Types of Fossils

Step into Fossil Frenzy: Escape the Jurassic Jungle and embark on a thrilling expedition to uncover ancient fossils! Navigate through dense jungle trails, lost caves, and fossilized riverbeds as you solve puzzles and unlock secrets from the age of dinosaurs. Don’t forget to use the Field Guide, an informative video available to help you throughout your journey. Can you escape with the knowledge of Earth’s prehistoric past?

Lesson Plan: Introduction to Fossils

Grade Level: Elementary
Duration: 1 hour or less

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, students will learn about different types of fossils, including body fossils, trace fossils, and mold and cast fossils. The lesson will emphasize how fossils are formed and what they tell us about ancient life. Using a video for instruction and an interactive online escape room for engagement and assessment, students will explore these concepts through fun and engaging content.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define and identify body fossils, trace fossils, and mold and cast fossils.
2. Explain how fossils are formed and the conditions required for fossilization.
3. Understand the importance of fossils in providing evidence about ancient organisms and environments.
4. Apply their knowledge to solve puzzles and answer questions related to fossils in the online escape room.

Materials Needed

• Instructional Video: (To be watched at the beginning of the lesson)
• Online Escape Room: "Fossil Frenzy: Escape the Jurassic Jungle" (To be used for student engagement and assessment)
• Classroom technology for showing the video and accessing the online escape room.

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction to Fossils (10 minutes)

   • Begin the lesson by asking students what they know about fossils. Briefly discuss what fossils are and why they are important for understanding Earth's history.
   • Introduce the key concepts: body fossils, trace fossils, and mold and cast fossils.
   • Explain that they will learn more by watching an instructional video and then applying that knowledge in an online escape room.

2. Instructional Video (15 minutes)

   • Show the instructional video, which covers the formation and types of fossils.
   • Encourage students to take mental notes, as they will need the information to succeed in the upcoming escape room challenge.

3. Escape Room Challenge (30 minutes)

   • Students will work individually or in pairs to complete the online escape room, Fossil Frenzy: Escape the Jurassic Jungle.
   • They will answer questions and solve puzzles based on the knowledge they gained from the video.
   • Remind students that if they get stuck, they can revisit the video using the "Adventure Guide" button on each question page.

4. Closing Discussion (5 minutes)

   • After the escape room, briefly review the types of fossils covered in the lesson and discuss any tricky or interesting parts of the challenge.
   • Celebrate their success in completing the fossil adventure!

Key Vocabulary

1. Fossil – The preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms.
2. Body Fossil – Fossils that consist of actual parts of an organism, such as bones or teeth.
3. Trace Fossil – A type of fossil that shows the activity or behavior of ancient organisms, like footprints or burrows.
4. Mold Fossil – An impression left in rock after an organism has decayed or dissolved.
5. Cast Fossil – A fossil formed when minerals fill in a mold, creating a replica of the original organism.

Assessment

• Completion of the online escape room will serve as both engagement and assessment, with students applying the knowledge from the video to solve challenges and questions.

Teacher Reference Guide

In this lesson, students will learn about fossils and their different types, specifically body fossils, trace fossils, and mold and cast fossils. Begin the lesson by explaining to students that fossils are the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms. Fossils provide us with important evidence about life that existed on Earth millions of years ago and help scientists understand how plants and animals lived, what the environment was like, and how life has changed over time. There are several types of fossils, each formed through different processes.

First, introduce body fossils, which are the actual remains of organisms, such as bones, teeth, and shells. These fossils form when the remains of an organism are buried quickly, typically by sediment, and are preserved over a long period of time. The hard parts of the organism, like bones or shells, are more likely to fossilize because soft tissues usually decay before they can be preserved.

Next, explain trace fossils, which are indirect evidence of an organism’s life. Trace fossils include footprints, burrows, and even fossilized droppings (called coprolites). These fossils give us insight into how an organism behaved, moved, and interacted with its environment. For example, dinosaur footprints can tell us about the size and speed of the dinosaur, while burrows show where and how certain creatures lived.

Finally, discuss mold and cast fossils. A mold fossil forms when an organism is buried in sediment and then decays, leaving an impression or hollow space in the rock that matches the shape of the organism. A cast fossil is created when minerals fill in that mold, creating a three-dimensional replica of the original organism. Mold and cast fossils provide detailed shapes of the organisms that left them behind, even though the actual organic material is no longer present.

Once you’ve introduced these types of fossils, let the students know that they will be watching an instructional video, called the Adventure Guide, which contains important information on how fossils are formed and the different types they will encounter. They should pay close attention, as this information will help them in the next part of the lesson.

After watching the video, students will participate in an interactive online escape room called Fossil Frenzy: Escape the Jurassic Jungle. The escape room is designed to assess their understanding of fossils by guiding them through challenges that require knowledge of body fossils, trace fossils, and mold and cast fossils. Remind students that if they get stuck, they can revisit the Adventure Guide video by clicking the Adventure Guide button available on each question page.

The escape room begins in the Fossilized Riverbed, where students will encounter body fossils, such as dinosaur bones, and answer questions based on what they learned in the video. The second section, the Hidden Canyon Trail, focuses on trace fossils, such as footprints and burrows, where students will use clues to understand how ancient creatures moved and behaved. Finally, the adventure takes them into the Lost Cavern, where they will study mold and cast fossils and solve the remaining challenges by identifying the shapes and impressions left behind by prehistoric organisms.

At the end of the escape room, you can conclude the lesson by briefly reviewing the different types of fossils and discussing any difficult or interesting parts of the escape room. This will reinforce the information and give students the chance to reflect on what they’ve learned during their fossil-hunting adventure.

Teacher Reference Guide: Answer Sheet

Fossilized Riverbed Section (Multiple Choice)

1. What type of fossil is a dinosaur bone?
   A) Body Fossil

2. Which part of a dinosaur is most commonly found as a fossil?
   A) Bones

3. How do body fossils form?
   A) When an organism’s remains are buried and preserved over time

4. What conditions are needed for a fossil to form?
   A) Quick burial and no oxygen

5. Riddle: I’m a solid reminder of a creature once whole, buried and preserved to show its role. What am I?
   A) Fossil

Hidden Canyon Trail Section (True or False)

1. Dinosaur footprints are an example of a trace fossil.
   True

2. Trace fossils give us information about how animals lived and moved.
   True

3. All fossils are made from bones.
   False

4. Burrows left behind by ancient animals can be classified as trace fossils.
   True

5. Riddle: If you follow my trail but I leave no bones, am I a trace fossil?
   True

Lost Cavern Section (Multiple Choice)

1. What is a mold fossil?
   A) An impression left in rock by an organism

2. How does a cast fossil form?
   A) When minerals fill in a mold

3. Which of the following is an example of a mold fossil?
   A) A shell impression in rock

4. What can cast fossils tell us?
   A) The shape and size of an organism

5. Riddle: I’m the perfect copy of what used to be. Was I created by minerals or soil?
   A) Minerals