The Great Fossil Find
Objective: You and the members of your team will play the roles of paleontologists working in the field in
Montana.
Hypothesis:
Day 1 (4 bones): Type of animal suspected:
Day 2 (7 bones): Type of animal suspected:
Day 3 (10 bones): Type of animal suspected:
Day 4 (collaboration w/ another team): Type of animal suspected:
Day 5 (after consulting resource booklet): Type of animal suspected:
LISTEN TO THE STORY AS YOUR TEACHER READS AND THEN FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS
Data:
Part A: Draw the fossil bones your team discovered. You can draw them on the graph paper provided.
Part B: You will obtain a soft chocolate chip cookie and graph paper from the teacher. Trace around the
cookie on the graph paper. You are to “dig” out as many chocolate chips as you can in two minutes using
the tools you MUST purchase from your teacher. When digging into the environment, the property must
be reclaimed. The original tools must be used (you can never use your fingers!) to return all waste
material into the original area. Reclamation also cost $1 per minute, & a maximum of 3 minutes are
allowed. As in the “real world”, if reclamation is not satisfactory, a fine must be paid. The teacher will
act as the EPA and will assess a $1 fine for every square outside the original circle that has crumbs or
other “waste material” on it. Fines & reclamation costs are registered on the balance sheet under the
“reclamation” heading. Choose your tool(s) and record on the balance sheet how many and cost.
Draw the fossil bones your team discovered.
Part C: You will obtain a crunchy chocolate chip cookie from the teacher. Again you have two minutes to
dig out as many chocolate chips using the same tools and rules from part B.
Draw the fossil bones your team discovered.
Part D: Consult with another team and look at each other’s bones.
Part E: Consult the Resource manual. Record your final interpretation in your hypothesis.
1. Did you make any assumptions or inferences at the beginning of the activity that kept you from
assembling the “right” skeleton (i.e. your final interpretation?). EXPLAIN.
2. Did the discovery of new bones cause any conflict within your group? EXPLAIN.
3. Did the information from another group influence your assumptions? EXPLAIN.
4. If this “Fossil Find” scenario is typical of the work of scientist describe how you used the
Scientific Method to complete this activity.
5. From looking at the fossil and the resource, what could you say about how and where this animal
lived?
Conclusion:
ALWAYS USE COMPLETE SENTENCES!
What did you learn? What would you try next if you had to redo the experiment? What is the
independent variable when interpreting the bones? What is the dependent variable when interpreting
the bones? What is the control and constants when interpreting the bones?
Cookie Digging Balance Sheet
You only have $20 to spend
1. Soft Cookie……………………………………
(squares covered)
2. Crunchy Cookie…………………………….
(squares covered)
3. Equipment
How many?
Toothpick
x
$2 =
Small paperclip
x
$3 =
Large paperclip
x
$5 =
TOTAL EQUIPMENT COST………………………………………………
4. Cost of removing fossilized material:
(# of squares)
5. Reclamation
(# of mins)
A
x $1=
B
(reclamation cost including fines)
x$
6. TOTAL COST OF DIGGING (A + B + C)
(# of chips)
=
C
=
D
(sale price of chips)
7. VALUE OF FOSSILS DUG UP
=
E
How much did I make?
Value of fossils dug up =
(E)
Total Cost of digging =
(D)
Profit/Loss=
(E-D)
The Great Fossil Find Poster
Make a poster to show your final interpretation of the fossils as well as how your interpretation changed
as you got more information.
Must haves:
1. EACH PERSON’S HANDWRITING MUST BE ON THE PAPER. You are to share the work
EQUALLY!
2. The type of animal you think your fossils were
3. A drawing of what the animal might look like
4. Where the animal might have lived (in water, on land, on land and in the air) and WHY you think
so.
5. What you originally thought the animal was on Day 1
6. The biggest piece of evidence that caused you to change your interpretation from Day 1 to Day 5
7. What new pieces of evidence (such as another fossil from the animal) might support your
hypothesis about these fossils?
8. What new piece of evidence might prove that your interpretation of these fossils is inaccurate
(wrong)?
The Great Fossil Find Poster
Make a poster to show your final interpretation of the fossils as well as how your interpretation changed
as you got more information.
Must haves:
1. EACH PERSON’S HANDWRITING MUST BE ON THE PAPER. You are to share the work
EQUALLY!
2. The type of animal you think your fossils were
3. A drawing of what the animal might look like
4. Where the animal might have lived (in water, on land, on land and in the air) and WHY you think
so.
5. What you originally thought the animal was on Day 1
6. The biggest piece of evidence that caused you to change your interpretation from Day 1 to Day 5
7. What new pieces of evidence (such as another fossil from the animal) might support your
hypothesis about these fossils?
8. What new piece of evidence might prove that your interpretation of these fossils is inaccurate
(wrong)?