Documente Academic
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Grade Level/Duration:
4th grade
45-50 minutes
Lesson Objectives:
By the end of the fossil lesson, students will understand that fossils are a record.
Concepts and skills students master: 2. Comparing fossils to each other or o living organisms
reveals features of prehistoric environments and provides information about organisms
today.
2. What conclusions can be drawn from similarities between fossil evidence and living
organisms (DOK 1-3)
Materials:
Paper
Pencils
Fossils
Book: Fossil by Bill Thomson (I changed this book because I feel like there could be a lot of
inquiry-based questions with this book since it is wordless.)
Engage:
Students will draw a picture of a dinosaur.
Questions to consider after they have drawn their picture to start a discussion:
Explain:
Show the book Fossils by Bill Thomson (this is a wordless book that can spark many
questions)
What kind of fossil is this? (Can go into the types of fossils there are.)
This fossil is of a shell, but there isnt any water around the area; why might this be?
Vocabulary:
Fossilization
Mold fossils
Cast fossils
Trace fossils
Imprint
Elaboration:
Break students into groups of 4-5.
Allow students to have time to research more about the vocabulary words introduced during
the explain portion. Assign one vocabulary word to each group. The groups will become
experts on their words, create mini posters, and then share out to the rest of the class.
Students can look at the fossils again and have a few examples to go along with their
vocabulary word they researched.
Evaluation:
Students will draw a fossil (of any type the choose) that their dinosaur may leave
behind. Students need to label the type of fossil and explain why this type of fossil
could have been formed.