Grade 4
4th Grade Science Standard IV - Fossils
FOSSILS: 4 KINDS [Create to Understand] - 2
DRAFT
(lesson 2 of 5) Davis ‘Fossil Formations’
Science Standard(s): USOE Science Standard IV Objective I
Content Objective(s):
Language Objective(s):
Teacher objective:
Teacher objective:
The students will work in table groups to create 4 kinds of
The students will record 4 predictions of the products that will
homemade fossils [imprint, mold & cast, amber, & fossilized
result from homemade fossils and will use sentence frames to
bone] and will compare the process and products with
compare the processes and products of homemade and naturenature-made fossils.
made fossils.
Student objective [posted]:
Student objective [posted]:
Aujourd'hui je vais travailler avec mon groupe pour
Aujourd'hui je vais noter 4 prédictions au sujet des fossiles que
fabriquer 4 fossiles [empreinte, moule & moulage, ambre,
nous allons fabriquer et je vais utiliser des phrases-modèles
& os fossilisé] et je comparerai notre fabrication avec le
pour comparer les processus de fabrication et les résultats
processus de fabrication des fossiles dans la nature.
obtenus avec les fossiles produits par la nature.
Essential Questions:
Required Academic Vocabulary for Word Wall:
What is a fossil?
Listen/Speak/ Read/ Write: une empreinte, conservé, la
What can we learn from fossils?
minéralisation, imprimer, un moule & un moulage, l'ambre,
Materials:
fossilisé,
 Objectifs écrits à l'avance
Sentence Frames:
 Feuilles de prise de notes [1 par élève]
 Je prédis que le fossile que nous avons fabriqué [empreinte,
 Plâtre de Paris
moule & moulage, ambre, os fossilisé] ressemblera à
 Tasses en plastique (2 par élève)
______________.
 Feuilles d'arbre (1 par élève)
 __________ représente ___________ [le processus de fabrication/le
 Coquillages (1 par élève)
résultat de la fabrication] d'un fossile dans la nature [empreinte,
 Vaseline
moule & moulage, ambre, os fossilisé].
 Talc

_____ est comme un fossile dans la nature car ______.
 3x5 Cartes (1 par élève)
Additional
Lesson Vocabulary:
 Insectes (en plastique ou fabriqués avec des cure-pipes)
les
feuilles,
les coquillages, du plâtre, du talc, de la vaseline, de la
 Colle chaude & pistolet à colle
colle
chaude,
une éponge,
 Contenant en plastique (Pot de "Cool Whip" - 1 par
groupe)
 Éponges (1 petite par élève)
 Sel
 Pichet d'eau
Lesson:
Instructional Time: 45 min.
Opening: (5 minutes)
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Establish or Reinforce Management Routines/Procedures. Expectations in place and method to have the students respond to
you. [i.e. Magic Word ‘fossil’ – when I say the magic word you will __, __, & ___. Ready? ‘Fossil!’]
Essential Questions: What is a fossil? What can we learn from fossils?
Class Definition of a fossil: the remains or evidence of an ancient organism – Learn about how ancient organisms of ‘then &
there’ can be preserved, remain, or leave evidence in the ‘here & now’ by making our own fossils. Not ancient, but symbolic of
the process (way it happened or HOW?) and the products (what was left or WHAT?).
Objectives: Read content objective [teacher & then whole class] and verify that the students understand their task for the day
and then read the language objective [teacher & then whole class] with more questions to check for understanding.
Introduction to New Material (Direct Instruction): (5 minutes)
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Review basic vocabulary from lesson 1 - archaeologists discover fossils, but they don’t typically make their own unless they are
just trying to understand the process better, which is our purpose today.
