Fossil Hunter

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sq4P3-p5g82nIEE0f821ZaAoxpfTNIOS/view?usp=sharing

Students become paleontologists, searching for fossils (cut out and placed) around the classroom. There are 20 fossils, including: true-form (body), trace, mold and cast. Children walk around with a clipboard and investigate each fossil (labeled A-T). They circle whether it is a body or trace, as well as if it is a mold or cast fossil. Then, they infer what the fossil is!

Fossils included in this pack are:
True-Form / Body - skull, claw, skin, femur, whole form (dinosaurs, trilobites, crinoids, ammonites, insects and ferns)
Trace - eggs, footprints, nest, feces, burrows
There are Mold and Cast examples and comparisons.
The name of each fossil is posted by each image.

After the students inspect each fossil and record their answers, they tally and graph their fossils because scientists collect data! The categories of the graph are not given to the students; there are only definitions! The students must think about what they learned about each fossil and write the name of the fossil type under each definition. Then, they can tally and fill in their graph!

Next, the students do fossil fractions! Using their tally marks and graph, they write the fraction for each type of fossil (true-form, trace, mold and cast). Then, they reduce each fraction (if necessary) and draw a picture representation of each fraction.

video introduction - Fossil Movie by Sheppard Software

Fossil Sandwich

Investigate how fossils are formed by creating a fossil sandwich. Kids use bread to represent layers of sedimentary rock. They use books and their strength to represent heat and pressure! Then, they become mini archaeologists and extract their objects and examine the imprint left behind!

Visit Copetoons for Swedish Fish Fossil Instructions (above). This experiment demonstrates how rock keeps the shape of an animal if it hardens before the animal decomposes.

Check out Ice Age Life for creating a fossil sandwich using a variety of objects. This activity shows kids that some objects create a better print than others, just like real fossils!

Dinosaur Place Value

Stomp, Hop, and Chomp from OER! Call out a number and kids reply back with sound and movements!
Stomp = Ones
Hop = Tens
For example, you say the number 29. Kids hop two times and stomp with one foot 9 times.

Once they get the hang of it, compare numbers with a dinosaur chomp! Write two numbers on the board. Kids point their body towards the number that is greater and chomp (arms extended out, clamp together).

For another educational movement activity, check out Kung Fu Punctuation!

Rock On: Geology Around Us

Red Rock Canyon NCA Environmental Education Program has an awesome rock scavenger hunt! I adapted their version to use in a school, park, or home setting. Kids find rocks for each of the categories listed below. When they find a rock that fits the category, they draw it. Carry a bucket with you on your geology scavenger hunt and collect the rocks you find. Bring them back to the classroom to study for further investigation! 

photos via cc: bricks / gravel by Titus Tscharntke

What's that made of?! Examine your school, architecture, roads, and sidewalks. What are these items made up of? Rocks and Minerals! Examples: (stone, brick, concrete, gravel, etc.) Distinguish between man-made and natural rock. Talk about weathering. Are there any cracks in the sidewalk or road? What happens to rock when it rains? Discuss sediments. What happens to rock particles (sediments) when they weather away from rock? Do man-made materials weather as easily as natural rock? Click here for this project and more rocks and minerals activities for grades K-12 from Michigan.gov. Visit BrainPOP for a short video and simple lessons for introducing rocks and minerals.

fossil via cgs

While learning about geology, make a fossil! Visit California Geological Survey for instructions!

Jurassic Amber Fossil Soap

What is amber? "Amber is the fossilized resin from ancient forests. Amber is not produced from tree sap, but rather from plant resin. This aromatic resin can drip from and ooze down trees, as well as fill internal fissures, trapping debris such as seeds, leaves, feathers and insects. The resin becomes buried and fossilized through a natural polymerization of the original organic compounds." via Academic Emporia

materials:
soap molds
glycerin soap
toy bugs
food coloring (yellow, orange, red)

how to:
1. Lightly oil a soap mold (you can use an ice cube tray or cups). Next, place your toy bugs face down in the mold.
2. Melt glycerin soap in the microwave. Squirt yellow food coloring in, or mix yellow food coloring with a teeny bit of red or orange to get more of an amber color. Once you have your desired hue, add the food coloring to the melted soap and stir.
3. Pour your melted, colored soap into the mold on top of your bugs. Let set and then pop the soap out of the mold. Now, you have your very own amber fossil with an insect encased inside!

T-Rex Footprint and Mouth

Above is a T-Rex footprint graph and scary doorway my class created. Kids get to see their feet in comparison to the actual size of T-Rex's. See if your class can fill up his gigantic footprint!