Partnerships Implementing Engineering Education
Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester Public Schools
Supported by: National Science Foundation
Organisms: 1.H.III
_________
Fossils
Grade Level
1
Sessions
Session I: Introduction to fossils – 30 minutes
Session II: Name that fossil – 10 minutes
Session III: Making fossil imprints – 45 minutes
N/A
Whole class
N/A
Skills of Inquiry
1. Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.
2. Tell about why and what would happen if?
5. Record observations and data with pictures, numbers, or written
statements.
6. Discuss observations with others.
Life Science
5. Recognize that fossils provide us with information about living things that
inhabited the earth years ago.
Technology/Engineering
1. Materials and Tools
1.3 Identify and describe the safe and proper use of tools and materials (e.g.,
glue, scissors, tape, ruler, paper, toothpicks, straws, spools) to construct
simple structures)
01.SC.IS.01
01.SC.IS.02
01.SC.IS.05
01.SC.IS.06
01.SC.LS.01
01.SC.LS.02
01.SC.TE.03
Fossils
Seasonality
Instructional Mode(s)
Team Size
MA Frameworks
WPS Benchmarks
Key Words
Summary
The students will be introduced to how fossils are made and will have the
opportunity to make fossil imprints of different objects. The main goal of this
lesson is that students understand how fossils are made and that they can
provide information about events and organisms from the past.
Learning Objectives
Massachusetts Frameworks for Grades Pre K-2
Skills of Inquiry
1. Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.
2. Tell about why and what would happen if?
5. Record observations and data with pictures, n umbers, or written statements.
-1-
Partnerships Implementing Engineering Education
Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester Public Schools
Supported by: National Science Foundation
6. Discuss observations with others.
Life Science
5. Recognize that fossils provide us with information about living things that
inhabited the earth years ago.
Technology/Engineering
1. Materials and Tools
1.3 Identify and describe the safe and proper use of tools and materials (e.g.,
glue, scissors, tape, ruler, paper, toothpicks, straws, spools) to construct simple
structures.
2002 Worcester Public Schools (WPS) Benchmarks for Grade 1
01.SC.IS.01 Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the
environment.
01.SC.IS.02 Tell about why and what would happen if?
01.SC.IS.06 Discuss observations with others
01.SC.LS.01 Recognize that fossils provide us with information about living
things that inhabited the earth years ago.
01.SC.LS.02 Look at a variety of fossils or pictures of fossils, including plants,
fish, and extinct species. Guess what living organisms they might be related to.
01.SC.TE.03 Identify and describe the safe and proper use of tools and materials
(e.g., glue, scissors, tape, ruler, paper, toothpicks, straws, spools) to construct
simple structures.
Additional Learning Objectives
1. None
Required Background Knowledge
1. None
Essential Questions
1. What is a fossil?
2. What is an imprint?
3. What is a fossil imprint?
-2-
Partnerships Implementing Engineering Education
Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester Public Schools
Supported by: National Science Foundation
4. How are fossils made?
5. Can you think of something that could be fossilized?
6. Have you ever seen a fossil?
Introduction / Motivation
Start with questions. Ask students if they know how we have learned about
dinosaurs as an introduction to fossils.
Procedure
Session I: Introduction to fossils – 30 minutes
Instructor preparation:
1. Photocopy appropriate number of “How fossils are made” workbook for
each student.
The instructor will:
1. Ask students what they know about fossils and encourage discussion
about dinosaur fossils and other type of fossil imprints.
2. Pass out workbooks to help with discussion. The students can read this
alone or together as a group.
Session II: Name that fossil – 10 minutes
Instructor preparation:
1. Photocopy appropriate number of “Name that fossil” worksheet for each
student.
The instructor will:
2. Pass out worksheet and allow the students to complete the worksheet.
Session III: Making fossil imprints – 45 minutes
Instructor preparation:
-3-
Partnerships Implementing Engineering Education
Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester Public Schools
Supported by: National Science Foundation
1. Gather the appropriate materials to make fossil imprints including items for
the students to make imprints of. Examples include toy dinosaurs and sea
shells.
