Megan Connor and Kaitlyn Maloney

EDUC 344
Fall 2015

Title
Subject Area
Grade Level
Summary of the Lesson

Fossils
Science
Second Grade
In this lesson the teacher and students
will explore the meaning of fossils and
their importance to people today. The
students will create their own fossils out
of modeling clay. The students will
complete worksheet activities based on
fossils.

Title of the Lesson

Academic Standards

Fossil Fun!
S3.D.1.3.1: Identify ways that cause
Earths surface to be constantly changing
(e.g., wind and water erosion, contraction
and expansion of surfaces).
S3.A.2.1.1: Generate questions about
objects, organisms, or events that can be
answered through scientific
investigations.
S3.B.3.2.1: Describe what happens to an
animal when its habitat is changed.
S3.D.1.3.2: Distinguish between ways
that tear down the surface of Earth and
those that build up the surface (e.g.,
erosion, weathering, volcanic activity,
earthquakes)
Students will be able to (SWBAT) explain
and define what a fossil is.
SWBAT explain how fossils can provide
information about plants and animals
that lived a long time ago.
SWBAT explain how fossils form.
dinosaur
extinct
fossil

Objectives

Vocabulary: Three Tier

Estimated Time

30 -40 minutes

Materials Required

Clay/ Model Magic

Science Fusion Textbook
Pencils
Shells/Rock/some kind of mold
Worksheet copies from book
Before- The teacher will guide the
students through a picture walk of page
119. Students will be asked to write down
the vocabulary words they can find in the
lesson. Then students will be asked about
dinosaurs and if they can name other
animals that are extinct. Following, the
students will be asked, How do we learn
about dinosaurs? Answers can be vary,
but by looking at fossils. The teacher will
direct the students attention to the
completed model clay fossil. The teacher
will explain, that overtime fossils are
formed and can leave footprints of
different materials like, animals bones,
rocks, etc. Students will see how over 24
hours the teachers could make their own
fossil. Students will be allowed to make
their fossil by taking clay/model magic
and putting an object and in the clay. The
clay will sit for 24 hours and tomorrow
the students will be able to crack the clay
and see the fossil print it makes.

Procedure

During- The teacher will have the

students generate ideas about the pictures
on page 120 and 121. The main idea the
teacher should get across to the students
is that people can learn about dinosaurs
from their fossils because they are no
longer living. The teacher will begin
reading page 120 and will stop to review
the vocabulary words once the vocabulary
word is read. Teacher will complete the

active reading box on page 120. Teacher

and students will read page 121 and relate
the vocabulary word fossil to the
anticipatory set. Teacher will explain the
difference between fossil imprints and
cast forms. Then students will draw their
own fern fossil in their workbook. While
they are drawing their own fern fossil the
teacher will ask the students about the
tyrannosaurus s teeth to help the
students with their inferring skills. Do
you think the tyrannosaurus ate meat or
plants? Before moving onto the next
page the teacher will summarize and ask
the students to verbally tell what they
have talked about and any connections
they may have made.
Teacher and student will read pages 122
and 123 together. Teacher will develop the
students science concept by following
along the questions in the book (page
122). Teacher will develop inquiry skills
by telling the sequence of fossils. Then
explain that if something is soft it will be
harder for that item to become a fossil
than if it was a harder material (for
example, water vs. a leaf). Next, the
student will talk to a buddy about the four
steps of a fossil and teacher will have
them written on the board for
reinforcements for the visual learners.
Next the teacher will ask for students who
want to read out loud page 124. Teacher
will ask students about the visuals on
page 124. The questions are on the side of
124 about the visual. Then the teacher will
ask the infer question on page 125
supposefossil.
After- The students will complete the

word play and sum it up activity pages

in the science fusion workbook.

Formative Assessment

Extend and Evaluate- Teacher will go over

the two worksheet pages by asking the
students to answer the questions out loud
and the teacher will answer any
questions, ideas, or concepts that need to
be answered and intervene if needed be.

Student Resources

Science Fusion Textbook