New vocabulary introduction 3-column T-chart – 3 fossil Categories: [1-impression, 2-preserved, 3-mineral replacement]
As listings within 3 columns of T-Chart the 4 kinds of fossils we will make today: 1-Impression [#1 Imprint Fossil/ #2 Mold and
Cast Fossil] 2-Preserved Fossil: [#3 Amber Fossil] 3-Mineral Replacement Fossil: [#4 Fossilized Bone]
Recording Page passed to all students as framework for the creation of 4 homemade fossils – Review each column as the
structure of lesson delivery [definition of fossil type, process for homemade fossil creation, prediction of homemade fossil
product, comparison of nature-made and homemade fossils]
Guided Practice: Cycle INM-GP-IP repeated for 4 Kinds of Fossils (25 minutes)
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Teacher Note: This cycle follows the recording sheet format with 1-Introduction to New material [definition], 2-Guided
Practice/Modeling [Process for homemade fossil], 3-Independent Practice [Prediction for fossil product- sentence frames] –
cycled through 4 different times. Afterward, there will be modeling for the comparison sentence frames in the final
Independent Practice section of the lesson.
Review the fishbowl procedure for gathering at one of the table groups for instruction and modeling – 4 different times as
chunk the information from each fossil type
FOSSIL #1 Imprint Fossil [SEE CHART] (7 minutes)
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Introduction to New Material [INM]:
 Invite class to form a fishbowl at one table group setting
 Present Instructional Card for Fossil #1 DEFINITION:
Impression Fossils are made by organisms that are left in sediments. If a
small soft, organism is completely covered with sediments, the organism
will leave its body prints on the surrounding mud. It will eventually decay
with only the prints left on the sediments. Impression fossils are broken
down into two categories: (1) imprint fossils and (2) mold and cast fossils.
Imprint: These are impressions of thin organisms such as feathers, leaves,
or fish that had fallen into sediment before the sediment hardened. Later
the organisms decomposed leaving only the carbon remains of the
organisms on the sedimentary rock.
FOURTH COLUMN: COMPARISON
NOT used until Independent Practice at
the end of the entire lesson
Guided Practice/Modeling [GP]:
 Modeling Cycle: teacher demonstrates steps of the PROCESS for homemade IMPRINT fossil creation [task and marking off
each bullet as completed]. Teacher & student do. Two students do. Whole class repeats back steps they’ll do.
PROCESS:
 Have the students select a leaf to imprint. (Give them time to collect one outside or choose from leaves you have)
 Mix up some Plaster of Paris, enough for each student. (It should have the consistency of a milkshake.)
 Pour about an inch into each plastic cup.
 Right after the Plaster of Paris is poured into each cup, have student place his/her leaf, vein side down, on top of the plaster.
 Have them press it so the whole leaf is in contact with the plaster, but it is still lying on top. (It must cure for a couple of hours
so it doesn’t break.)
 Discuss the process and the following questions as a class:
 What do you think the plaster will look like when you take the leaf off tomorrow? (It will have a leaf print on it.)
 Why do you think this is? (Because the plaster became hard while the leaf was still on it, leaving the leaf design.)
 Why is this like a fossil? (It shows what a leaf looks like even though the leaf is no longer there.)
Independent Practice/Sentence Frame [IP]:
 Modeling Cycle: teacher demonstrates how to use the PRODUCT prediction sentence frame and record answer in the third
column of the recording page. The sentence should be read aloud and the basic response recorded in the blank space. Teacher &
student do. Two students do. Whole class repeats back what they’ll do when given permission.
 Released to complete this independent PREDICTION task with their partner or group prior to being allowed to gather at a
different table for the next fossil creation.
FOSSIL #2 MOLD & CAST Fossil (8 minutes)
Introduction to New Material [INM]:
 Invite class to form a fishbowl at a different table group setting
 Present Instructional Card for Fossil #2 DEFINITION:
Mold and Cast: Mold fossils are impressions made from larger organisms. When an organism dies and is covered by sediments, it
decomposes slowly, but eventually decays completely. The cavity left in the rock will retain the exact shape and size and is called
the mold. The cavity in the sedimentary rock may later fill with sediments and may take the shape of the mold. This is the cast. It
looks just like the original organism on the outside.
Guided Practice/Modeling [GP]:
 Modeling Cycle: teacher demonstrates steps of the PROCESS for homemade MOLD & CAST fossil creation [task and marking
off each bullet as completed]. Teacher & student do. Two students do. Whole class repeats back steps they’ll do.
PROCESS:
Part 1: Mold
 Have the students select a sea shell from those you have available.
 Have the students coat the bottom of their sea shells (rib side) with petroleum jelly. (So it doesn’t stick to the plaster.)
