-examplesmaybeincorporatedforeffectandtoremindstudents…likebeingfast&sloppyintheprocess.
Takethepaintbrush,handle-end,andbegininonecorneroftheboxtogentlyscoopthedirtasideandtalk
aloudaboutwhatyouareobservingandthecareyouaretakingforthetask.Asyourtoolbumpsafossil
expressexcitementandyetdemonstrateandexplaintheaddedcautiontakentodigitoutintact.Removeit
carefullywithyourfingersonceitisunburied.Handleitcarefullyandbrushawaythesandforthecleaning
process.
T:“Thatisthewayanarchaeologistshoulddigandcleanafossilwhenitisdiscovered.Iamnotdonewith
modelingbecauseIsaidIwoulddostepnumber2also,whichismap.HereismygridandIneedtodrawthis
fossilandlabelitas#1,becauseitisthefirstoneIfound.IthinkI’lldrawitinthemiddleofthegrid…[no!]No?
WhocanexplainwhyIshouldnotdrawthefossilinthecenterofthegrid?[wait…share]Good,Ineedthegridto
beanaccuraterepresentationofwhereIfoundthefossils,andthiswasinthetopleftcorner,sothatiswhereI
willdrawasimplesymboltorepresentfossil1,andI’lllabelit#1tohelpmewithmycomparisonsinthechart.
Now,Iwanttoseeifyouremembertheprocessforjustthosetwosteps.”
Ÿ Inviteastudentwithmodelbehaviororonewhoneedsencouragedtofocustobeyourstudentmodel.Very
brieflycoachhim/herthroughtheprocessastheotherstudentsdescribeanddemonstratewithoutmaterials
totheirpartnersinwhispervoices.
T:“_____isgoingtoconvincemethatallthestudentswerefocusedandknowhowtobearchaeologistswho
can1-dig&cleanand2-mapallofthefossilscorrectly.He/she’lldiganotherfossiloutofthissameboxbecause
thereareoftenmorefossilswhereyoufindone._____maychoosewheretodig,butmustrememberwhereso
itcanberecordedcorrectlyonthegrid.NowbeforeIsaythemagicwordandlet____beourclass
representativeofagoodarchaeologistusingthecorrecttoolsandprocessesIneedyourhelptodescribethe
processwithcorrectvocabulary.Iwillbelisteningtoseeifyouknowthecorrectterms.Ifyouhavenotyet
learnedthemyoumaynothaveachancetobearchaeologiststodaybecausearchaeologisthavetostudyalot
beforetheygettogooutonafossildig.UsingWhispervoicesyouwilluseatleast4keywordswe’velearnedto
describewhat____isdoing.Whatkindofvoices…andhowmanywords…?”[wait]
S:whispervoicesandatleast4keywords
Ÿ Havethehelpingstudenttodigwithhandle-endofbrush,removefossil,cleanit,andmapitwithlabel#2on
thegrid.Listentohearthatstudentsusewordssuchasarchaeologist,map,grid,tool,clean,dig,label….
T:“Wonderfullydone.Nowwehavefossil#2discoveredandlabeledonthegrid.Itistimetomodelthelast
twostepssothatyoucanworkwithyourtablepartnerstodiscoverlotsoffossilsinyourownfossilboxes…I
knowyoucan’twait,butwehavetoknowhowto3-observe&record&4-identifythefossilsinthecharthere
beneaththegrid.BeforeIdo,willyouallstandandtakeastretchbreakandtellyourneighborwhatkindsof
fossilsyoupredictyouaregoingtodiscovertoday.Pleasedonotwalkaround,juststandandtalk…30
seconds…fossil![wait30seconds,listentopredictions&inviteafewtoshareifyouconsiderthereistime.]What
aresteps3&4wearegoingtoreview?”
S:‘3-observeandrecord4-identifythefossil
Ÿ Modelthenexttwostepswiththeappropriatematerials&thecorrectprocesses.Thekeyisforstudentsto
completeeachofthefourstepsforeveryfossilasitisfound.Youwillwanttoemphasizethatthefirsttwo
weredonealoneonlytochunktheinformationandmakesuretheyweresolidontheirunderstanding.Refer
totheDefiningFeaturesChart,butclarifyifneededthatthesentenceframesareforlatterafterthefossildig
hasbeencompleted.
