Ashley Fawley
Fossils and Extinction- Guided Discovery Model
Educ 317 – Spring 2013
ECE only Major
Grade Level/Subject: 2nd grade/ Science
Topic: Fossils and Extinction
Day one: 45-50 minutes Day two: 90 minutes Day three: 30 minutes
Length of Lesson
Total: 2 hours and 45 minutes
This lesson will look at different living things that are no longer in
Overview of Lesson
existence. The lesson will talk about why certain living things are not
in existence anymore. The lesson will go over how we know certain
living things were in existence at one time. The lesson will focus on
what a fossil is, and how they are formed over time.
Grade Band Theme: Observations of the Environment
Life Science
Strand:
Strand Connections: Living and nonliving things may move. Changes in energy and
movement can cause change to organisms and the environments in
which they live.
Interactions within habitats
Topic:
This topic focuses on how ecosystems work by observations of simple
interactions between the biotic/living and abiotic/nonliving parts of an
ecosystem. Just as living things impact the environment in which they
live, the environment impacts living things.
Some kinds of individuals that once lived on Earth have completely
Content Statement:
disappeared, although they were something like others that are alive today.
Instructional
Objective(s)
Scientific Skills
1) Students will identify at least 3 living things that no longer
exist.
2) Students will understand how fossils are formed.
3) Students will understand how we know about living things that
no longer exist.
4) Students will create their own fossil
5) Students will be able to identify a fossil and explore it.
6) Students will be able to compare and contrast an extinct animal
to an animal that is still living today.
Observation – students will observe different fossils, and why they
were formed.
Classification- students will classify living things that are still existence
with living things that are still on earth today.
Inferring- students will interpret what fossils are and think about where
they could have come from.
Predicting- students will predict what they may find in the fossil
activity. Students will also predict what living things could come
extinct in the future.
Communication-students will communicate what they find through
their exploring, in the lesson
Ashley Fawley
Fossils and Extinction- Guided Discovery Model
Educ 317 – Spring 2013
ECE only Major
Curricular
Integration
Materials
Prior
Preparation
Language –Students will complete a writing assignment on an animal
that is no longer in existence. What may have life been like for them?
Why are they no longer in existence? Students will read different books
on extinct animals.
Social Studies- looking in the past, what living things are no longer in
existence? Why? Looking at environmental and social problems.
Math-Looking at large numbers. Dinosaurs have been extinct for 65
million years. How big is one million?
Supplies:
 Three large totes (plastic)
 Sand
 Shells
 Small plastic toys
 Feathers
 Rocks
 Leaves
 Sticks
 6-8 plastic shovels
 Sifters
 Clay (Salt, flour, water)
 Acorns
 pinecones
 Construction paper
 Glue
 Scissors
 Crayons
 Markers
 Computer access (4-5 at least)
Clay:
Before the lesson I will make clay for the students to use in an activity
later on in the lesson. Directions for clay are as follows.
Items needed:
1 cup of salt
1 cup of flour
½ cup of water
Ashley Fawley
Fossils and Extinction- Guided Discovery Model
Educ 317 – Spring 2013
ECE only Major
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the salt and the flour
2. Make a well in the salt/flour mixture and add the water
3. Knead until smooth and shape into a ball
4. When not in use, wrap in plastic or store in an airtight container
To get softer dough you can add more flour. Adding more salt will
lend a more granulose affect. To add color to your dough, add food
coloring or paint. Knead to get an even color. Paint your ornaments and
sculptures after they dry.
Before class I will collect different objects that students can use to
make their own fossils later on in the lesson. I will collect leaves,
acorns, pinecones, shells, rocks etc…
Focus /Engage
Anticipatory Set
Objective (as stated
for students)
Procedure
Guided discovery
Start the lesson out with the following questions:
 What does the word extinct mean?
 What kinds of animals are extinct?
 Why are there living things that no longer exist?
 What is a fossil?
At the beginning of the lesson I will start out by asking these questions.
Students should start forming questions of their own, to explore later
on. I will provide the definition of extinct for students, but other
explanations will be saved for later.
After asking questions to get students thinking I will start out with a
short video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXzuDxp1-v4. The
video will give students a few ideas of extinct animals, just to get them
thinking about different living things that are no longer around.
After the video I will ask students to start thinking about how we learn
about living things that are no longer alive on earth.
Today we are going to learn about things that once used to be existence
on the earth, but are no longer alive today. We will look at how we
know they once existed. We will explore like archeologists do to find
different things that may be embedded in the earth. We will also
explore different fossils, and then you will make your own fossils.
Exploring
Day One
Ashley Fawley
Fossils and Extinction- Guided Discovery Model
Educ 317 – Spring 2013
ECE only Major

Questioning/reevaluating
Teacher Talk
Group Practice
Students will be split up into 4 different groups. Each group will
have a tote full of sand, and 4-5 plastic shovels, sifters etc... In
each tote there will be different things buried in the sand.
 Students will have 15-20 minutes to explore in the sand and
find the different hidden things throughout the sand. Students
will be asked to think about the job of an archeologist.
 What does an archeologist do?
 What are you going to find?
 How will what you find relate to things we may find from living
things that no longer exist?
 How could you display what you find so others can learn from
you?
 Each group will be encouraged to explore on their own.
Students will be asked to think of questions they may want to
 After all groups have dug through the sand for around 20
minutes I will ask all students to come back together. I will ask
every group to explain some of the things that may have found.