 Mix up some Plaster of Paris, enough for each student. (It should have the consistency of a milkshake.)
 Pour about an inch into each plastic cup.
 Have student place his/her shell, rib side down, on top of the plaster. Press the shell so about 3/4 of it goes into the plaster.
 When the plaster is almost hard, have the students pull the shell out. It will leave an impression in the plaster of what the shell
looks like. This is the mold.
Let the plaster harden for the next part of the activity.
Discuss the process and the following questions as a class:
What does taking the shell away from the plaster represent? (It represents the shell decaying and disappearing.)
Why did the plaster take on the design of the shell? (When it was placed on the plaster, the plaster turned hard and was
able to take on the shape and design of the shell.)
 Why is this like a fossil? (It shows what a shell looked like even though it is no longer there.)
Part 2: Cast
 Put a thin layer of talcum powder on top of the plaster so it is evenly sprinkled everywhere.
 Mix up some more Plaster of Paris, enough for each student. (It should have the consistency of a milk shake.)
 Pour some more Plaster of Paris on top of the mold of the shell. (This will be the cast. It must cure for a couple of hours so it
doesn't break.)
 Discuss the process and the following questions as a class:
 What do you think the cast will look like when the two pieces of plaster are separated tomorrow? (It will take on the
design and shape of the mold.)
 Why will it look like this? (Because the plaster was liquid when it was poured onto the mold. When it hardened it took the
shape of the mold.)
 Why is this like a fossil? (The cast shows the outside design, the shape, and the outline of what the shell looked like.)
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Independent Practice/Sentence Frame [IP]:
 Released to complete this independent PREDICTION task with their partner or group prior to being allowed to gather at a
different table for the next fossil creation.
FOSSIL #3 AMBER Fossil (5 minutes)
Introduction to New Material [INM]:
 Invite class to form a fishbowl at a different table group setting
 Present Instructional Card for Fossil #3 DEFINITION:
Preserved Fossils: These are fossils that are unaltered and the original organism stays intact. The soft body parts as well as the hard
parts are preserved. Here are different ways preservation happens: Freezing- Sometimes whole organisms will be encased in ice or
snow and the ice or snow never melts. The freezing of an organism prevents decaying and preserves the organism.
Amber- Sometimes an insect gets trapped in tree sap. Over time the sap fossilizes to amber.
Guided Practice/Modeling [GP]:
 Modeling Cycle: teacher demonstrates steps of the PROCESS for homemade AMBER fossil creation [task and marking off each
bullet as completed]. Teacher & student do. Two students do. Whole class repeats back steps they’ll do.
PROCESS:
 Give each student a 3 x 5 index card.
 Have the students draw about a one inch circle on the index card. Have them color in the circle with the color they think is
closest to real amber.
 Students need an insect to trap in amber. They can trap real insects that have been collected outside, use a plastic insect, or
create their own insect using pipe cleaners or other art supplies.
 Have each student put their insects inside the colored circle on the card.
 Have the students bring their cards up to you so you can encase the insects in hot glue (sap).
 After everyone is done, explain to the students that over a period of millions of years, the sap fossilized to amber and the insect
is preserved. Ask questions:
 What do you think the cast will look like when the two pieces of plaster are separated tomorrow? (the same)
 Why will it look like this? (Preserved)
 Why is this like a fossil? (Sap encasing the insect)
Independent Practice/Sentence Frame [IP]:
 Released to complete this independent PREDICTION task with their partner or group prior to being allowed to gather at a
different table for the next fossil creation.
FOSSIL #4 FOSSILIZED BONE Fossil (5 minutes)
Introduction to New Material [INM]:
 Invite class to form a fishbowl at a different table group setting
 Present Instructional Card for Fossil #4 DEFINITION:
Mineral Replacement: The fossils that students are most familiar with are mineral replacement fossils (also known as mineralized,
petrified, and fossilized). When an animal is buried in sediments, the soft parts of the organism decay quickly. The hard parts such
as bones, teeth, and claws will not decay right away in the sediments. Since they stay in the sediments unchanged for many years,
they have a chance of becoming mineralized. For example, when the original bone is buried, water must seep through the sediment
and pass through the bone. At this point mineral replacement can take place. The seeping water dissolves the bone, but as the water
is dissolving it, the minerals in the water replace the bone one cell at a time changing it into stone.