T:“Hereisthechartforthedefiningfeatures.Youcanseethattherearenumberslistedinthecolumnsto
correspondwiththenumberoffossilsfound.Thisfirsttwo,#1&#2aretheoneswehavealreadydiscovered.
WiththesetwocolumnsandthedefiningfeaturesrowsIwillmodelandthenaskanotherarchaeologist
assistanttohelpmemodelbeforeweallbeginourdigsaspartners.Whattoolswillyouneedtocompletesteps
3&4,3-observe&record&4-identify?”
S:Thedefiningfeatureschart,pencil,andfossilstoobserve
Ÿ Holduporpointtothematerialsastheyarereferredto…promptingresponsesasneeded.Perhapsahand
lenscanbeusedaswellandshouldbeexplainedtothestudents.
T:“I’llbeginwiththisfossil#1…Ineedtoobserveitwiththepurposeofidentifyingitsfourdefiningfeaturesof
size,color,shape,&textureandthentoidentifywhattypeoforganismIthinkitis.Hmm…”
Ÿ Modelthinkingaloudasyouturnthefossil,touchit,andobserveitwithyoureyeandthroughthehandlens.
Thenaskyourselfwhatadjectiveswouldbegoodtodescribesize..big/littte/tiny…andrecordtheminthebox
besidetherow‘size.’Thenrepeatthesamethinkingprocessforcolor,shape,&texture.Modelusingavariety
ofvocabularyterms.
T:“Ihaverecordedatleast2adjectivesforeachofthefourdefiningfeaturesasourlanguageobjectivesayswe
will.Doanyofyouhaveotheradjectivesyouthoughtoftodescribefossil#1thatIhavenotyetrecordedhere
intheboxes?[wait,invitetoshare,&record]Thoseweregreatadditions,Iamimpressedwiththedescriptive
vocabularyyouareusing.Iencourageyoutobeasexactasyoucanwiththewordsthatyouknow.Youwillbe
abletotalkwithyourpartnersasyoudothisobservationandrecordingsoitwillhelpyoutobrainstormnew
words.Everyarchaeologistpartnershouldberecordingtheobservationsinhis/herownchart.Thenthereis
thislastpieceforstep4-identify.Thefirstsentenceframeisinitsownboxbecauseitisnotforthecomparison
activity,butjusttocompletethestepsofthefossildig.Ifyoucanseefromwhereyouareinthefishbowl,on
thecountofthreereadthisframewithme….[wait]1,2,3,‘Thesize,color,shape,&textureofthisfossilidentify
itas____.’”
S:Thesize,color,shape,&textureofthisfossilidentifyitas___.
T:“Drumroll[poundonthedesk]…..andfossil#1isrevealedtoustodayas….[somethingabsurd–non
example]!”
S:‘NO!’
T:“Whynot?[wait,inviteresponse]Oh,becausethethingsIrecordedhereforsize,color,shape,&texture
[referspecificallytotheadjectives]donotleadmetoconcludethatfossil#1is[thenonexample],butsomething
else.IthinkitwillhelpifIusethesentenceframetoremindmethatarchaeologistsarevery,verycarefulinthe
conclusionstheydrawbasedonalloftheevidence.Let’stryittogetherandIwillfillinamorecorrect
identificationforfossil#1.”
S:Thesize,color,shape,&textureofthisfossilidentifyitas___.
T:“Thesize,color,shape,&textureofthisfossilidentifyitas[aninsect-whateveritis].Now,Ihavesuccessfully
finishedthelasttwostepsforfossil#1.Ineedagroupofapprenticearchaeologisttoshowthattheyhave
studiedenoughtodothesameforfossil#2.“
Ÿ Choose2or3differenthelperstoobserve(onlyoneselectedasleadtoholdit)andthenallrecordingona
sheet–atleastpretendingtodosothistime.Coachthemthroughthesamestepsasyoumodeled,referring
tofossil#2foradjectivesandthentheleadstudentgetstoidentifytheobjectaftertheyallreadthesentence
frametogether.
T:“Ilikehowthepartnerswereallrecordingandsuggestingadjectiveswhiletheleadtooktheclosestlook.
