Activity 11 - f Wonder Abouf Fossils

Dimensionsand Oifted Strotegies

Methodology and Use of Resources Relevanceand Significance
o Note Taking o Field Lesson
o Role Plavins

Instructionol Moteriols
. suppliesfor paleontologists:brushes,picces of screen,rulers,bandaruras,
plastic
shovels,spoons,rnagnifying glasses,etc.
. fossilsor bones
o string
o stakes
. smallplasticbagsto collectfossils
. Polaroid camera
. fihn
. yarn
o butcherpaper
o quick-drying clay
. string to make necklaces
o white sheet

Preporotion
I Make one copy of Attaclunent 12 per student.Find a field of dirt to serveas your fossil
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(
dig site.Use string and stakesto set the parameters.Then, hide fossilswithin the dig site.
If a field is not available,hide fossils in plastic tubs of sand.Use a tub for every three or

II four students.Write each child's name on a small plastic bag.

BockgroundInforrnotion

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A paleontologist is a scientistwho studiesthe fossilizedbonesand remainsof ancient
life. A fossil is a rock that showsevidenceof ancientlife. It canbe a leaf print, footprint,
bone or even impressionsof skin. A fossil is formed when an item suchas a leaf falls to

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the earth.Dirt or sandquickly coversthe leaf before it decays.Then the soft parts rot
away and the hard parls such as the stem and veins remain.Over millions of years,sand
and minerais srveeponto the hard parts,turning them into stone.Erosion helpsto expose
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I fossils.Erosionis cattsedwhen wind, sun,and rain tearawayat the Earth'ssurface.

r The focus of the dinosaurstudy will be the Mesozoic Era. which began about225

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=
million yearsago and lastedfor 160 mrllion years.This is the tirnemost dinosaurslived.
Thereu'erethree sub-titlesw'ithinthe MesozoicEra: Cretaceous, Jurassic.and Triassic.

T OMcGee-KeiserAcademic Enrichment Programs 31