Lesson Plans
Stories From the Fossil Record consists of four sections, or pathways, to explore: Biodiversity, Geologic Time, Paleoecology, and Past Lives. Teachers may prefer that all students explore all sections OR teachers may assign a particular pathway to a team of students who will then share their findings with the rest of the class. Each pathway is independent of the others and each takes 10-15 minutes for exploration.
This suggested lesson plan draws on the experiences of teachers who used the module in a variety of classroom settings. They found that, in general, students benefit most if:
- students work in teams of two per computer to allow students to read and share ideas with one another as they proceed.
- teams of students are responsible for exploring all four pathways in whatever order they select.
- students complete the Evidence Chart as they proceed through the pathways.
- there is time for class discussion of major concepts.
DAY 1. Introduction and begin explorations
- Describe the objectives and activities of the unit to students.
- Give students the Stories From the Fossil Record Pre-Test.
- Give students a brief overview of the module, and explain how they will navigate.
- Students begin their explorations.
- We recommend giving students copies of the Evidence Chart on which to record what they learn.
DAY 2. Complete explorations, discuss, and review the concepts presented in the module.
- Students complete their explorations.
- Provide an opportunity for class discussion on what can be learned from the fossil record.
DAY 3. Extensions
- We recommend including one or more of the Related Activities to enhance or extend the concepts emphasized in the module.
DAY 4. Assessment
To Handouts