Join a team of modern-day scientists at an ancient tar pit excavation gone wrong! As the tar starts rising, you'll race against time to escape by uncovering fossils and unlocking secrets about Earth's history. Along the way, reference our informative Field Guide video to help you navigate the journey and solve puzzles about fossil formation, types, and their importance.
Lesson Plan: What Are Fossils?
Grade Level: Elementary
Duration: 1 Hour
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Define what fossils are and explain how they form.
- Differentiate between body fossils and trace fossils.
- Understand the importance of fossils in studying the history of life on Earth.
Materials Needed
- Instructional Video (Field Guide)
- Online Escape Room: Ancient Tar Pit Excavation
Lesson Outline
1. Introduction to Fossils (10 minutes)
- Begin the lesson by explaining what fossils are and how they form. Emphasize that fossils are the preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived long ago.
- Introduce the two main types of fossils: body fossils (remains of an organism’s body) and trace fossils (evidence of an organism's activity).
- Use vocabulary terms to guide the discussion (see Vocabulary section below).
2. Fossil Formation (Video Reference - Field Guide) (10 minutes)
- Show the instructional video (Field Guide), which explains how fossils are formed and gives examples of body and trace fossils.
- Discuss the video and ask students to share what they learned. Highlight key concepts like the role of sedimentary rock in fossilization.
3. Fossil Types and Importance (10 minutes)
- Review the two types of fossils—body fossils and trace fossils. Use examples such as bones and teeth for body fossils, and footprints for trace fossils.
- Discuss why fossils are important for understanding Earth’s history and how paleontologists use fossils to learn about ancient organisms.
4. Engagement and Assessment (20 minutes)
- Direct students to the online escape room, Ancient Tar Pit Excavation, where they will use their knowledge of fossils to escape the rising tar pit.
- Instruct students to apply what they learned from the video to answer questions and solve puzzles in the escape room.
- Remind students that they can revisit the video via the Field Guide button on each page if they get stuck.
Vocabulary
- Fossilization – The process of preserving the remains of organisms.
- Paleontologist – A scientist who studies fossils.
- Sedimentary Rock – Rock where most fossils are found, formed from layers of sediment.
- Trace Fossil – Evidence of an organism’s activity, such as footprints.
- Body Fossil – Preserved remains of an organism’s body, like bones or teeth.
Assessment
- Students will be assessed on their ability to correctly answer questions and complete the challenges in the escape room. This demonstrates their understanding of fossil formation, types, and importance.
Closure (5 minutes)
- Wrap up the lesson by reviewing the key points: how fossils form, the types of fossils, and why fossils are important for studying life on Earth.
- Encourage students to reflect on their escape room experience and how they used the video to guide them through the adventure.
Teacher Reference Guide
In this lesson, students will learn about fossils, including how they form, the different types of fossils, and why fossils are important for understanding Earth’s history. Begin by explaining that fossils are the preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived long ago. Fossils form when plants or animals are buried by sediment, and over time, minerals replace their remains, turning them into rock-like replicas. Most fossils are found in sedimentary rock, which forms from layers of mud, sand, or other sediments. Be sure to highlight the two main types of fossils: body fossils and trace fossils. Body fossils are the preserved remains of an organism’s body, such as bones, teeth, or shells. Trace fossils, on the other hand, are evidence of an organism's activity, such as footprints, burrows, or even fossilized droppings (coprolites). It is important to emphasize that both types of fossils give scientists valuable information about life in the past.
Next, convey that fossils are essential for studying the history of life on Earth. Paleontologists, scientists who study fossils, use them to learn about ancient organisms, including how they lived, what environments they lived in, and how species have evolved over millions of years. The fossil record—a collection of all known fossils—provides evidence of how life has changed over time and helps scientists understand both extinct species and ancient ecosystems. Explain to the students that although fossilization is a rare process, fossils give us a window into the distant past, making them key to understanding Earth's history.
To engage students further, the instructional video (referred to as the Field Guide) will explain the process of fossilization in more detail and provide examples of body and trace fossils. After watching the video, students will use this knowledge to navigate an online escape room called Ancient Tar Pit Excavation, where they will answer questions and solve puzzles related to fossils. Encourage students to reference the video throughout the escape room experience, as there will be a Field Guide button on each page if they need to watch the video again for help.
Finally, use the provided vocabulary to reinforce key concepts throughout the lesson. Fossilization, sedimentary rock, trace fossils, body fossils, and paleontologists are terms that students should become familiar with as they explore the world of fossils. Make sure to check for understanding by asking students to explain what they’ve learned in their own words and guiding them as they apply this knowledge in the interactive escape room.
This guide gives you the essential information needed to effectively teach the topic of fossils and ensure students grasp the key concepts before engaging with the online escape room for further exploration and assessment.
Teacher Answer Sheet
Excavation Site (Multiple Choice Questions)
-
How do fossils typically form?
- A) An organism is buried by sediment, and minerals replace its remains over time.
-
What type of rock are most fossils found in?
- A) Sedimentary rock
-
What is one reason many organisms don’t become fossils?
- A) They decompose before being buried.
-
What is a body fossil?
- A) The preserved remains of an organism's body, such as bones or teeth.
-
Riddle: I’m preserved in stone, though I was once alive. Found in layers, what am I?
- A) A fossil
Fossil Storage Room (True/False Questions)
-
True or False: Body fossils are the preserved remains of an organism's actual body parts, like bones and teeth.
- True
-
True or False: Trace fossils include footprints, burrows, and fossilized droppings left by ancient organisms.
- True
-
True or False: All fossils are formed only from the hard parts of organisms; soft tissues can never become fossils.
- False
-
True or False: A shell impression left in rock is considered a type of body fossil.
- False
-
Riddle (True/False): A footprint preserved in rock is considered a body fossil.
- False
Research Lab (Multiple Choice Questions)
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What does the fossil record tell us about Earth’s history?
- A) It shows how life on Earth has changed over time.
-
What is the main role of paleontologists?
- A) They study fossils to learn about past life on Earth.
-
What can fossils tell us about ancient organisms?
- A) Their physical appearance and how they lived.
-
Why are fossils important for studying evolution?
- A) They provide evidence of how species have changed over millions of years.
-
Riddle: Which gives clues to ancient life but can’t speak, breathe, or move?
- A) A fossil