Guided Practice/Modeling [GP]:
 Modeling Cycle: teacher demonstrates steps of the PROCESS for homemade FOSSILIZED BONE creation [task and marking off
each bullet as completed]. Teacher & student do. Two students do. Whole class repeats back steps they’ll do.
PROCESS:
1. Give each group of students a large plastic container (Cool Whip container) filled with sand and a small sponge.
2. Have the students bury their sponges in the sand being sure there is a layer of sand both above and below the sponge.
3. Mix 2 parts salt to 5 parts water in a water pitcher. Make sure the salt is completely dissolved in the water.
4. Slowly pour the salt water on top of the sand until it completely soaks the sand.
5. Leave the container in a warm dry place until it completely dries. (You can expedite the process by putting it in the oven at
250oF for a few hours, but you will need to use an oven-safe container.)
6. NEXT DAY: When it is dry, excavate the sponges with a spoon. Notice how the sponges turned “bonelike.”
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Discuss with students a PREDICTION of how the sponge might turn to bone. When the salt water was added to the sand, it
filled the pores in the sponge. When the water evaporates, the salt will remain in those pores. This simulates how dissolved
minerals replace the cells in bones, wood, etc.
Independent Practice/Sentence Frame [IP]:
 Released to complete this independent PREDICTION task with their partner or group prior to being allowed to gather at a
different table for the next fossil creation.
Independent Practice: Comparison Sentence Frames (5 minutes)
Sentence Frames:
 __________ represents ___________ [process/product] of a nature-made [imprint, mold & cast, amber, fossilized bone] fossil.
 _____ is like a nature made fossil because______.
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Modeling Cycle: teacher does, teacher w/ student, two students do, whole class
Teacher will model sentence frame for IMPRINT fossil, then work with a partner for MOLD & CAST fossils, two students will
model the sentence frames for AMBER fossils and then the whole class can practice the FOSSILIZED BONE frames.
Project the chart with sentence frames listed for each of the 4 kinds of fossils. Model for students how they can compare the
process of creating homemade fossils to the real, nature-made fossils.
Highlight from the columns of the chart words that can potentially go in the blanks for each fossil type for both PROCESS &
PRODUCT comparisons.
EMPREINTE
MOULE & MOULAGE
AMBRE
OS FOSSILISÉ
PROCESSUS:
PROCESSUS:
PROCESSUS:
PROCESSUS:
presser la feuille dans le
formation d'un moulage de
colorier les points sur la
enterrer l'éponge dans le
plâtre :: la feuille tombe dans plâtre :: solidification de la
carte :: la fossilisation de la
sable :: les sédiments
la boue
boue & de la terre
sève
recouvrent l'os
RÉSULTAT:
RÉSULTAT:
RÉSULTAT:
RÉSULTAT:
empreinte de la feuille ::
talc dans le moule :: séchage
colle chaude :: sève de
eau salée :: eau contenant
sédiments sur la feuille
des sédiments après
l'arbre
des minéraux
décomposée
décomposition
 Release the students to make their own comparisons, telling at least 4 different people in the class, one for every two frames for
each type of fossil – total of 8 sentences.
Closing: (5 minutes)
 Review the 4 kinds of fossils by describing the PROCESS steps used to make them and having students call out the term.
 Invite students to share some of their sentence frames and discuss as a class the information gleaned through simulating the
fossil creation process. Explain that they will work more with the products in the next fossil lesson.
 Review the objectives, inviting students to read them and consider if they accomplished everything they said they would.
Assessment:
Informal observation and use of sentence frames & the work recorded in the chart
Extra Ideas:
Use other objects for fossil creation. Split the lesson between two days.