Thenyouallsaidthesentenceframetogether,buttheleadarchaeologistfinisheditwithhisown
identification…andonethatmadesensebasedontheadjectivesyourecorded.Goodwork.Whenwouldthe
otherpartnersgettobethelead?[wait..share]Yes,withfossil#3andsoforth,infactyouwilltaketurnsdigging
andifyouaretheonetouncoverthefossilthanyoucompleteallofthestepsforthatfossilasthelead.Then
youhandthediggingtooltoanotherarchaeologistandit’shisturntodigandcompletesteps1-4.Theothers
stillparticipateandrecord,buttheyarethefollowers.Anyquestions?”
Ÿ Dismissthestudentstoreturntotheirowntables,insuretheyhavechosenonestudenttobetheleadand
thentheymaybegintheirfossildig,beingcarefultofollowallsteps.Youmaychecktheirworkinformallyby
observingandquestioningdifferentgroupswhatsteptheyareon.Providepositivereinforcementandpacing
commentsastheywork.Readaloudsomeespeciallygoodadjectivesforthebenefitoftheclasstotrigger
theirowncreativedescriptions.
IndependentPractice:ComparisonSentenceFrames(10minutes)
T:“Acomparisonisawaytorelatewhatyouknowabouttwodifferentthings.Mostoftenwedescribethe
thingsthatarethesameandthosethataredifferent.Todaywewillusethedescriptiveadjectivesofsize,color,
shape,&texturetolikenthefossilstootherfamiliarobjectsaroundus.Inordertodothiswewillusefour
sentenceframes,oneforeachofthedefiningfeatures.Whatarethosedefiningfeatures?”
S:size,color,shape,texture
SentenceFrames:
• ___is(bigger/smaller)than______________;itisthesizeof______.
• ___is(redder/darker)than______________;itisthecolorof_____.
• ___is(rounder/flatter)than______________;itistheshapeof____.
• __is(rougher/slicker)than______________;itisthetextureof___.
Ÿ ModelingCycle:teacherdoes,teacherw/student,twostudentsdo,wholeclass
Ÿ Teacherwillmodelsentenceframeforsize,theninviteahelperforcolor.Afterwardstwostudentswillmodel
shapeandthewholeclasswillmodeltexturebeforebeingdismissedtopracticethetaskasagroup.
Ÿ Projectthechartwithadjectiveslistedforfossils1-5andcoverthemiddlerowswherecolor,shape,&texture
aresothatthefocusisonadjectiveofsizeonly.
T:“Youcanseeallofthedifferentadjectivesheredescribingthesizesofthedifferentfossils.Thesewillbethe
wordsweuseinoursentenceframes,withthe–erendingofcomparisonaddedbeforeplacingafamiliarobject
intheblank.Hereyoucanseethesentenceframe:“___is(bigger/smaller)than______________;itisthesize
of______.”Thiswillguidemetoknowwhattosayaboutthefossils’size.Iamgoingtostartwithfossil#1and
thenIwillusethesameframeforfossils#2,#3,#4,&#5.Idon’thavetousebiggerorsmallerifIwanttouse
moredescriptivewordslike‘heavier’or‘moremassivethan,’butbiggerandsmalleraregoodbeginningwords.
Hereismysentence:Fossil#1isbiggerthan[pause]Ihavetothinkofsomethingsmall…maybearaisin….bigger
thanaraisin;itisthesizeof[pause]somethingabitbiggerlike…anegg…butnotabigortinyegg…howabouta
chickenegg.Ilikeit:“Fossil1isbiggerthanaraisin;itisthesizeofachickenegg.”[showactionswithyour
fingerstodemonstratearaisinandachickeneggs’sizesrespectively]Repeatmysentencewithme,please
showingmethesizesofaraisinandachickenegg.”
S:Fossil#1isbiggerthanaraisin;itisthesizeofachickenegg.
T:“Now,Iwouldlettheotherpartnersinmygroupmakeupfourmoresizecomparisonsforfossils2,3,4,&5
withthesamesentenceframe,butotherobjectsandpossiblyotheradjectivesthan‘bigger.’Afterallpartners
hadcompletedthesizecomparisonsthenit’dbetimetodothecolorcomparisons.Thesentenceframefor
colorfollowsthesameformatasthesizeonewithblanksforobjectsthataredifferentandsimilar,butthe
adjectiveisnot‘bigger,’butonewithcolorlikedarker,redder,greener,lighter,etc.Ineedaveryskilled
archaeologistwhocanmakethiskindofdetailedcomparisonofhisnewfoundfossilfrom‘then&there’tothe
objectsheknowsfromtheworldof‘here&now.’Whothinkstheyarethatskilled?I’llbeapartner
archaeologisttotheleadtohelphimifhegetsstuck.”
