Title: Life Long Ago Objective: Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago (Included are lesson objectives of 3-LS3-2) Preloading: Vocabulary: Academic Language - fossils, extinct, environment, evidence, paleontologist, trait Scientific Language - observable properties, evidence-based account English-Learner Scaffolding Focus: Wait time - remember to give students enough time to find meaning in your question. (often, Language Learners are translating question and answer from and back to English) Questioning Strategies - break up complex questions into parts or steps. Introduction (25-30 minutes): Whole-group - one HSE speaking at a time Introduce yourself and your group to the class. Girls and boys sometimes scientists need to use clues and evidence they find to solve mysteries of long ago. They work like detectives to figure out what our earth used to look like. Today you re going to be paleontologists, a scientist who studies fossils, to figure out what our environment looked like long ago. First, we re going to travel to 3 different environments. At the 3 different stations set up you will find fossils. We have maps and pictures of the place they were found now and another picture of what the environment looked like when the organism was alive. So we are going to break up into our groups and move from one environment or place to another. Be sure you listen to the HSE there and ask questions if you have them. Okay, Group A go to table so on Individual HSEs will staff the tables now. Be sure that all members of the group observe the properties of the fossils. organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page 1
Introduction (cont.) Ask questions like: What kind of plant is this a print of? Where does this type of fossil live? How did this animal move? Is this evidence of the animal or that it passed by here? What clue tells you? What evidence do you have that this animal lived on land? Any others that has the student analyze and interpret the data. Okay group, I know that if we classify the fossils it will help us figure what the environment used to look like. How many fossils are plant life? Recorder, mark the number. Are these plants usually found in dry places or wet places? How many fossils are animal life? How do the animals move? Be sure the recorder has written the numbers figured by the group. Students will rotate through all 3 environments (one every 5 minutes) After the stations are complete, we will go back to whole-group One HSE leading now What is it about the fossils that scientists use to figure out what the environment looked like all those years ago? (looking for responses like the type of fossil (land or marine), how it moves, the size, how it eats, needs water to survive, so on) Record their responses on the board. Example exchanges: a. This is a kind of fossil that lives on land what is it that tells you this? This kind of plant or animal lives on land b. This fossil has flat teeth what does this tell you about the environment it lived in? There were plants for the animal to eat. Great ideas, all these are examples of data, or information, that the fossil gives us. It s like many little clues that the fossil is trying to give us about Earth s past! Review a few of the items on the board, So if I had found a clam shell fossil I would have data that showed I found a marine fossil. If I found a fossil in another place that was an imprint of a fern leaf, the data would show that I found a fossil living on land and I know that ferns need water. Where do ferns live now? Looking for forest, rain forest etc. (Show picture of fern in woods.) So the data would tell us that the found a land fossil that lived in a forest. organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page 2
Introduction - continued I have a question that you can tell your neighbor the answer to. What data would you have if you found a fossil of a cactus? (I found a fossil that lived in a desert environment) Pause for a minute or two and then take a couple of responses. Great!, now for our activity we will get back into our groups. Group A there.. Activity (15-20 minutes) Go outdoors for this activity. HSE s speaking to one group Now we are going to act like scientists called paleontologists who dig for clues to the Earth s past. In front of your group you have a piece of land that may have fossil clues to its past. The picture is what the environment looks like now. Your challenge is to figure out what your environment looked like in the past. Okay, the doer will do the careful digging. You will use these tools to carefully dig. As you find fossils put them on the box lid so they can be observed. Alright now let s have the materials manager and reporter clean the fossils with brushes. Okay measurer, using the workmat classify the fossils we discovered. After the group has removed, cleaned, and classified the fossils, they can discuss the fossil data. Using clues to figure out what the environment looked like long ago. As a group, they will use the data to make a decision on what the environment was like when the fossils found were alive. Be sure the recorder writes this down. Nice job group. You guys really used the clues the fossils gave you to solve the mystery of the past. After the groups have finished, be sure to collect ALL fossils you will need to reuse them! Now we will come together whole group again. One HSE leading the discussion indoors Alright lets have the two reporters from One come up. organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page 3
Ask the reporters: 1. In what environment did you do your dig? Now Fossil s Fossil Evidence 2. What environment did the fossils live in? 3. What fossil evidence did you use to make this decision? (use questioning prompts to bring out more information) Draw simple table on board to record the current environment, past environment, and fossil evidence. Call up Two and Three separately, ask same questions. Wrap-up (10-15 minutes) One HSE, bring whole group in front of bulletin board depicting layers at Anza Borrego. Now very close to where we live there is a surprising mystery. Most of you have been to this place. It s called Anza Borrego. If you went to Split Mountain, you ve been there. Those of you who have been there..how would you describe the environment...a desert, forest, ocean, or ice-covered tundra? Well I m going to show you models of fossils like the ones paleontologists have found at Anza Borrego and Split Mountain in different layers in the sediment or land. These animals were alive long ago, but not now in Anza Borrego. Show fossil models in the layers on the bulletin board. Work with the students to identify some of them. Look at the layers shown on this bulletin board. Do you think that the layers each formed at the same time, or at different times? Different times is what we are looking for, but ask them HOW they know even if they get it right off the bat. You might prompt with Would you see all of these organisms living in the same place at the same time? If the layers formed at different times, which layer would be oldest and which would be youngest? Wait for replies organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page 4
