The Case of the Lost Fossil
Dinolings: Fossils and Earth History Adventure
Deep beneath layers of stone and time, something has gone wrong beneath Dinosaur National Monument.
Ari Raider is receiving urgent signals from the Fossil Archive Vault, a protected underground system beneath the monument where the Dinolings guard Earth’s fossil history and timelines. Rock layers are shifting, fossil records are scrambling, and ancient evidence is at risk of being lost forever. Evidence indicates the Professor accessed the vault through deep rock layers and concealed a powerful specimen inside a sealed Mystery Mine, triggering instability throughout the archive.
To restore balance, students must journey beneath Dinosaur National Monument alongside the Dinolings, moving through fossil chambers, excavation labs, and time tunnels. Using real fossil knowledge, explorers work to stabilize the archive, recover the missing specimen, and unlock the Mystery Mine.
This adventure transforms fossils and Earth history into a story driven escape room style mission focused on deep time, discovery, and scientific investigation.
The Case of the Lost Fossil: Dinolings Fossils and Earth History Adventure
A story driven Earth science adventure where students explore fossils, investigate how fossils form, how scientists study them, and what they reveal about Earth’s history, and restore balance in the Fossil Archive Vault by answering questions and unlocking the Mystery Mine.
Adventure Overview
Setting: The Fossil Archive Vault
Story Hook: Ari Raider detects a disturbance that has scrambled fossil records and timelines.
Student Mission: Stabilize fossil chambers, answer questions correctly, and unlock the Mystery Mine.
Mission Objective: Discover. Identify. Collect.
Grade Levels: 3–5
Time: 30–60 minutes
Lesson Plan
Objective: Students will explain what fossils are, how they form, how scientists study them, and how fossils reveal Earth’s history and evolution.
- Engage: Introduce fossils as evidence of ancient life preserved in rock.
- Explore: Students progress through chambers by answering fossil and Earth history questions.
- Explain: Review fossil formation, fossil types, paleontology tools, dating methods, and extinction.
- Extend: Connect fossils to changes in environments and species over time.
- Evaluate: Use the Knowledge Check and discussion questions for assessment.
Teaching Guide
- Emphasize that fossils are rare records formed over very long periods of time.
- Use the story to highlight careful scientific investigation and evidence gathering.
- Pause after each chamber to connect escape room clues to real science vocabulary.
- Reinforce that scientists use multiple methods to study fossils and age.
- Optional: Students keep a “Fossil Field Log” to record discoveries.
Vocabulary
- Fossil: Preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms.
- Sediment: Small pieces of rock or material that settle in layers.
- Mold fossil: A hollow impression of an organism.
- Cast fossil: A fossil formed when a mold fills with minerals.
- Trace fossil: Evidence of activity such as footprints or burrows.
- Paleontologist: A scientist who studies fossils.
- Extinction: When a species no longer exists.
- Fossil record: The collection of all known fossils and their positions in rock layers.
Knowledge Check: Questions & Answers
Chamber 1: Fossil Formation Chamber
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Q: What are fossils?
A: Preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms -
Q: How do most fossils form?
A: Organisms are buried quickly by sediment -
Q: Which type of fossil records footprints or burrows?
A: Trace fossils
Chamber 2: Paleontology Lab Vault
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Q: What tools do paleontologists use to study fossils?
A: Brushes, maps, and measurements -
Q: How do scientists determine the relative age of fossils?
A: By studying rock layers -
Q: What does extinct species mean?
A: Species that lived in the past but no longer exist
Chamber 3: Time and Evolution Tunnel
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Q: What does the fossil record show?
A: When species appeared and disappeared -
Q: How do fossils support evolution?
A: They show gradual changes over time -
Q: What do fossil locations around the world reveal?
A: Past climates and moving continents
Discussion Questions
- Why are fossils considered rare scientific evidence?
- How does sediment help preserve fossils?
- Why do scientists study extinct species?
- How do fossils help explain changes in life over time?
- What questions about the past would you want fossils to answer?
Classroom Transformation Ideas
- Create a “Fossil Archive Vault” wall with layered paper representing rock strata.
- Dim lights and use flashlights to simulate underground fossil exploration.
- Set up stations labeled Formation, Excavation, and Timeline.
- Play subtle cave or excavation ambience.
- Assign roles like “Paleontologist,” “Timeline Keeper,” or “Archive Stabilizer.”
DIY Excavation Activity
No-mess option:
- Hide a small “fossil token” in a cup filled with shredded paper.
- Students excavate carefully using a spoon or craft stick.
- Record observations about shape, texture, and position.
- Discuss how careful excavation protects scientific evidence.
Standards Alignment
- Describe what fossils are and how they form.
- Explain how fossils provide evidence of past life and environments.
- Use rock layers and evidence to describe Earth’s history.
- Identify how fossils support explanations of evolution and extinction.
Free Printable Trading Cards
Download free printable trading cards that match The Case of the Lost Fossil. Each card reinforces fossil concepts used in the adventure and supports collection based learning.