How can we correlate fossil evidence?
Student Hand-out
1. Creating Initial Models
a. In the box below draw and/or write the different fossils that you know.
b. Draw and explain how you think scientists sequence events to determine
the age of the layers of rock using fossils?
2. Observations and activities (student’s gathering and/or using observational data;
highlighting the Nature of Science)
a. Reconstruct a scrambled comic strip. How did you decide the sequence of
events in the comic strip?
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b. Nonsense syllables sequencing activity 1 (guided)- spread the cards with
the nonsense syllables on the table and determine the correct sequence of
the eight cards comparing the letters that are common to individual cards,
and therefore, overlap. The first card in the sequence has “C 1, Set A” in
the lower left-hand corner and represents the bottom of the sequence. The
“TC” card is the oldest of the fossils and the cards on top of it are the
younger fossils in the younger layers of the rock. Interpretation questions:
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i. How do you know that “X” is older than “M”?
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ii. Explain why “D” in the rock layer represented by DM is the
same age as “M.”
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iii. Explain why “D” in the rock layer represents by OXD is older
than “D” in DM.
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iv. Name the index fossils on the list.
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c. Nonsense syllables sequencing activity 2 (independent)- interpretation
questions:
i.
Name the index fossils
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ii. Name the youngest index fossil
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iii. How did you decide on the correct sequencing of the fossil C?
Which one, C, is the oldest and in what layer can you find it?
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iv. If I find a fossil G in North America, in what layer do you
think I can (possible locations) find G in Asia?
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v. If a scientist in Russia finds a fossil X in the third layer of
rocks from the top (youngest), will you believe him? Explain.
If he/she insists that he/she truly found X in the third layer of
the younger rocks, what should happen to support his claim?
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3. Revision of models (students revise their models based on new data). Based on what
you learned from the activities above, revise your model below.
a. Draw and explain how you think scientists sequence events to determine
the age of the layers of rock using fossils?
b. How is your revised model different from your initial model?
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4. Additional Experiments (students performing basic experimentations and gathering
data using pictorial models)
a. Carefully examine the second set of cards which have sketches of
fossils on them. The oldest rock layer is marked with the letter “M” in
the lower left-hand corner. Arrange the fossils from oldest to youngest
with the oldest layer in the bottom and the youngest on the top. Keep
in mind that extinction is forever. Once an organism disappears from
the sequence it cannot reappear later.
i. Which fossil organisms could possibly be used as index
fossils?
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ii. Name three organisms represented that could not be used as
index fossils and explain why.
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b. Nonsense syllables sequencing activity 3, working with other
groups/other scientists (independent).
i. Which one is the youngest fossil?
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ii. Name the index fossils.
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iii. Based on this activity, how do scientists work with other
scientists to create a sequence of events?
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5. Revision of models (students revise their models based on new data). Based on what
you learned from the activities above, revise your model below.
a. In the box below draw and/or write the different fossils that you know.
b. Draw and explain how you think scientists sequence events to determine
the age of the layers of rock using fossils?
6. Analysis of Models: Building Analogies (think-pair-share; discussion of strengths
and limitations of models)
Model
Target
Strength of the Analogy
i.e. groups in
class sharing
findings to
other groups
to create a
pattern and
establish
sequence
scientists
working
with each
other to
create a
sequence,
theory, or
models
Students can see how
group’s data gets
incorporated to create a
pattern and establish
sequence in a micro scale
level.
Weakness(es) or
limitations of the Analogy
Scientists work with a
global network/macro
level and it usually takes
decades for them to find,
establish, and test patterns,
models, or theory.
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7. Sharing data, models & explanations (group reporting and class discussion)
8. Argumentations- Presentation of models (initial model, revised model, rationale,
etc.), explanations, differences among models, questions about models, etc.
Making a final class model.
9. Further questions (from students; optional as time permits)
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