Wrap-up (10-15 minutes) Rock layers are kind of like dirty clothes in your hamper at home. If you were to dig into your hamper from top to bottom, where would the clothes be that you wore yesterday? How about earlier in the week? Where would the oldest dirty clothes be? So if we had to choose an age for three layers on our model here, (display the age labels) which where would the 3 million years old label go? What about the 8 million year old label? The 10,000 year old label? Allow kids to direct you where to put the labels, remind them about the idea that the newest layers are above older layers if they have trouble. Now let s focus on a fossil model from this layer at Anza Borrego. Show a marine fossil model and display the poster showing the organism as it looked when alive. Most of the fossils in this layer are what kind of animals? (Marine or around water organisms) So this area was a when the marine organisms were alive. We know this because. What traits or things are important for an organism in order to survive in this environment? (able to move in water, able to find food in water, able to breathe underwater, etc) Well at Anza Borrego the environment changed so that the fish couldn t survive. The organisms in this layer lived during this time. (motion to a different layer) This environment was an area where early horses and camels lived. What do horses and camels eat? Grass So when this organism was alive this area was a grassland or savannah. Let s look at the fossil model and the picture of the skull of the early three-toed horse called a Mesohippus. Organisms have a way of changing or adapting to the environment. Notice the toes on the feet, this shows us that they needed to walk over hills or mountains and walk over the soft surface that was in the environment. Also, notice how the teeth are flat, those of you that know your dinosaurs..what does this piece of data tell us about what they eat? A simple example of the environment changing the way an animal looks or behaves is a pet dog. What happens when you feed your dog too much? Gets overweight! organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page 5
Wrap-up (10-15 minutes) Well as we see organisms alive in Anza Borrego now, we don t see horses or camels.why do you think this is? We want them to understand that the environment changed again and horses and camels couldn t adapt or change to the new environment so they left. I wonder what the environment we live in today will look like in a million years? I hope you guys enjoyed your time as paleontologists today. Have a great day at Discovery Zone!! If extra time is available, here are some additional discussion ideas: 1. Take small groups (one HSE per group) around to fossil skulls. Talk about what we can figure out about the animal by looking at the skull. (what the organism ate, whether they were a predator or prey, the overall size of the organism, etc.) 2. Discussion: Talk about how animals can change to adapt to their environment. Let s talk about camels! Reference Gigantocamulus on Anza Borrego graphic Camels are herbivores; they eat desert vegetation, such as grasses, herbs, and leaves. How have camels adapted, or changed, to survive in the environments they live now? (take ideas quickly) Camels have many adaptations that allow them to live in desert conditions. Deserts are hot and dry. Winds blow sand all around, so a camel has long eyelashes. It has nostrils that can open and close. Why do camels need long eyelashes? (ask kids for ideas) The long eyelashes keep sand out of the camel's eyes. Thick eyebrows shield the eyes from the desert sun. Why does a camel have nostrils which can close? (ask kids for ideas) A camels nostrils can close so it doesn't get sand up its nose. Other Adaptations: (interact with kids on these if time permits.such as.why is it important for a camel to go a week or more without water? 1. A camel can go a week or more without water, and they can last for several months without food. They can drink up to 32 gallons (46 litres) of water at one drinking session! 2. Camels store fat in the hump, not water. The fat can be used for energy. 3. Camels feet are wide so they can walk on sand more easily. Their huge feet help them to walk on sand without sinking into it. 4. Camels have thick lips so they can eat the prickly desert plants with out feeling pain. 5. The color of their bodies helps them to blend into their environment. 6. Camel's ears are covered with hair, even on the inside. The hair helps keep out sand or dust that might blow into the animal's ears. I hope you guys enjoyed your time as paleontologists today. Have a great day at Discovery Zone!! organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page 6
Name: Now Marine Forest Grassland Plant life? N u m b e r o f F o s s i l s : Dry places? Data Table Wet places? Animal life? How do the animals move? Introduction Now our environment is a. But we know it was once a because Name: Now Marine Forest Grassland Plant life? Data Table N u m b e r o f F o s s i l s : Dry places? Wet places? Animal life? How do the animals move? A c t I v i t y Introduction Now our environment is a. But we know it was once a because A c t I v i t y organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page 7
Name Test 3-LS4-1 Student Sheet Carefully read or listen to the questions. Be sure you read and think about all choices before picking one. 1. Which discovery tells scientists that Anza Borrego was once a grassland? Scientists found fossils of marine or ocean organisms. Scientists found fossils of early horses and camels. We observe early horses and camels at Anza Borrego now. Scientists observe polar bears at Anza Borrego now. 2. If we find fossils of fern imprints in what is now a desert, what would that tell us about the environment when the fern was alive? A. The environment was a desert when the fern was alive. B. The environment was covered with snow when the fern was alive. C. The environment had enough water in it to allow the fern to survive. D. The environment was like a forest when the fern was alive. E. Both C and D 3. Why do different types of organisms live in the same area in different time periods? The environment changes as time passes and some organisms can t survive. The prey animals eat all of the predators. The environment does NOT change, but animals move to other places. All organisms can live the same environment. 4. In Anza Borrego the early horses had 3 toes. Why did they need 3 toes to survive? They needed to find food in a flat sandy environment. They used them to collect water. They used them to better move on a soft grassy surface. They needed to count to 12. organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page 8
Mesohippus organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page 9
organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page
Example of bulletin board Anza Borrego organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page
Materials List Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive Description Date Number needed Introduction 1 Fossil collections ( marine, land-grassland, tundra ) 3 x 2 Collection environment graphic ( showing current environment / past environment ) 3 x 2 Activity - 2 Dig bins - sand filled bin w/fossils ( 3 diff. environ ) 3 x 2 3 Dig bin environment graphic ( showing current environment ) 3 x 2 4 Recording sheets for recorder in groups 6/class 5 Vocab. Graphics 6 Bulletin Board Anza Borrego ( depicting layers/velcro ) 1 Wrap up - 7 Marine Fossil Model and Graphic 8 Grassland Fossil Model and Graphic 9 Sentence Frames 1 1 1 10 organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago page