Introduction
Welcome third grade scientists! Have you ever wondered what Earth was like thousands of years ago? Have you ever wished that you could travel back in time and see what living things were roaming the Earth back then? Have you ever wondered how we know so much about dinosaurs, even though they are extinct?
If so, you're in luck! Today you will take on the role of a paleontologist and you will study FOSSILS!
Task
During our lesson, you will learn all about fossils! As you work to learn about fossils, you will complete a graphic organizer. You must pay close attention to what you are reading and what you are listening to and watching, as doing so will help you to successfully complete your mission!
As you work towards completing your mission as a paleontologist, you will complete a graphic organizer that will require you to define fossils and list various facts about fossils.
Grab your paleontologist tools and get ready to dig deep as we learn about fossils!
Process
What are fossils?
You have probably heard of fossils before. When you think of fossils, you might think of dinosaur bones! Did you know, though, that fossils are more than just dinosaur bones? Fossils are the preserved remains, or traces, of a variety of animals or plants that were once living!
Paleontologists, it's time for you to sit tight at the Fossils Theater. You and your partner are going to watch the following video about fossils. As the two of you watch the video, be prepared to take notes and answer questions about what it is that you are learning on your graphic organizer.
We can learn a lot about animals and plants that lived a long, long time ago thanks to fossils! Fossils are very important, as they help us to understand what types of things were roaming Earth before we arrived. Think of fossils like records--we are able to refer to them to determine what types of things were seen years ago. Paleontologists--like YOU!--are scientists who use fossils to learn about the past.
Now that you have heard from Annie and Moby, you are ready to continue on your mission towards becoming a paleontologist. Check out this awesome website to learn some more fun, fascinating facts about fossils! Make sure to pull out your graphic organizers and take notes of the facts that interest you the most.
https://www.coolkidfacts.com/fossils/
Great job digging deep and working hard on your mission towards discovering fossils as a paleontologist. Now that you have learned some different facts about fossils, you are ready to answer some questions about fossils!
Questions about Fossils:
1. Fossils are nature's ______ of animals and _____ that lived a long, long time ago and have since preserved into rock.
2. What is a paleontologist?
A. a person who studies fossils
B. a rare dinosaur
C. a person who studies stones
3. What two things can give us clues about what types of things that animals may have eaten?
A. Size and shape
B. Footprints and burrows
C. Teeth and droppings
4. Fossils are formed when the body of a dead animal sinks into _____ or _____. Harder, stronger parts of the animal, like its _____ or ______ will remain!
5. What does it mean for an animal to decompose?
A. To rot away
B. To grow up
C. To sleep
6. How are insects or small pieces of plants fossilized?
________________________________
7. How quickly are fossils formed?
________________________________
8. How might a paleontologist discover the bodies of animals that lived thousands of years ago?
_________________________________
9. What can tell us about the size of a fossil?
A. Fossil bones
B. Footprints
C. Fossilized burrows
D. All of the above
10. What can we learn from fossils?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Evaluation
Look how far you've come on our adventure! I am so proud of you for working so hard on your mission as a paleontologist. You have officially completed today's missions. Now, you are to return back to your research base, where you are going to find that you have discovered a NEW fossil. You are responsible for naming it, discovering different details about it (size, shape, etc.), and telling a story about its life.
I cannot wait to see what you come up with!
Conclusion
Great work today, paleontologists! You have learned so much about fossils today. I am excited for us to continue to learn about fossils throughout these next few weeks.
Credits
BrainPop Jr. Fossils. (2020). Retrieved 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiw1LfuzydI
Create WebQuest: Create a WebQuest: Simple. Quick. Free. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2020, from https://www.createwebquest.com/
Fossil Facts For Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2020, from https://www.coolkidfacts.com/fossils/
Teacher Page
3-LS4-1:
- Performance Expectation: Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long-ago.
- Clarification Statement: Examples of data could include type, size, and distribution of fossil organisms. Examples of fossils and environments could include major fossil types such as marine fossils found on dry land, tropical plant fossils found in arctic areas, or fossils of extinct organisms and relative ages.
- Disciplinary Core Ideas:
- Some kinds of plants and animals that once lived on Earth are no longer found anywhere. (UE.LS4A.2)
- Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and also about the nature of their environment. (UE.LS4A.b)