Ÿ Uncoverthenextrowofthedefiningfeatureschartforcolor.
Ÿ Chooseastudentandworkwithhimtomakesurehecompletestheprocessusingtheformatofthesentence
frame.
T:“Icanreadthesentenceframewithmypartnertohelphimknowwhatthepatternis,butwheretheblanks
areI’llsay‘blank,’exceptforthefirstblankwhereitsaysfossil#2.Likethis:“Fossil#2is(redder/darker)than
__blank__;itisthecolorof_blank_.”Now,____youhavetothinkoftheadjectiveyou’lluse.Hereinthechart
ourgroupwrotedustyasourcoloradjective.Wecanmakethatfittheframe.“Fossil#2isdusty…noitis…”
S:dustier
T:“Good.Fossil#2isdustier…becausewearecomparinghowtheylookintheircoloranddustyisrelatedto
colorortone.Now,whatislessdustythanfossil#2?”
S:mypencil
T:“Excellent.Ilikehowyouchoseanobjectthatisclosebyandisveryfamiliartoyou.Now,youneedtofinda
differentobjectthatcompletesthesentenceframeshowingwhatisequallydustytofossil#2.Whatcanyou
comeupwith?”
S:aspiderweb
T:“Thatwillwork.Ithinkithelpsmeunderstandwhatthisunfamiliarfossilislikealittlebetterbecauseofthe
wayyouconnectedittosomethingIdoknow,aspiderweb,maybeoneofthoseoldonesthathasgottenreal
duststuckinitgivingitthecolorofdust.Canyoureadthewholesentencenow?”
S:Fossil#2isdustierthanmypencil;itisthecolorofaspiderweb.
T:“Let’srepeatthattogether:”
S:Fossil#2isdustierthanmypencil;itisthecolorofaspiderweb’
T:“Afteryou’vehadyourturnastheleadforthecolorcomparisonsentenceframe,whatdoyourpartnersneed
todo?[wait..share]Yes.You’lltaketurnsdescribingthefossils’colorbycomparingthemtootherthingsof
similaranddifferentcolor.Icautionyoutonotdescribethemallbythedustydirtylookthatbeingburiedmade
themlooklike.Whatevidencedoyouhaveofwhatthefossilcolorwouldhavebeenlikefortheplantoranimal
itcamefromintheworldof‘then&there?’Thesearejustsomedeeperideastokeepinmindasyoulearntobe
archaeologists.Nowwe’vecompletedourcolorcomparisons,it’stimeforaleadarchaeologistwithanassistant
todemonstratetheshapecomparisonfollowingthesentenceframe.”
Ÿ Choosetwostudents.Onetoleadandtheothertoassistintheprocess,especiallymakingsuggestionsof
differentobjects.Assistonlyasnecessaryforclarification.Askthemtomodelwithfossil#3foravarietyof
descriptions.
S2:Fossil#3is(rounder/flatter)than___blank_;itistheshapeof_blank___.
S1:Fossil#3isflatterthanmygluestick;itistheshapeofapopsiclestick.
T:“Thatisgood.Itgetstrickywhenwesaythefossilistheshapeofthepopsicklestick,becauseitisnotlong
likeastickatall,butitsthicknessresemblesapopsiclestickmorethanagluestick.Ifyouwanttosubstitute
thewordthicknessfortheword‘shape’inthesentenceframeyoumay,oryoumightjustchoosetodescribea
differentaspectoftheshapealtogetherlikeitbeingroundandflat.Insteadofflatter,we’lluserounder.‘Fossil
#3islessroundthanacoin;itisasroundasanolive.’Doyouseehowthatcouldwork?Theimportantthingis
nottomakeyourcomparisonperfect,buttousegooddescriptionwordsandcomparisons,sodon’tbeafraidto
trynewwordsandbecreative.Wedowanttobeascorrectinourdescriptionsaspossible,sowe’llnotjust
makeupshapesthatdon’tconnectatall.”
