Mary Beth Armstrong
Week of April 14-18 2014
Fossils and Earth’s History Week 3
MS ESS1-4 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the
geologic time scale is used to organize Earth’s 4.6 billion year old history.
MS ESS3-5 Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global
temperatures over the past century.
MS LS4-1 Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the
existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth
under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.
Monday (14)
LT – 4 I can use fossil evidence to explain how life (biodiversity) and environmental conditions
(climate and continents) have changed.
Students will begin class with a review of “Who’s on First” Activity from Friday. Student
discussion will revolve around index fossils (questions part two). Students will then copy
learning target 4 for their journals and begin an interactive with the Ipads (computer lab was
not available). The activity is called “Prehistoric Climate Change and Why it Matters Today.”
http://smithsonianeducation.org/idealabs/prehistoric_climate_change/index.htm
In the interactive lab, students will be asked to classify a variety of photos of fossil leaves from
two different time periods in Earth’s history. Students will classify the leaves into smooth edges
and toothed edges. Next students will be asked to calculate the percentages of each type of
leaf and will plug this percentage into a formula. This will allow the students to estimate the
average temperature of earth’s climate during that time period. Finally, students will analyze a
graph of leaf data as well as a graph of forminafera. The students will then try to determine the
cause of the warming trend in Earth’s ancient climate during the PETM.
If students finish early, they will review LT 1 and 2 by clicking the links on my webpage: Fossils
Quizlet and Review Game Zone Conditions for Fossilization.
Formative Assessment: Handout Prehistoric Climate and Why it Matters Today
Special Needs Strategies: Assistance as needed, calculator
Media/ Technology: SMART Lesson and Ipad interactive
http://smithsonianeducation.org/idealabs/prehistoric_climate_change/index.htm
Tuesday (15)
Learning Target: I can show what I know about learning targets 1-3 based on my performance
on a summative assessment.
LT -1 I can describe and explain the conditions necessary for organisms to become fossils.
LT – 2 I can differentiate between types of fossils and how they are preserved.
LT – 3 I can identify the characteristics of an index fossil and can identify index fossils in rock
strata.
Students will copy a summative assessment chart in their journals. Students will then take a
test over learning targets one through three. Students will be given 20 minutes to complete
and review their test. Students will then discuss the interactive activity from Monday (earth’s
prehistoric climate).
Summative Assessment: Quiz over LT 1-3
Special Needs Strategies: Students can choose to have the exam read orally if requested.
Media/Technology: None
Wednesday (16)
Learning Target-4 I can use fossil evidence to explain how life (biodiversity) and environmental
conditions (climate and continents) have changed.
Students will go to the computer lab to complete an activity called, “Stories from the Fossil
Record”. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/stories/ Students will
read through the interactive activity which has four pathways: biodiversity, paleoecology,
geologic time, and past lives.
Each section of the module covers specific concepts, as shown below.
In Biodiversity students will learn that:
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fossils help us understand how biodiversity has changed through time.
fossils help us understand how organisms are related.
most organisms that lived in the past are now extinct.
fossils provide evidence of mass extinctions.
the extinction of one species can affect other organisms.
recognizing changes in past biodiversity can give us clues about how biodiversity is
changing today.
In Geologic Time students will learn that:
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the position of layers of rocks and fossils tell us about their relative ages (superposition).
fossils found in only one particular layer of rock all over the world are called index
fossils.
index fossils can help us establish the age of rock layers in different parts of the world.
fossils help us learn about past geologic events such as the formation of mountains and
the movement of continents.
In Paleoecology students will learn that:
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fossils provide clues about both abiotic and biotic factors of past ecosystems.
fossils provide evidence about the changes in climate and temperature of past
ecosystems.
fossils can give us clues about how organisms interacted with one another.
In Past Lives students will learn that:
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some fossils can tell us about ages of individual organisms.
fossils can provide evidence about individual, family, and social behavior of organisms.
fossils can show how some features evolved and how the functions of these features have
changed.
Students will complete an evidence chart as they move through the module.
Media/Technology http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/stories/
Computers
Formative Assessment: Evidence Chart
Special Needs Strategies: Read, Write, Gold Software and teacher assistance as needed.
Thursday (17)
LT – I can determine my need for a reteach and retake based on my test score over Summative
Quiz LT 1-3.
Students will review the activity, “Stories from the Fossil Records”. Students will discuss their
responses to the Evidence Chart that they had to complete as they worked through each
module. With the remainder of class time, we will review the quiz students took in class on
Tuesday. Students will record their test results on a summative test chart that they copy in
their journals. Students who want to retake the test will be given an index card to fill out this
card will enable the student to get a copy of the retake review exercise that he/she must
complete before attempting to retake the test.
Formative Test: None
Media/Technology: None
Special Need Strategies: Assistance as needed
Friday (18)
LT 5 I can apply geologic principles to rock strata diagrams to determine the relative ages of
rocks.
Students will be introduced to relative dating principles using a guided activity. To begin,
students will look at prints left after a hailstorm. Students will be asked to put events in order.
This activity will connect students to the idea of relative dating (putting events in order without
applying absolute dates. Students will also be introduced to the principle of original
horizontality, the principle of superposition, the principle of intrusions, and the principle of
cross-cutting relationships.
Media/Technology: SMART Presentation
Formative Assessment: Quiz at end of lesson
Special Needs Strategies: None needed.