Quatre Sortes de Fossiles: I – M&C – A - FB
DEFINITION:
PROCESSUS:
RÉSULTAT:
COMPARAISON:
[TYPE DE FOSSILE]
[FOSSILE FABRIQUÉ]
[PRÉDICTION]
[fabriqué par nous: fabriqué
par la nature]
#1 Empreinte de
fossile: EMPREINTE
 choisir une feuille
 verser le plâtre dans
une tasse (consistance d'un
-organismes demeurés dans les
sédiments
milkshake)
-laissent une empreinte
-des plumes, des feuilles, ou des  feuille pressée à
poissons tombent dans des
surface
sédiments avant qu'ils ne
durcissent
 laisser sécher la
- les organismes se décomposent
feuille
en laissant une empreinte
#2 Empreinte de
fossile: MOULE &
MOULAGE
- ‘empreinte’ de plus grands
organismes: morts/recouverts
de sédiments/ finalement
décomposés
-MOULE: cavité ayant la forme
exacte
-MOULAGE: cavité remplie par
des sédiments qui ont pris la
forme et la taille de l'organisme
original
Je prédis que l'empreinte de fossile
que nous avons fabriquée
ressemblera à ______________.
__________ représente ___________, le
RÉSULTAT de la fabrication d'une
EMPREINTE de fossile par la nature.
la
 choisir un coquillage
 verser le plâtre
 enduire le coquillage
de vaseline
 presser à la surface
du plâtre-retirer
 talc dans le MOULE
 Plâtre MOULAGE
__________ représente ___________, un
PROCESSUS de fabrication d'une
empreinte de fossile par la nature.
Je prédis que le MOULE & le
MOULAGE du fossile que nous avons
fabriqués ressembleront à
______________.
__________ représente ___________, un
PROCESSUS de fabrication d'un
MOULE et d'un MOULAGE de fossile
par la nature.
__________ représente ___________, le
RÉSULTAT de la fabrication d'un
MOULE et d'un MOULAGE de fossile
par la nature.
#3 Reste Fossilisé:
AMBRE
-petit organisme demeuré entier
-parties molles & parties dures
sont conservées lorsque de
petits insectes sont prisonniers
de la sève durcie d'un arbre
# 4 Minéralisation:
OS FOSSILISÉ
-minéralisé, pétrifié, fossilisé
-parties dures: os, dents, griffes
-demeurés longtemps dans les
sédiments
-l'eau dissout les os qui sont
remplacés, cellule après cellule,
par des minéraux, pour devenir
de la pierre
 3x5 carte index
 point de couleur
ambre
 placer un insecte sur
le point
 inclure l'insecte dans
la colle chaude (sève)
 contenant en
plastique
 éponge enterrée
entre des couches de
sable
 eau salée sur le sable
 laisser sécher
 extraire l'éponge
Je prédis que le reste fossilisé dans
l'AMBRE que nous avons fabriqué
ressemblera à ______________.
__________ représente ___________, le
PROCESSUS de fabrication d'un reste
fossilisé dans l'AMBRE par la nature.
__________ représente ___________, le
RÉSULTAT de la fabrication d'un reste
fossilisé dans l'AMBRE par la nature.
Je prédis que l'OS FOSSILISÉ que nous
avons fabriqué sera ______________.
__________ représente ___________, le
PROCESSUS de fabrication d'un OS
FOSSILISÉ par la nature.
__________ représente ___________, le
RÉSULTAT de la fabrication d'un OS
FOSSILISÉ par la nature.
#1 Empreinte de
Fossile: EMPREINTE
-organismes demeurés dans des sédiments
-laissent une empreinte
-des plumes, des feuilles, ou des poissons
tombent dans des sédiments avant qu'ils ne
durcissent
-les organismes se décomposent en laissant
leur empreinte
#2 Empreinte de Fossile:
MOULE & MOULAGE
- ‘empreinte’ de plus grands organismes: ils
meurent/sont recouverts par des
sédiments/ finalement se décomposent
-MOULE: cavité ayant exactement la même
forme
-MOULAGE: cavité remplie par des
sédiments qui prennent la forme et la taille
de l'organisme original
#3 Reste fossilisé:
AMBRE
- petit organisme demeuré entier
- parties molles & parties dures sont
conservées lorsque de petits insectes sont
prisonniers de la sève durcie d'un arbre
#4 Minéralisation:
OS FOSSILISÉ
- minéralisé, pétrifié, fossilisé
- parties dures: os, dents, griffes
- demeurés longtemps dans les sédiments
- l'eau dissout les os qui sont remplacés,
cellule après cellule, par des minéraux, pour
devenir de la pierre