T:“Nowyouwilltakeaquickturnwithyourpartnerfinishingthelastcomparisonpracticewiththetexture
sentenceframe.I’llgiveyouthemodelandyoufindtheobjectsyouwanttoputintotheframe.Lookcloselyat
theseadjectiveslistedhereinthechartforthetextureoffossil#4andlookatthefossiltoosoyoucancompare
ittosomethingelse.“Fossil#4isslickerthan___blank_;itistheshapeof___blank_.”Ready?Thinkfirst&
thensharewithapartner[wait]Fossil!”
• Invitestudentstosharetheirideasandcommentasmuchaswouldbeinstructivetotheclass.
T:“‘Fossil#4isslickerthanmycoat;itisthetextureofmysnowboots.’Thatisonepossibility.‘Fossil#4is
rougherthanthecarpet;itisthetextureofsandpaper.’Thisisanotherexample,butisprobablynotdescribing
thesamefossil#4,itmaybefromanothergroup.Thesamefossil#4wouldmostlikelynotbebothslickand
rough,unlessitistwodifferentpartsofthesamefossil,thenIcanunderstandthetwodifferentcomparisons.”
T:“Allfourdefiningfeatureshaveamatchingsentenceframethatyoushouldfollowasyoutaketurns
describingtheallofthefossils’sizes,colors,shapes,&textures.Onceyouhavecompletedthatthenyoumay
diginthefossilboxsomemore,gentlydiscoveringifthereareanymorefossils,beyondthefiveyoualready
uncovered.Whatareyouexpectedtocompletebeforeyoudigsomeinthefossilbox?”
S:thecomparisonsentenceframesforsize,color,shape,&texture.
Ÿ Releasethestudentstoworkwiththeirpartnerstosharethesentenceframesandcheckforunderstandingin
thetypeofvocabularyusedtocomparethefossils.Ensuretheyarefocusedonthetask.
T:“Ready?Youwillhaveabout5minutestocompletethecomparisonsentences….thereare20..5fossilstimes
4definingfeaturesequals20sentences,orabout15secondspersentence.Let’sbegin.Fossil!”
Closing:(5minutes)
Ÿ ReviewthequestionsWHO?WHAT?WHEN?WHERE?WHY?HOW?Inrelationtofossilsasawaytoassess
theirretentionofkeyvocabularyandprocessesinfossildiscovery.
Ÿ Reviewtheobjectives,invitingstudentstoreadthemandconsideriftheyaccomplishedeverythingtheysaid
theywould.
T:“Pleasereadthecontentobjectivewithmesowecandetermineifwe’vemetit.“TodayIwillworkwith
partnerstodescribe4definingfeaturesoffossils[size,color,shape,&texture]tocomparethemwithfamiliar
objectsandidentifyeach‘fossil.’”
S:Icanworkwithpartnerstodescribe4definingfeaturesoffossils[size,color,shape,&texture]tocomparethem
withfamiliarobjectsandidentifyeach‘fossil.’
T:“Tellyourpartnerwhatwedidtomeetthatobjective.[wait,share]Nowlet’sreadthelanguageobjective
together.‘Icanrecord2ormoreadjectivesassociatedwithall4definingfeaturesandwillusetheminsentence
framestomakecomparisonsandtoidentifyeach‘fossil.’’”
S:Icanrecord2ormoreadjectivesassociatedwithall4definingfeaturesandwillusetheminsentenceframesto
makecomparisonsandtoidentifyeach‘fossil.’
T:“Andwhataboutthisobjective…itrequiredalotofvocabularytodescribeandcompare.Howdidwemeet
thatgoal?[wait,share]Wejustcompletedourfirstfossildig–completewithallfourstepsandsomeindepth
comparison.Congratulations!Youhaveallpassedarchaeologisttraining!Youarequicklybecomingexpert
archaeologistswhocanmakekeyinferencesaboutthepastbasedonwhatyoudiscover.Thatwillprepareusto
learnaboutfourdifferentkindsoffossilsinournexttwolessonsandthendosomeresearchontherealfossils
scientisthavefoundfromthepast.Now,archaeologistschoolisoutofsession,ifyouturninyourassignments–
thegridandchartsusedintoday’sclass.”
• Collectthepagesandreviewthemforassessmentpurposesandkeepthemforreferenceinthesubsequent
lessons.
Assessment:
Informalobservationanduseofsentenceframes&theworkrecordedinthecharts
ExtraIdeas:
Letstudentsburrytheirfossilsagaininthesandofthefossilbox.