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Geologic - Fossils
Lesson Information
Summary:
Students will learn how
fossils are formed and model two types of fossil formation.
Materials:
Fossil
Material: several items for discussing the potential for the item
to turn into a fossil. The following example items are listed in the activity:
bone, rock, tooth, candy, and feather.
From
Bone to Stone: Each student group will need two pieces of sponge
cut into bone shapes, water, Epsom salt, two shallow bowls or pans, food coloring
(optional), and a magnifying glass (optional). At least one set of scales
for the class.
Fossil
Imprints: Each student will need a small paper cup (approximately
8 oz.), a golf ball size piece of modeling clay, plaster of Paris, paper plate,
plastic spoon, petroleum jelly, and an object such as a shell to be used for
making an imprint.
Grade
Level : K-5
Activity:
Introduction:
Go over the insert information on fossils with your class.
|
FOSSILS
Fossils
are evidence of plants or animals that lived long ago. Fossils
can be either traces or remains of ancient plants or animals.
Traces of an animal or plant include footprints, nests, burrows, or
an impression left by a plant's leaf. Remains of an animal are
often just the hard parts of an animal (teeth, bones, shells).
To be a fossil, the material must be at least 10,000 years
old.
FOSSIL
FORMATION
To
go from a living organism to a fossil can take thousands or even millions
of years. Most ancient plants and
animals did not become fossils. To become a fossil, conditions
must be just right:
*
The plant or animal dies.
*
The hard remains of an animal (teeth, bones, and shells) are quickly
covered by sediment such as sand or mud. Note:
Softer animal parts do not usually become fossils because they were
usually destroyed (rotted or been eaten by another animal) before
sediment could cover them.
*Sediment
hardens into rock trapping the remains inside.
*
Water with minerals seep into the bones.
*
Over time the rock-like minerals fill the empty spaces in the bones
and/or
the minerals replace the bone as the bones slowly decay.
THE
FOSSIL RECORD
All
fossils provide us with a history of life on earth. This is called
the fossil record. The fossil record can help scientists answer
many important questions such as:
What types of organisms lived here in the past?
How did animals move?
How have animals changed over time?
Was this area under the ocean in the past? If so when?
How did animals learn to fly? |
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