Name: Samantha Richardson
# of Students: 13
#of IEP students:
0
Subject: Earth’s Surfaces
Unit Title: Earth’s Surfaces
Age/ Grade Level: 4th
Date: 2/23/11
#GSSP:
3
# LEP Students: 0
Lesson Length: 45 mins
Lesson Number and Title: Fossils
Context:
The students have been learning about Earth’s Surfaces. This is the second lesson in the
unit, and an introduction to fossils. The students have not formally learned about fossils.
Objectives:
Students will be able to define a fossil.
Student will relate their knowledge about fossils by creating a model of a fossil.
Standards/ Connections:
SC-04-3.5.1
Students will use representations of fossils to:
 draw conclusions about the nature of the organisms and the basic environments that existed
at the time;
 make inferences about the relationships to organisms that are alive today.
Fossils found in Earth materials provide evidence about organisms that lived long ago and the
nature of the environment at that time. Representations of fossils provide the basis for describing
and drawing conclusions about the organisms and basic environments represented by them.
Procedures:
1. Pass out examples of fossils to students, and allow them to explore the fossils in small
groups.
2. Have students work in groups to come up with their own definition of what a fossil is.
3. As a class have students share what their groups decide a fossil is. Combine the groups’
definitions into one class definition.
4. Have the students record this definition in their science journals.
5. Then allow student to work in groups to come up with how they think fossils are formed.
6. Have another group discussion about how fossils are formed.
7. Draw a diagram on the board showing how and animal is covered with sedimentary rock,
and then pressed down to form a fossil. Have students record the information about how
fossils are formed in their science journals.
8. Ask the students what things they think can be made into fossils. Have the students come
up with the following things that can be made into fossils: shells, plants, animals,
footprints, and anything else that they can think of.
9. Pass out to each student a piece of modeling clay and a small plastic container. Instruct
the students to roll the clay and place in the plastic container pressing it to the sides.
10. Then allow students to pick out a shell to create a fossil of.
11. Have the students press the shell in the clay, and the remove the shell leaving an
impression in the clay.
12. Go around to each student and pour plaster of paris over their clay.
13. As a class discuss each of the parts of making a fossil. Have students explain how each
step of making the fossils with the clay relates to how fossils are formed in real life.
14. After the plaster has dried have the students use magnify glasses to examine their fossil.
15. Have the students draw a model of their fossil in their science notebooks, and record how
this fossil relates to how fossils are formed on the Earth’s surface.
Assessment:
Objective Number
Type of Assessment
Assessment Title
Depth of Knowledge
Obj. 1
Formative
Group work/ having
students present
1
Obj.2
Summative
Group work/ having
students create their
own fossil, and
recording it in their
science journals.
2
Adaptations/
Accommodations
Students will be
working in pairs to
come up with the
definition.
There were no
adaptations.