2. Photocopy appropriate number of “Fossil Imprints Recipe” worksheet
The instructor will:
1. Hand out the materials to make fossil imprints
2. Follow instructions provided on the “Fossil Imprint Recipe” worksheet.
The materials for one recipe will be enough for 3 students to each make
one imprint.
Materials List
Materials per class
Salt
Flour
Aluminum
Bones, leaves, toy
dinosaurs, sea shells
Amount
One cup/3 students
One cup/3 students
1 tsp/3 students
1/student
Materials per student
“How fossils are made”
workbook
“Name that fossil”
worksheet
Fossil imprint Recipe
Location
Grocery store
Grocery store
Pharmacy
Grocery store/toy store/craft store
Amount
Location
1/student
Attachment section
1/student
Attachment section
1/student
Attachment section
Vocabulary with Definitions
None
Assessment / Evaluation of Students
The instructor may assess the students in any/all of the following manners:
1. Check “Name that fossil” worksheet.
2. Ask questions to make sure students know the difference between a fossil
made from bone and a fossil that is an imprint.
Lesson Extensions
None
-4-
Partnerships Implementing Engineering Education
Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester Public Schools
Supported by: National Science Foundation
Attachments
1. “How fossils are made” workbook
2. “Name that fossil”
3. Fossil Imprint Recipe
Troubleshooting Tips
None
Safety Issues
Students should be supervised at all times.
Additional Resources
1. http://www.jpinstitute.com/activity/activities2/fossil_imprints.html
References for Lesson Plan Ideas
1. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/dinofossils/index.ht
ml
2. http://nlcs.k12.in.us/stalker/d-fossil.htm
3. http://www.jpinstitute.com/activity/activities2/fossil_imprints.html
References for Pictures
Fish fossil
http://www.beware-of-art.com/images/gallery/fossils/04000_detail.jpg
Sharks’ tooth
http://www.therockshed.com/fossils/fo15a.jpg
Shrimp
http://www.therockshed.com/fossils/fo19a.jpg
Dinosaur Skull
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dinosaursrock.com/images/L
OGODinosaursRockFINAL.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dinosaursrock.com/&h=562
&w=800&sz=75&tbnid=jinVGgxPCAxccM:&tbnh=99&tbnw=142&hl=en&start=52
&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfossils%26start%3D40%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den
%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN
Fly
http://www.victoriatravelguide.com/images/anne-savenye.jpg
Fern
http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Triassic/images/plant.jpg
-5-
Partnerships Implementing Engineering Education
Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester Public Schools
Supported by: National Science Foundation
Key Words
Fossils
-6-
How Fossils are Made
By:___________________________
Fossils are the remains of animals and plants
from long long ago. They can be from bones,
leaves, teeth, eggs, or footprints. Fossils
provide scientists
with information
from the past.
Fossils are not
bones and are not
made of bone.
Fossil are more
like rocks. Do you
know how fossils
are formed?
I’ll tell you a story
about how a fossil
is formed.
1
A long long time ago, a dinosaur became sick
and died.
The dinosaur fell into a lake and only his
bones, or skeleton remained.
Dinosaur
Skeleton
2
Layers of rock built up over the bones and
minerals collected in the small spaces of the
bones, making them really really hard and
really really heavy. This process turned them
into fossils!
Different
layers of
rock
Over millions of years the water dried up,
scientists dug up the dirt, and the fossils
were exposed!
Other things like dinosaur foot prints, or the
pattern of leaves on a plant can also be
fossils. These types of fossils are fossil
imprints.
3
Name: __________________________________________________________________
Directions: CAN YOU MATCH THE ANIMAL TO THE FOSSIL?
DINASAUR
FLY
SHRIMP
FISH
FERN
SHARK’S
TOOTH
FOSSIL IMPRINTS RECIPE
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
One cup salt
One cup flour
One tsp. alum (available at any pharmacy)
3/4 cup water
Bones, leaves, toy dinosaurs, sea shells
Procedure:
1. Mix the dry ingredients together.
2. Slowly add the water until dough is formed and the mixture
sticks together.
3. Roll the dough into balls, and then flatten into a pancake.
4. Press the leaves, shells, bones, toy dinosaurs, or other objects
in the dough to make an impression.
5. Dry. (Paint if you desire.)
6. Ask the children which objects made the different
impressions.