Fossil Lesson 1

5 E Inquiry Model Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Duration: 4th grade

Lesson Objectives:

After analyzing fossils, students will interpret what the prehistoric

environment was like based on their evidence they have gathered.

Colorado P-6 Academic Standards:

Content Area: Science

Standard: 2. Life Science

Concepts and skills students master: 2. Comparing fossils to each other or to

living organisms reveals features of prehistoric environments and provides
information about organisms today.

Evidence outcomes: b. Analyze and interpret data to generate evidence

about the prehistoric environment. (DOK 1-2)

Materials:

Smithsonian Museum: http://naturalhistory.si.edu/VT3/index.html

Fossil poem 1: https://s-media-cache-

ak0.pinimg.com/564x/99/f9/3b/99f93b86d0fc4e621bec481df377441d.jpg

Fossil poem 2: https://s-media-cache-

ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ea/43/f1/ea43f1a77e1791d8b365e0102be55431.jpg

Fossil by Bill Thompson

Science Journals

Pencils
Fossil Lesson 1

Buckets

Scrap paper

Whiteboard Markers

Fossils

Laptops

Paper

Engage:

Show the book Fossil by Bill Thompson

- Ask the following questions along the way:

o What is going on here? (pages 7-8)

o What do you think the dog is doing? (pages 8-9)

o What is happening here? (pages 11-12)

o How do you think the boy is feeling here? (pages 11-12)

o What do you think this could be a fossil of? (page 16)

o How is the boy feeling in this picture? (page 18)

o What is happening in this picture? (pages 19-20)

o What happened in these pictures? (pages 25-26)

o What do you think the boys is thinking here? (page 28)

o Why do you think he broke this rock? (pages 31-32)

o What happened here? (page 33)

Fossil Lesson 1

o Why did this happen (page 33)

o Why is the dragonfly still here? (page 35)

Explore:

Students will analyze fossils and group them based on the environments they
believe they are from.

Questions to ask as you circulate:

- What are you noticing?

- What may have this prehistoric environment been like? Why?

- Could these be from _______ type of environment? Why/why not?

- What evidence are you using to determine the prehistoric environment

of the fossils?

- How are you recording your data in your science journals?

Students will rotate through centers to have a chance to look at all the
fossils. Each group will place a piece of paper in the bucket to vote on what
the prehistoric environment was like for the fossils in that station.

Explain:

After all groups have visited each station, gather the buckets with the
votes. Create a bar graph on the board for each station. List the x axis with
the possible prehistoric environments that were found in the bucket. Label
the y axis as the number of groups. Record data as you go through each
bucket. (Ask students to label the graphs, give them guidance if they need
it.)

Think Pair Share: Compare the results.

- What conclusions can you draw from the results?

Fossil Lesson 1

- Do the results on the board match your results?

- Why do you think there are different answers?

- Why did the groups who said _______ say that? Can you prove this with
evidence?

- What can we conclude from analyzing fossils?

- How does studying fossils help us determine the prehistoric environment?

- What kinds of questions did you ask each other in your groups?

Elaboration:

Smithsonian virtual field trip: http://naturalhistory.si.edu/VT3/index.html

Students will have the opportunity to explore the fossil exhibits on the
Smithsonian Museum website. Students will look at the exhibits that show
different environments the fossils came from. As students analyze the fossils
and exhibits, they will find a fossil that want to write a poem about. The
poem will be about what information the fossil tells us.

Evaluation:

View the students science journals as you are walking around the room.

Ask students questions to clarify misconceptions/gauge where their

learning/understanding is at.

The students fossil poems.

Accommodations or modifications:

Have cut outs for students that may need more direction for their science
journals.

Guide students with the poem, providing them with examples of poems.
Fossil Lesson 1

Allow students to follow the pattern of the mentor texts.

Resources:

Smithsonian Museum: http://naturalhistory.si.edu/VT3/index.html

Fossil poem 1: https://s-media-cache-

ak0.pinimg.com/564x/99/f9/3b/99f93b86d0fc4e621bec481df377441d.jpg

Fossil poem 2: https://s-media-cache-

ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ea/43/f1/ea43f1a77e1791d8b365e0102be55431.jpg