THE GREAT FOSSIL FIND
NAME_______________________________ Hr.___
AS YOU TOOK OUT MORE FOSSIL PARTS, WHAT ANIMAL WERE YOU THINKING THIS WAS ? (i.e. interpretations)
As the teacher’s narrative progresses, in your notebook or on the worksheet, answer the following questions (A-E.)….
A. After Day 1 (4 bones): The type of animal we suspected was:______________________________________
B. After Day 2 (7 bones): The type of animal we suspected was:_______________________________________
C. After Day 3: (10 bones): The type of animal we suspected was:_____________________________________
D. After Day 4: (collaboration with another team): Type of animal suspected:___________________________
E. After Day 5: (after consulting resource booklet)): Type of animal suspected:__________________________
After the Great Fossil Find narrative portion is over, answer QUESTIONS 1-8 below:
1. Did you make any assumptions or inferences at the beginning of the activity that kept you from
assembling the "right" skeleton later { i.e. your first impression (A) vs. a later interpretation (C) }? Y / N
Explain:___________________________________________________________________________________
2. Did the discovery of new bones (parts B-C) cause any conflict within your group? Y / N
Explain:___________________________________________________________________________________
3. Did any of your group members resist changing in light of the new information from parts B-C? Y / N
Explain:___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Did the information from another group (part D) influence your assumptions/interpretation? Y / N
If so, what info? ____________________________________________________________________________
5. Did the Resource Manual confirm your group's ideas, or did it cause you to rework your arrangement
of the fossil parts? Y / N
Explain. ______________________________________________________
6. From looking at the fossil and the Resource Manual, what could you say about how or where this
animal lived? _____________________________________________________________________________
7. Is it possible for scientists to do studies about things that happened millions of years ago? Y / N
Explain. __________________________________________________________________________________
8. On the bottom or back of this sheet, list what you feel might be 3 goals of this experience.