 What did you find?
 What do you think an archeologist does?
 How do you think we find out about animals that no longer
exist based on the activity we just did?
 How can others learn about living things that are extinct?
Every group will have an opportunity to share what they have learned
and would like to learn more about. Students will be instructed to start
thinking about extinct animals and fossils for the next day’s lesson.
Day Two
 The next days after questions have been discussed. I will have
students get back into their groups. Each group will be provided
with markers, crayons, glue, scissors, construction paper, clay,
and access to a computer.
There will be a collection of stuff that students can use to make
their fossils out of clay. Students will be shown how to press
out a piece of clay and then put a leave/rock etc… into the clay
to make an impression. After the clay dries the students can take
their fossils home.
 Each group will be asked to make a 5 minute presentation for
the class.
Ashley Fawley
Fossils and Extinction- Guided Discovery Model
Educ 317 – Spring 2013
ECE only Major
Checking
Understanding/
Reinforcement
The guidelines for the presentation will be:
 What did you find out that an archeologist does?
 Pick an animal that is not extinct and tell the class a little bit
about your animal. Provide a visual.
 Share with the class what you found on your archeological dig.
 Make a fossil to share with the class
 Students will have freedom to decide how they want to do their
presentation. I will provide a few examples of a report/museum
type display/pictures etc… to get students thinking about how
to do it there presentation, but it will be up to them to decide
how they want to present their information to the class.
 Students will have an hour of class time to work on their
presentations.
 Each group will have 5 minutes to show their project to the
class, and explain what they learned. Every group should
explain what extinct animal they chose; share a few
facts/pictures about that animal as well. Every group will show
what they found during their dig, and also what they came up
with as a group to the questions they were presented with as
well as the questions they came up with themselves. Each group
will also share the fossils they made and how they made them.
Questions that should be addressed through presentations:
 What is an archeologist?
 What is a fossil?
 Where are fossils found?
 What animals are extinct?
 Why do animals become extinct?
 What do fossils show us?
 Can you make fossils?
Day Three
 Finishing up the lesson I will reinforce some concepts that I
may feel like students have not completely understood about
extinct living things, and how we learn about them.
 I will finish the lesson up with a short YouTube video.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG5gcnIWuw0
 Throughout the video I will stop and explain to students
Ashley Fawley
Fossils and Extinction- Guided Discovery Model
Educ 317 – Spring 2013
ECE only Major
different concepts about fossils and extinct animals. I will ask
questions that will help them tie the video into the activities
they have done the previous few days.
Questions throughout YouTube video:
Based on what you learned the past two days:
 What does this fossil look like?
 What kind of animal could it have come from?
 Is that an extinct animal?
 Why are some animals extinct now?
 Who would find these fossils?
Homework Practice
At the end of the lesson I will pass out a worksheet to every student to
do at home. Each student will be asked to pick an extinct animal. They
can use the same animal they used on their group project if they would
like. Students will fill out the Venn diagram worksheet comparing the
extinct animal they choose to an animal that is still living today.
Students will write 3 facts about the extinct animal in one side, 3 facts
about the animal that is still alive in the other side, and 3 things that
make them similar in the middle. Students then will write 2-23
sentences explaining what kind of fossil they think that extinct animal
would make, and how.
Assessment
Students will assessed a variety of different ways throughout the
different days.
Day one:
 Students will be assessed through the group work. During the
group exploring I will walk around and observe. Students
should be making their own questions and connections of the
different ideas presented to them. Through observation I will be
able to assess what the students understand.
Day Two:
 Students will be assessed based on their group presentations.
I will be looking to see:
 Did students follow the guidelines given to them?
 Did the students pick a extinct animal?
 Was the information presented in a good way to the other
members of the class?
 Do the students understand the idea of a fossil and how they are
Ashley Fawley
Fossils and Extinction- Guided Discovery Model
Educ 317 – Spring 2013
ECE only Major
formed?
 Were students able to construct their own project with the few
guidelines given to them?
 Each group will get a group participation grade for the
presentations if all guidelines were followed correctly.
Day Three:
 I will assess students through the worksheets they turn into me
for homework as well. At this point students will have to work
independently so I will be able to fully assess where each
student is individually.
Home Extension
Additional
Reinforcement
Additional
Opportunities
Accommodations
Encourage students to explore other extinct species outside of class.
Students can make fossils at home, and I will provide a copy of the clay
recipe if a student would like it.
There are many online resources that will be made available to students
during an extra free time.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/endange
red_animals/endangered_game.htm
http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/games
www.pbs.org
There will be plenty of literature books provided for students to look at
and use:
Fossils by Chris and Helen Pellant.
Fossils by: Rebecca Faulkner.
V for vanishing by Patricia Mullins.
Ice age animals by Louise Spilsbury.
I will provide resources for students of different museums/ exhibits
they may be interested in when it comes to learning about extinct
species. The Ohio Historical Society has a neat exhibit on extinct
species (mammoths, dinosaurs, etc…)
 Students will be carefully grouped together in order to get
students that will work best together.
 Students that need more direction then given will have an
opportunity to talk with me, and work with me one on one.
 Computer activities/ books will be available to students who
may finish early.
Ashley Fawley
Fossils and Extinction- Guided Discovery Model
Educ 317 – Spring 2013
ECE only Major